12 million years ago, an intergalactic war left its ripples on the Earth. Now, in Antarctica, an archaeological team has found something that is the detritus of the cosmic conflict. The creature, which had evolved millions of years ago into an entity capable consuming all life in the universe, will be a catastrophic threat if it is revived. And something outside our universe has decided to do just that. The Doctor, in the far future, has learnt of the war and is obliged to intervene. But things are complicated by the involvement of combatants from his own future.

The Taking of Planet 5 combines the very best of familiar SF themes (Armageddon, the altering of the future by actions of the past) and this outing for the Time Lord has all the exhilarating power of his very best adventures. There are also some striking innovations here: Enthusiasts will relish the extra attention given to the TARDIS:

"The TARDIS hovered in space, its fellows around it, tasting freedom. Now, if only it could be free of this infestation in its guts, free of this virus that seemed so like a Time Lord, and yet sound alike."