It's been officially announced that Catherine Tate will be the new 4th series companion, reprising her role of Donna Noble.

As a slightly older, gobby redhead myself, I'm delighted that my kind are now being represented in the Whoniverse! I know Donna wasn't to everyone's taste but I'm hoping we get a cross between the harridan at the start of the ep and the woman who wanted to "walk in the dust" by the end.

And I like Catherine Tate. I think she's very capable of giving a measured, layered performance, beyond the comedy characters she's famous for.

That's wonderful. I just re-watched "The Runaway Bride" last night. (CBC re-aired it here.) And I really loved her... always slapping the Doctor and she was really funny but also had some really sad, sweet, quiet moments. That should be a blast!

OMG CATHERINE TATE!!!!!! DONNA NOBLE!!!! FTW!!!!

/insane fangirl.

Sorry.

Why isn't it December yet?!? Why?!

Cathrine Tate! At last! a FUNNY COMPANION!

Just what we need. We need someone silly to counteract the Doc's emo. Yay!

The Doctor always gets to be the funny one. Come on guys, give Tate funny stuff to do, come on...

I'm already looking forward to the first time Donna and Martha clash about something. I'm hoping for high levels of quality snark here from the two of them.

(And then they can turn on Ten and tell him to "SHUT UP!" at the same time when he tries to cut in)

ETA: And if the two of them have to team up to save Ten? Oh, the comedy (of errors) is just gonna write itself!

That's for sure. ;)

Squeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw the announcement on the Beeb and just rewatched TRB - she is outstanding in that, and I cannot wait for S4.

Cygnia - I too can see that happening.

Donna: Who's she? Another one of your space whores?
Martha: Oy! I'll have you know I saved the world!
Donna: Really? When!
Ten: Ladies!
Donna/Martha: Oy!

After mulling over it for a little bit, I am REALLY excited! At first I was a bit apprehensive, but I've realized that Donna will bring a nice bit of funny and smackdown and "Get Over Yourself!" to the TARDIS. I can just imagine the Doctor trying to pull some ridiculous thing over her and Donna just smacking him across the face.

Pleasepleaseplease let her meet the Daleks. "Oy, Dalek! Shut it!"

I got my wish for a middle-aged, female, and distinctly unimpressed companion, but why Donna? She kind of went through the companion arc in "The Runaway Bride"; why bring her back when there have to be tons of fantastic actresses of that age in Britain?

Anyway, what's done is done. I hope she smacks Ten. And possibly some aliens. And never, ever, falls in love with the Doctor.

Yay! Although, I do hope that the character change flows primarily this way (Donna bringing levity and a sense of perspective to the Doctor), rather than the opposite (Donna getting dragged down in the emo-ness and grief that is Ten). Of course, any interaction will change both parties in some way, but I liked the fact that in TRB, she actively kept Ten from getting too dark/genocidal, and I'd like to think that in S4, events won't conspire to drag her down into emo-ness, too. (RTD does seem to have a nasty habit of torturing his characters with as much grief as he can manage, and I'd like to see Donna not too fundamentally changed by her adventures.)

Whoa! That is completely out of left field, and despite an initial negative reaction -- I'm beginning to see how this could be unbelievably awesome. Hopefully no Noble family to worry about (they were a bit crap), and lots of Donna taking the Doctor down a peg.

It would've been hard to shake the romantic vibe if Ten had pulled another young woman/young man aboard, but Donna? No worries, really, and not because Catherine's not attractive -- it's just been established that Donna finds the Doctor insanely alien, so I'd never expect it.

I rewatched TRB a few weeks ago, and absolutely cracked up at all the "Martian" stuff. It's just so offhand, and the Doctor half takes it in his stride, half irritated.

Hurrah!

Oh my, are you SERIOUS? I watched the Christmas Special with her and at the end I was like "Why no more Donna?" so this is GREAT news! Now I can't wait for the new season even more!


I can see this happening with Donna missing another hint of alien invasion due to partying.

Oh dear God, no.
(bangs head against desk)

Catherine Tate, okay, I've only ever seen bits of her show - not particularly funny IMO - and I couldn't stand Donna.

(sighs) Just when I thought the series had hit its stride with Martha and the Doctor, they take away Martha (for half of S4) and bring back Donna. I suppose it could be worse, it could be Rose, but all I can think about from the Runaway Bride ep is how Donna was all pushing her boyfriend for a marriage which he only went through to keep up with his plan. And then I start thinking what if she (like her two predecessors) falls for the Doctor and starts picking out china patterns (whether he likes it or not) and I'm just no...please, no.

As long as she gets to say Bite Me, Alien Boy again like she did in the Comic Relief sketch, I will be happy.

OMG! That is so awesome! I officially cannot wait for Season Four now. Smackdowns and non-romances will rise! :D

Ten's face when he mutters, "I'm not... I'm not... I'm not from Mars" makes me laugh every time.

I am starting to see the upshot. As someone else (on I think LJ, but possibly here, said:)
EXTERMINATE!
Am I bovvered?

