S4 Companion revealed

[Nathan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/...03/46831.shtml

[Dirk Gently]

I may not watch the 4th series.

Catherine Tate has raped my Doctor Who loving adulthood!

[Simon R]

Oh dear.

Not really sure I'm that keen on her being the new regular companion. I wouldn't have minded the odd re-appearance but she was too "blah" for a full time role. Plus her story seemed finished to me and I'm not sure where else she can go.

I'm sure it'll be fine in the end but it's a bit of a dissapointment to me.

Maybe Kylie will return as the companion in series 5...

[Alex]

No...Bloody Hell...I mean...Just no!!!

If this was anything but the BBC site I'd ignore it, but well, it is, isn't it. And there's no reason to taunt us like this.

For the record it's not just her irritating comedy show, I've found her pretty weak when she tries to act in most things (she's bloody awful in Starter For Ten for instance, and that ITV drama thing which was on last year), but also because the character was an immensely irritating one.

I'm sure she'll calm down a bit, but still, I just cannot see this working at all. I hope I'm wrong, I hope I'm posting in this thread in 12 months time going 'wow, what an over reaction', but I can't see this happening, I really think this is a terrible decision by RTD & co.

[Paul Hayes]

As I said in the other thread, I think it will be good for the Doctor to have an older companion again. Plus I'm sure that, now she's a full series character, some of her rougher edges will be knocked off and the performance refined.

[Matthew T]

Well I didn't see that coming!

Can't say I'm unhappy about it, although her character was a little "cartoony" in The Runaway Bride, I presume it'll be toned down for a full series.

It'll certainly be interesting! Can't wait until I get home in the morning - the carnage on OG will be amazing!

[Matthew T]

The reaction on Digital Spy is quite low key:

The worst decision in quite possibly the history of TV.

ARGHHHHHH please not her!!! She drove me insane in Runaway Bride, I wanted to shoot her!

'DOCTOR WHO' R.I.P

2005-2007

That's the end of new Who for me.

I also pinched myself to make sure I wasn't having a bad dream.

Surely this is New Who's Bonnie Langford?

Definitely the end of Who for me, can see that being the final series.

Perhaps this is RTD's final act - he re-created DW, he can kill it as well.

[Milky Tears]

I was foolish to ignore the Tate rumours (well, someone claimed it was either Tate or Ellis) on OG the other day.


Enough with companions who are older than the Doctor alfrikkinready! Barrowman, Kylie and now fat bapped Tate!! I won't be watching Series Four!

At least it'll be funny laughing at all those moaning ***** begging for the return of The Agyeman after about two minutes of Series Four.

[Martin Penny]

Oh dear. I quite like Catherine Tate, but I didn't like her much as Donna, and I don't think she's that good an actress in more serious stuff.

[Wayne]

Well i seem to be the only one who thought she was the best thing about 'The Runaway Bride'.
I like Martha, but i liked Donna too, so we'll just see how she turns out. My gut feeling is that it will be ok. I think she's got the potential for an interesting, dynamic chemistry with the Doctor.

[Milky Tears]

Another happy punter on Digital Spy:

"Catherine was an absolute star in The Runaway Bride and we are delighted that one of Britain's greatest talents has agreed to join us for the fourth series," announced Doctor Who's executive producer and head writer, Russell T Davies. "Viewers can expect more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Every word above is threatening:

"Absolute star"?!?!?!?!
"...greatest talents..."? Surely C "Am I Boverred" T's best ever joke. Am I alone in failing to 'get' CT's award-winning series. But then I thought Little Britain was just mildly funny, not a phenomenon.

"More ambitious storylines":

I'm still getting over the disappointment of LOTTLs.

"Viewers can expect more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008":

Just how big is the shark he's trying to jump?

"A whole host of excellent (and proven) scriptwriters" would have been a better lead in to the next series.

Since the BBC introduced their concept of 'BBC Talent' this is exactly the direction we've been spearheaded towards "what next for our earmarked nobodies" (we should be glad Norton and Ross have shows to do; although maybe they're the 'host of guest stars'); and this from a 100% defender of the licence payment).

Please don't shoot Moffat or Cornwell.

I'm prepared to admit when I'm proved wrong, but the signs are not good.

(ends in despair)

Phil Cornwell (or Hugh) writing for Doctor Who would be most awesome and cool.

1000000/10



I hope everyone here signs this online petition (found by someone on Digital Spy).

[Dave Lewis]

Tate = Modern.

[Captain Tancredi]

Oddly enough, on BBCi it's under the Wales section of the site rather than Entertainment.

Don't mind admitting I have my reservations although it's interesting that Tate is prepared to stop doing other projects for a year to do this.

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm surprised, but although she wasn't "stand-out fantastic" in TRB (which I would say both Billie and Freema were in their respective first episodes) she certainly had presence, and I'd warmed to Donna by the end of the episode. So I reckon it'll be OK - and at least we can be pretty sure it won't be another 'companion who loves the Doctor' scenario!!

[SiHart]

Oh my! That's an unexpected turn of events, isn't it? I don't quite know what to think really. She could be good, of they tone down the character, and there's certianly potential for Donna's confrontational nature to get her into trouble... She'd certainly be different to Martha and Rose, if nothing else.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

I'm really disappointed to read all these really negative responses on other forums (although I expect it from OG). Catherine Tate is a great actress (she's proved that in the past), I welcome her. Much more interesting than just another young girl who's in love with the Doctor - Donna's a mouthy one too, I can see that becoming quite a highlight.

[davethesailor]

I'm happy!

Don't forget, when we saw her on the Runaway Bride she was just in the process of getting married. I'm sure we can forgive her for being rather highly strung.

Maybe by the time we next see her we will have discovered that her experience with the Doctor has made her more calm and rounded.

[Paul Monk]

Hooray for Pip and Dave and Wayne. I think she'll be great. It'll be lovely to have a companion not hung up on the Doctor and one thats a little bit older than him.
And she'll be great seeing her be gobby to some monster or other.
And Catherine Tate's comedy show is liked my millions of people so this'll get them watching. My parents will certainly carry on watching.
I say poop to the whinging fanboys

(Plus in a strange way I sort of fancy her)

[Rob McCow]

Blimey! BLIMEY!

Although when I read the thread title, I thought the S4 companion would be naked

Er... blimey. I'm sure they'll do a good job of it, but Donna seemed a bit like ketchup, great in small doses but tends to drown everything else out. I can't imagine Martha getting a word in edgeways if they're both in the TARDIS together.

However, I'm sure they'll make a good go of it! Although I hope they don't make her too deep. Part of what I liked about Donna was her complete lack of depth!

[Matthew T]

I've dipped into the OG thread. It's actually a lot more positive than the Digital Spy one. But there are still some real gems! I'm off a-collecting...

[Matthew T]

Posted too soon!

[Logo Polish]

It's fine by me, I quite enjoyed her in the Christmas episode. Never cared much for her own show, but I thought she gave a nice turn as Donna. Could give next year's series a different dynamic, as some have said.

[Trudi G]

I really enjoyed her performance in The Runaway Bride - it'll be good for the Doctor not to have a companion who's madly in love with him, and who's mouthy and a bit comical too.

[WhiteCrow]

As a one off companion she was great - but as a returning character she could get annoying fast. I mean she's funny buy she's a characture of Mel in a way, so the joke will get thin fast.

[Wayne]

(Plus in a strange way I sort of fancy her)

Nothing strange about that!