Season 4 kicked off with 'Partners In Crime', a Russell T.Davies script reintroducing the character of 'Donna Noble', last seen in 'The Runaway Bride' 2006 Christmas Special. Having changed her mind about travelling with the Doctor, she is now trying to track him down. He is investigating the activities of 'Adipose Industries', currently marketing a new miracle diet pill, designed to make the fat 'walk away'. Literally. In reality though, the pills' customers are being turned into breeding fodder ( courtesy of give-a-way pendants that when twisted caused Adipose activation ) for a race of 'Mister Men' like aliens. Not evil as such, the Adipose's only downside was that their birth would kill a million innocent people.
Having managed to avoid each other for much of the story, the Doctor and Donna finally spot one another from afar ( he is on a window cleaner's cradle at the time ) and, in a highly amusing scene, pool their information using mime. This leads to the first of several chases, and a climax involving the arrival of ( guess what? ) a giant space-ship. It ended with Donna stepping aboard the Tardis, and waving goodbye to her amateur astronomer grandfather Wilf ( Bernard Cribbins ), last seen in 'Village Of The Damned'.
'Crime' has a strong 'Sarah Jane Adventures' ( the pilot episode 'Invasion Of The Bane' in particular ) feel to it - a sinister alien conspiracy, a spaceship over London, and a female villain in glasses ( 'Miss Foster' played by Sarah Lancashire ). It is hardly vintage 'Who', but an adequate starting point for Season 4. The Adipose are the worst thing about it, like the Slitheen they are hopelessly ineffective as a menace. I am not a big fan of Catherine Tate ( I hate her show ), but as 'Donna' she is a welcome breath of fresh air after the younger 'Rose' and 'Martha'. Her awful home-life is represented by her mother ( Jacqueline King ) ranting at her: "You're not going to meet someone with a magic wand!" ( oh no? ). One of the nice things about this season was that it connected Cribbins with a young audience again, something that had not happened since 1973's 'The Wombles'.
Having managed to avoid each other for much of the story, the Doctor and Donna finally spot one another from afar ( he is on a window cleaner's cradle at the time ) and, in a highly amusing scene, pool their information using mime. This leads to the first of several chases, and a climax involving the arrival of ( guess what? ) a giant space-ship. It ended with Donna stepping aboard the Tardis, and waving goodbye to her amateur astronomer grandfather Wilf ( Bernard Cribbins ), last seen in 'Village Of The Damned'.
'Crime' has a strong 'Sarah Jane Adventures' ( the pilot episode 'Invasion Of The Bane' in particular ) feel to it - a sinister alien conspiracy, a spaceship over London, and a female villain in glasses ( 'Miss Foster' played by Sarah Lancashire ). It is hardly vintage 'Who', but an adequate starting point for Season 4. The Adipose are the worst thing about it, like the Slitheen they are hopelessly ineffective as a menace. I am not a big fan of Catherine Tate ( I hate her show ), but as 'Donna' she is a welcome breath of fresh air after the younger 'Rose' and 'Martha'. Her awful home-life is represented by her mother ( Jacqueline King ) ranting at her: "You're not going to meet someone with a magic wand!" ( oh no? ). One of the nice things about this season was that it connected Cribbins with a young audience again, something that had not happened since 1973's 'The Wombles'.