;)

After I got the 'This is going to be bloody awesome!' out of the way, I'm wondering how on earth they're going to get her back without it looking contrived. But still, I really can't wait.

Smackdowns and non-romances could be awesome but again., I am not amused with this choice.

Oooh, can they go back and visit Shakespeare (I know I'm in the minority, but I *loved* TSC; I suppose it's my actor nerd showing)? Mostly so we can see what Ten does to piss off Elizabeth, but also because the idea of Donna meeting Shakespeare (and dealing with 16th century plumbing, natch) cracks me up, and for the uber!meta! involved (I love the DT/CT Comic Relief sketch to bits. Especially the "*desk slam* Bite me, alien boi!").

As for how she comes back, I hope she encounters the Doctor by accident in a traditional "Shit goes wild in modern day London", is all "Oi, not you again, Martian!", but then and the Doctor save the world or what not, and this time she joins the TARDIS crew at the end.

The more I think about Donna as Companion, the more excited I get. Squee!

I read somewhere where a person said that Donna is like the new Tegan, which I can really see. Maybe she randomly wanders aboard while her aunt is driving her to the airport? ;-)

I liked TRB and liked her in it, but I don't know about a full series.
I'm wondering if this is a whole fake-out to who is really going to be the S4 companion?

Somebody posted this in the DigitalSpy forum.

Heh maybe its Donna that pisses off Queen Elisabeth I. The Doctor gets daubed with the guilty brush by association.

If Catherine Tate was a smokescreen for a different companion I think they would find it very hard to keep that up. People in Cardiff post pictures up any day there is shooting. To have a secret companion shooting from August onwards it would be impossible for no leaks to happen. It would be interesting if this was the case but for the moment I will take it at face value and look forward to her return.

God, please let this just be a rumour. 13 episodes of a stunt companion is 12 too many.

Okay, I've had a chance to think about it and I'm going to slightly retract my initial reaction...at least until I have another chance to watch Runaway Bride.
I'll admit that it didn't really hold my attention all that much the first time around, although the heavy Christmas dinner/booze/missing the first 10 minutes due to being asleep on the couch, might have coloured my opinions toward it somewhat.

So I'll rewatch it and see if the haze of sobriety makes any difference. <g>

(edited to add, it could be worse, they could be bringing back Rose)

Couldn't we keep Martha and send Donna to Torchwood instead? If anyone deserves to bear the brunt of a Donna tantrum, it's Owen. ;)

WEEVIL: *whimpers*
GWEN: What's wrong with them?
DONNA: Oy! I'm talking here!
WEEVIL: *whine!!!*

I just want her to smack Ten, lots and lots and lots, in return for his assholishness towards Martha in Season 3. I was disappointed he got a kiss on the cheek in the finale, I wanted Martha to sock him one! So if Rose was there to save the Doctor from Time War Angst, and Martha to save him from Rose Angst... oh heck, Donna could be there to smack him about, yay! And be funny and have lots of snark with Martha. They are going to make an Team of Awesome. I'd really like to see Ten whine on about Rose in front of those two!

Oh, I'm just hopeless. I [heart] Catherine Tate. But I'm really looking forward to a more light hearted Season 4. After all the Rose angst and the Master dying in Season 3, I feel we as viewers really deserve a break. I'd like to start and finish a season without having to bawl my eyes out at the end every. single. time.

I loved Donna! I really think that she will be a welcome balance after Rose and Martha. Although, I'd love to see her on Torchwood as well, especially if she could take down Owen.

I have a feeling you could sell tickets to that. :D

Like a few people have already said, I'm excited at the prospect of a companion with comic chops – I’m hoping for some excellent banter between her and the Doctor. Not just sniping at each other, but also some sense of comic collaboration/flights of fancy.

But I do want her to have a chance to show a more serious side to the character, providing a grounding influence for the Doctor…but also getting something out of the experience herself.

They just seem to get along pretty well, oddly. Rewatching TRB, it's remarkable how Ten just bops along beside her with very little to cause him to do so. Rose and Martha have (understandably) always looked to him, but Donna's got her own agenda and doesn't particularly see the need to check with him. I'm thinking of her chasing after cabs to get to the church, and not only does Ten inexplicably get just as wrapped up in hailing a taxi, but he also unquestioningly scurries off to fiddle with a cashpoint. It's kind of hysterical -- I'm not sure he realises what he's doing until he's well into it. It's good for his character to not always be the decision-maker.

And "This friend of yours, just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" kills me every time, especially given that Ten really doesn't react to it. It's a nice odd couple vibe between them -- two totally bizarre people who just happen to have a nice underlying chemistry with very little effort. And luckily, unromantic -- I mean, Donna leaps into Ten's arms and lands splayed across him in the doorway of the TARDIS, and neither of them seem fazed in the least. Hurrah!

They do seem to get along. Although I can see Donna wandering off and the Doctor having absolutely no idea where she went to. That girl had better watch herself!

I think Ten may have been following her around despite her billigerent personality because he needed someone just then, and I don't even know he was aware he was doing it, but I think you're right in many ways, Limber. The dynamic there was fantastic. And there were so many quotable lines in TRB. "Would you stop BLEEPING me!" is another. Hee.

