Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead ★★★★★

Cast

The Doctor – David Tennant

Donna Noble – Catherine Tate

Professor River Song – Alex Kingston

Dr Moon – Colin Salmon

The Girl – Eve Newton

Dad – Mark Dexter

Node 1 – Sarah Niles

Node 2 – Joshua Dallas

Anita – Jessika Williams

Strackman Lux – Steve Pemberton

Miss Evangelista – Talulah Riley

Other Dave – O-T Fagbenle

Proper Dave – Harry Peacock

Lee – Jason Pitt

Ella – Eloise Rakic-Platt

Joshua – Alex Midwood

Man – Jonathan Reuben

Crew

Writer – Steven Moffat

Director – Euros Lyn

Producer – Phil Collinson

Designer – Edward Thomas

Music – Murray Gold

Executive producers – Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner

Reams of brilliant ideas dovetail here: a library planet; data ghosts; flesh-eating shadows called Vashta Nerada; a child’s virtual-reality world that has “saved” people digitally; the need to resist spoilers… Plus, the Doctor is startled by Professor River Song (Alex Kingston), a future love he has yet to meet but who knows a good deal about him, including his real name.