Stories Television Doctor Who Series 3 Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Smith and Jones 1 image Overview Characters How to Watch Reviews 9 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 1 Transcript + Script Overview First aired Saturday, March 31, 2007 Production Code 3.1 Written by Russell T Davies Publisher BBC Directed by Charles Palmer Runtime 45 minutes Story Type New Companion Introduction Time Travel Present Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Corridors, Stargazing, Base Under Siege, Doctor kisses, Doctor sacrifices themself, Hospital, It's bigger on the inside, Shape Shifting, The Doctor’s Name, Time Travel Pivotal Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Stethoscope, Pyjamas, Sonic Screwdriver Location (Potential Spoilers!) Europe, Earth, England, London, The Moon UK Viewers 8.71 million Appreciation Index 88 Synopsis Just when it seemed it would be yet another chaotic day managing her family's disputes, Martha Jones finds trouble waiting for her at work. Trapped on the Moon with space rhinos looking for a criminal and the air running out, she will have to come to trust a seemingly mad stranger calling himself "the Doctor". But can the Tenth Doctor save the day this time? Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save Characters Tenth Doctor David Tennant Martha Jones Freema Agyeman Judoon Nicholas Briggs First Appearance Plasmavore First Appearance Oliver Morgenstern First Appearance Leo Jones First Appearance Francine Jones First Appearance Show All Characters (7) How to watch Smith and Jones: Watch on iPlayer Doctor Who Confidential DVD Series 3 Volume 1: Smith And Jones – The Shakespeare Code – Gridlock DVD The Complete Third Series Blu-Ray Series 3 Blu-Ray The Complete Third Series [Steelbook] Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Default Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 9 reviews 24 June 2025 · 859 words Review by MrColdStream 2 Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! "SMITH AND JONES – A LUNAR LAUNCH FOR MARTHA JONES" Series 3 of Doctor Who kicks off with Smith and Jones, a pacey, inventive, and often downright silly adventure that introduces Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones in classic RTD fashion—a grounded family, a familiar modern setting, and then a sudden jump to the absolutely absurd. Like Rose and New Earth before it, the series opener is less about plot complexity and more about character establishment. And in that regard, this story delivers. Martha’s introduction is instantly charming: a confident, capable medical student caught in the middle of family drama and professional duty. Freema Agyeman nails her first appearance, portraying Martha as clever, calm under pressure, and independent—an ideal foil to the now grieving, slightly manic Tenth Doctor. Her scientific background sets her apart from Rose, and the way the Doctor essentially tests her throughout the story ("you're clever, that means you’re useful") establishes her as a competent companion from the off. There’s also a very Davies-esque efficiency in how the Doctor is reintroduced to the audience. New viewers get all the essentials—the two hearts, the blue police box, the Time Lord title—doled out naturally throughout the story without slowing the pace. The moment the Doctor first appears in the street, nonchalantly removes his tie, says “Like so, see?” and walks off is wonderfully mad, teasing both Martha and the audience with a mystery that only makes sense much later. JUDOON ON THE MOON The high-concept idea—an entire hospital yoinked to the Moon—is pure popcorn Doctor Who. The effects hold up reasonably well, with shots of the lunar surface and the stomping Judoon ships providing solid spectacle. The green screen shows through a bit, but the visual scope is ambitious for early Revival-era Who, and the design of the Judoon, with their heavy armour and rhino heads, remains one of the show’s more memorable creations. The Judoon, introduced as a galactic police force-for-hire, are simultaneously menacing and amusing. Their logic-first approach to justice (“non-hu-man!”) and trademark guttural language ("Sko! Blo! Mo!") have cemented their place in the Who iconography, despite being hilariously bad at aiming. They’re like militarised, bureaucratic stormtroopers with space rhinos for heads. BLOOD AND CHAOS The plot is straightforward, but it hangs on Anne Reid’s delightfully evil Plasmavore, a killer alien hiding among humans by drinking blood with a straw—Doctor Who never quite loses its fondness for the silly macabre. Reid, a veteran of both Classic (The Curse of Fenric) and New Who, sinks her teeth into the role (literally) and sells the character’s deception and cruelty with relish. Direction by Charles Palmer maintains a snappy rhythm, especially during the middle stretch where chaos reigns in the hospital halls. Judoon marching, patients panicking, and the Doctor frantically racing to solve the mystery—it's pure RTD-era bedlam. The extras do commendable work selling the panic. However, that chaos comes with a downside. The plot does become something of a runaround halfway through, with Martha and the Doctor zipping from room to corridor, and the secondary threat of oxygen depletion is largely ignored until the final act. There's a ticking clock, but the script forgets to wind it. KISSES, CLOWNING, AND CHARACTER The biggest misstep is the Doctor’s kiss. Used here to transfer genetic data to Martha (sci-fi nonsense, but sure), it unintentionally kickstarts her unrequited crush subplot for the season. It’s a bit of a whiplash moment—he barely knows her, and there’s no chemistry yet to justify it beyond a plot device. Worse, it undermines the more organic development of Martha’s admiration for the Doctor across the episode. That said, Tennant is firing on all cylinders. His post-Rose Doctor has a new edge—still bouncing with energy and quips, but there's an underlying grief that colours his performance, especially when he briefly mentions Rose. The scene where he pretends to be a dim human under interrogation is a fun highlight, as is his willingness to risk himself by allowing the Plasmavore to suck his blood, knowing it’ll expose her. Less convincing is the "expel all radiation via silly dance" sequence. Tennant just about sells it, but it's one of those tonal wobbles that lands somewhere between goofy charm and embarrassing filler. A SOLID LAUNCHPAD Smith and Jones is a soft reboot that mostly succeeds. It introduces a new companion with flair, gives Tennant space to shift gears post-Rose, and peppers in just enough spectacle to be memorable. The Judoon are fun, the Plasmavore is gruesomely entertaining, and the Moon-bound hospital is a great setpiece, even if the story itself doesn’t do much beyond the introduction of new toys. The emotional core is still there, and it’s in the small things—Martha’s decision to help rather than panic, the Doctor grieving through chaos, and a lovely final moment where she negotiates a trip in the TARDIS on her terms. That’s the real win. 