Man, I went from "Oh, good God" to "This could be fun!" in a matter of two days. Hee.

You lucky lucky fan, you.

Me, I'm - bovvered.

Twice over: Donna and Catherine Tate.

IMO Tate was, once, capable of being a subtle-ish comic actress, but gave up on that for a coarser style that mugged to the audience and thus brought instant rewards. That sit-com ... oh gods, my eyes, my eyes. I didn't see anything in any of her performance in the Xmas special that showed she could go back to delivering her potential of a decade or so ago.

Nor did I see anything in Donna that made me want to see more of her. Yes yes I know there was the end of the episode, but IMO what we saw onscreen and what we got off both the principals, delivered nothing like the emotional impact that we were Being Told To Feel, and Know What Was Happening.

As somebody else said upthread, arguably Donna in that one ep was meant to go through the whole Companion Self-Knowledge Arc, and the Doctor with her. Why revisit it? It's not like this was a particularly wonderful rendition of that arc that left open more questions than it answered.

Granted, it doesn't help me like her that her heavily-BBC pushed own sketch show consistently comes in a day late and a dollar short in terms of material and acting. I suppose in terms of business the status of BBC teachers' pet and the relatively high profile of one sketch-show character make it plausible, box-office stunt casting - which, OK, fine for an Xmas special, but for a season? That's where I start to have serious questions.

Going off to puzzle now on why RD has apparently put less and less thought into each successive female companion character.

I've gone from oh crap to maybe it could work.

Tate's casting is hardly jumping the shark - her performance in TRB was mixed fairly, Donna's knack for smacking reality into The Doctor was something most viewers enjoyed and TRB is one of the highest rated episodes of the entire series, even more so than any S3 Martha episode.

This could be RTD's justification for adding her. Is it stunt casting? oh yes of the highest order but Martha loss aside, I'll still be watching.

It'll be interesting to see why/how Donna changes her mind and joins The Doctor.

I have a feeling that she won't have a choice about joining the Doctor. She said he frightened her before, so why would she join him willingly?

I suspect there will be some after effects of the huons that they will have to deal with.

Yeah, what's the half-life of those things anyway?

I'm still holding out hope she's going to be used as bait somehow.

For those who are still sceptical about Donna as the New Companion, I suggest that you watch this sketch. No, I don't suggest it. I urge you to watch it. I DEMAND that you do :P It's Tennant and Tate doing a small bit for Comic Relief, the Americans on this board might not have watched it yet:

Bite Me Alien Boy!

God, I LOVE that sketch. Absolutely hilarious.

Actually I have seen that video. And I am not denying it is funny as all get out. But 13 episodes of hilarity ensuing is going to make me jump off of something very high and try to land on RTD on the way down.


*just making sure my passport is in order. Yes, there it is*

Anyway, I am not saying I didn't like Donna, she worked beautifully in the episode, and I am not even saying they couldn't do something very clever bringing her back for a story arch, but she was sort of...done as far as I could tell, and bringing her back rather than trying to think up an original idea strikes me as lazy. You know, like the kind of thing that a producer who is out of ideas would do.

Oh, maybe that is the problem.

Misreall, you owe me a new keyboard.

Wouldn't it be easier to make him stand in the first ring of Minas Tirith and let Denethor land on him on the way down?

(I'm sorry, but flaming Denethor jumping off the top of the city in Return of the King always makes me think "Try to land on an orc on the way down, ok? It would be a big help. ;))

If it were a full season of Lauren travelling with the Doctor, then I'd definitely object. I have to take Lauren in monthly doses, really -- I once tried to watch a few in a row and nearly had an aneurism.

But I don't think Tate will overplay her hand here. Dawn French is capable of toning it down, as is Jennifer Saunders, and that's not something I'd've believed without seeing it. Tate will know that this is her big chance to prove she's more than a sketch, and I honestly think she'll do well with it.

Oh my fucksy. I've just realised, JS is totally my dream companion. Damn.

Well, her or Tamsin Greig.

But Saunders is actually a very good actress - a comic actress rather than a comedian. She can do deadpan like no other.

But I still think Donna can bring goodness. That bite me alien boy sketch is the spirit I want in there, but with more subtle emotion.

Oh yeah and the whole "does the TARDIS park on a meter"

I think I'm warming to the idea of Donna full time more now.

I don't see why everyone assumes it's going to be Doctor Who with the Catherine Tate show shoved in.

I know Donna was shouty in her appearance in The Runaway Bride, but hey! Her wedding day was ruined, her husband was trying to kill her and a giant alien spider wanted to feed her to her alien spider children. I'd be a bit shouty too!

If you look it that way, she showed a fantastic level of restraint. They could completely mess this up but I still think it's going to be awesome. I hope she pokes him til he opens up when he say he's fine and you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to tell that he's really not.

Yeah, but she also harangued what's his name into marrying her. She wasn't stressed out then.

purplebubbles I saw it first time round and it still does nothing for me.

No she was pretty relentless. If Lance wasn't such a tosser I might have pitied him for that.