Editing The Pirate Planet (section)

==Broadcast and reception==
{{Episode table
 |background =
 |series = 6 |title = 20 | aux1=6 | airdate = 10 | viewers = 6 | country = UK
 |seriesT    = Episode
 |aux1T      = Run time
 |viewersR   = <ref name="AllRatings" />
 |episodes   = 
{{Episode list/sublist|The Pirate Planet
 |EpisodeNumber      = 1
 |Title              = Part One
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1978|9|30|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 9.1
 |Aux1               = 25:05
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|The Pirate Planet
 |EpisodeNumber      = 2
 |Title              = Part Two
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1978|10|7|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 7.4
 |Aux1               = 25:30
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|The Pirate Planet
 |EpisodeNumber      = 3
 |Title              = Part Three
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1978|10|14|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 8.2
 |Aux1               = 25:47
 |LineColor          = 
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|The Pirate Planet
 |EpisodeNumber      = 4
 |Title              = Part Four
 |RTitle             = 
 |OriginalAirDate    = {{Start date|1978|10|21|df=y}}
 |Viewers            = 8.4
 |Aux1               = 25:16
 |LineColor          = 
}}
}}

It was repeated on BBC1 on four consecutive Thursdays from 12 July – 2 August 1979, achieving viewing figures of 2.8, 4.0, 3.3 and 2.9 million respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/story.php?story=ThePiratePlanet&detail=broadcast|title=Doctor Who Guide: broadcasting for The Pirate Planet|last=doctorwhonews.net}}</ref>

[[Paul Cornell]], [[Martin Day (writer)|Martin Day]], and [[Keith Topping]] wrote of the serial in ''The Discontinuity Guide'' (1995), "An inventive story, The Pirate Planet has matured into a satisfying mixture of the clever and the absurd."<ref name="disctoninuity">{{cite book |title=[[The Discontinuity Guide]] |last1=Cornell |first1=Paul |author-link1=Paul Cornell |last2=Day |first2=Martin |author-link2=Martin Day (writer) |last3=Topping |first3=Keith |author-link3=Keith Topping |year=1995 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |location=London |isbn=0-426-20442-5 |chapter=The Pirate Planet|chapter-url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pirateplanet/detail.shtml }}</ref> In ''The Television Companion'' (1998), [[David J. Howe]] and [[Stephen James Walker]] described it as "enjoyable", especially due to Baker and Tamm's performances as well as the Captain and Mr Fibuli. However, they wrote that the other supporting characters were "simply awful".<ref name="television companion">{{cite book | author1 = Howe, David J | author-link = David J. Howe | author2 = Walker, Stephen James | author2-link = Stephen James Walker | year = 1998 | title = Doctor Who: The Television Companion | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pirateplanet/detail.shtml | edition = 1st | location = London | publisher = [[BBC Books]] | isbn = 978-0-563-40588-7 | access-date = 25 December 2019 | archive-date = 29 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201229003338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pirateplanet/detail.shtml | url-status = live }}</ref> In 2011, Mark Braxton of ''[[Radio Times]]'' noted a few plot holes and that the budget could not convey the scope of ideas, but he praised the performances and the story's playful tone.<ref name="Radio Times">{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Braxton|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-01-07/the-pirate-planet|title=Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet|work=[[Radio Times]]|date=7 January 2011|access-date=20 March 2013|archive-date=29 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229003417/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/scifi/doctor-who-guide/2011-01-06/the-pirate-planet/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[DVD Talk]]'s Justin Felix gave ''The Pirate Planet'' three and a half out of four stars, describing the story as "quite clever" and "fun", but felt that it was let down by over-the-top acting.<ref name="DVD Talk">{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Felix|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/36709/doctor-who-the-pirate-planet/|title=Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet|publisher=[[DVD Talk]]|date=22 March 2009|access-date=20 March 2013|archive-date=29 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229003428/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/36709/doctor-who-the-pirate-planet/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, [[Charlie Anders|Charlie Jane Anders]] of [[io9]] listed the cliffhanger of the third episode as one of the best cliffhangers in ''Doctor Who'' history.<ref>{{cite web|first=Charlie Jane|last=Anders|url=http://io9.com/5625151/greatest-doctor-who-cliffhangers-of-all-time|title=Greatest Doctor Who cliffhangers of all time!|publisher=[[io9]]|date=31 August 2010|access-date=20 March 2013|archive-date=14 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514031149/http://io9.com/5625151/greatest-doctor-who-cliffhangers-of-all-time|url-status=live}}</ref>