📝THE BOTTOM LINE: An entertaining and energetic opener that introduces Martha Jones with confidence and flair, Smith and Jones is a slightly wobbly but fun blend of sci-fi spectacle and character reintroduction. Not quite a classic, but a solid new start. 8/10 MrColdStream View profile Like Liked 2 25 April 2024 · 242 words Review by 15thDoctor Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! A second underrated story in a row, and proof that even the era of the show I am most familiar with still holds surprises. Rhino headed aliens are a stroke of genius, you can see how deft RTD is at creating immediately accessible and relatable enemies for the general public. But crucially they are not the ultimate bad guys - they are heavy handed bureaucrats subjecting a hospital to mistreatment in the name of hunting down a lady who sucks blood through a straw. It’s light and frivolous, as we’ve come to expect with these opening stories - but it’s very much got a solid plot. It holds up significantly better than the series 2 opener. Martha Jones is the real stars of this show though. Freema Agyemen is a gentle delight. Not going to thwack you round the face with her performance like Tate or even Piper, but plays a more introverted, quiet confidence. An open eyed and excited new look on the universe. I like that she has a serious profession and that she is intelligent and highly qualified. Her chemistry with The Doctor, especially when he takes his tie off at the beginning and end of the show is wonderful. Shout out to the family arguments as well - why is Russell so good at writing those? The pathetic dad with his ridiculous girlfriend “this is me, putting my foot down!” It gives Martha a sense of reality around her. 15thDoctor View profile Like Liked 2 4 June 2024 · 187 words Review by dema1020 Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! I've always had a lot of love for Smith and Jones, even if it isn't everyone's favourite episode. I think it is such a wonderful and clean entry point for the series. It feels like an episode full of joy. Our characters might be in danger but the Judoon represent a fun threat more than a spooky one. The old lady is pretty brutal with her special straw but it all is played largely for laughs. David Tennant gets a lot of great comedy bits, and though one's mileage may vary in that regard, it's still just a solid introduction to Martha and a pretty important episode as an introduction for the Judoon (who I've always had a special place in my heart for). All told it is pretty solid. Great set-up and pay-off with the tie to frame and subtly introduce a bit of time travel in a story otherwise focused on some fun with the Judoon on the moon. It's silly but the hospital setting and scenario gave the episode a lot of structure. On the whole, I think it all worked out quite well. dema1020 View profile Like Liked 2 11 May 2025 · 85 words Review by Jann New Who Review #29 Smith & Jones This episode was fun. I enjoyed the setting of this episode. The Moon was a great location not yet explored in new who. Some parts of this episode were gorgeous. The Judoon were a funny Race and I'm glad they returned in series 12. Martha is a companion I've never really clicked with but Freema Agyeman really plays her well. Mrs Finnegan was a shock villain and the way she drains people's blood was dark. Overall this episode gets a 8/10 Jann View profile Like Liked 0 20 April 2025 · 174 words Review by Jonathan_ Spoilers This review contains spoilers! This episode introduces Martha Jones, who right out of the gate seems a lot more competent than Rose did. Her hospital gets teleported to the moon and she and The Doctor have to escape essentially a police search by the Judoon This episode does a really good job setting up Martha as someone who does well in chaotic situations. She tries to keep the peace between the different sides of her family and she does a lot to help the situation in the hospital The Doctor is clearly not over what happened to Rose, but he seems to be trying to have fun and move on The Plasmavore was a decent villain, even if the straw was a bit goofy. The more interesting aliens were the Judoon though. They seem to have a very strange limit on what they will do or interfere with, like they can teleport the hospital to the moon and back to capture their target, but when that target tries to fry half the earth (somehow), that’s outside their jurisdiction? Jonathan_ View profile Like Liked 0 Show All Reviews (9) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating1,074 members 3.85 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 2130 Favourited 172 Reviewed 9 Saved 6 Skipped 1 Related Stories Captain Jack's Monster Files (Minisode) Captain Jack’s Monster File: The Judoon Rating: 2.53 Story Skipped Webcast Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Captain Jack’s Monster Files Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Redacted • Episode 2 Hysteria Rating: 3.71 Story Skipped Podcast Reviews(4) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Redacted Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite Tags: Name dropping MARTHA: That happened to me this morning. MORGENSTERN: I had the same thing on the door handle. SWALES: And me, on the lift. STOKER: That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone? DOCTOR: Benjamin Franklin. STOKER: Correct. DOCTOR: My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked.. STOKER: Quite. DOCTOR: And then I got electrocuted. STOKER: Moving on. I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric... — Smith and Jones Transcript + Script Needs checking [Street] (A young black woman is walking down a busy London street, listening to a rap song on her phone radio.) RADIO: What can happen on an average beautiful day? You never know. Celebrate seasonal changes. It's hot for brothers. On a beautiful sunshiny day. (Her phone rings.) MARTHA: You're up early. What's happening? Show Full Transcript Open in new window View Script (PDF)