The Pirate Planet is good humoured and has excellent character moments. It takes a bit of time to fall into Douglas Adams’ idiosyncratic writing style, but once it does it is particularly charming. The comedic exploration of fascinating sci-fi concepts is quite different from typical Doctor Who. It is the very same year Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was first released and has a milder form of the same bookish, British, slightly surreal humour. The epic realisation at the end of part two, that the planet they have found themselves on eats other planets and strips them of their resources is both brilliant in scientific terms but also in analogous when thinking about the real world - an example of Adam’s flare for storytelling.

In the opening episode Adams pens some brilliant dialogue between Romana, K-9 and The Doctor. It's actually a better introduction to the new companion / Doctor relationship than the previous story. You get a great insight into The Doctor’s charming childishness and inability to accept that another Time Lord might be better at some things than himself (working the TARDIS, finding out information from locals). I love how his pomposity is periodically pricked by Romana, who feels like a much more distinct and full bodied character in this one. I remember when I saw this story for the first time, in 2013, I found the larger than life, bombastic and overacted lead villain irritating. For some reason his performance sat better with me this time round. I like how the excellently named Mr Fibuli is his punching bag, only in the final moments of his life being touchingly, almost homoerotically appreciated.

If the villains were a little less moustache twirling and more believable as characters I think this story would be considered a real classic. As it is though it is still a strong second instalment of season 16.