I can't take Catherine Tate seriously. She just can't do drama. It's a shame, as series 4 has some really great episodes, but Tate puts me off re-watching them.

Anybody else agree?

I, for one, don't.

Her final scenes always bring me to tears. She certainly can do drama, and in my opinion has done it the best in the new series. Jenna's creeping up there behind her in the dramatic performances, though.

Don't agree. But only because;

I LOVE Donna!

Said before, Turn Left is my favorite performance by an actor in the companion role in all of Who. Tears my heart out. As Ms Tate did a few times during her stint. Losing her 'kids' in Forest of the Dead; calling the Doctor out in '...Pompeii'; being reunited with wonderful Wilf in the Sontaran 2-parter; hearing the Ood song; the memory wipe....Ooh, I'm tearing up.

My only regret is that the character did not get a decent send-off, IMO, in TEOT.

Nope, I liked her. Not so much in the Runaway Bride - but in series four she was excellent.

I partly agree...
Donna is my least favourite NuWho companion, but not as bad as I thought she'd be.
In her first episode, "The Runaway Bride", she was unbearable! Thankfully, her character became less grating in subsequent episodes.
But I agree, I couldn't take her seriously as a dramatic character. She only worked as comic relief.


My companions ranking is:
#1 Clara
#2 Amy & Rory
#3 Rose
#4 Martha
#5 Donna

Yep, not a Donna/Catherine Tate fan either.
Her voice is annoying.

Absolutely love her, my fave companion in NuWho. the relationship between her and ten was wonderful.

I'm not a fan of Catherine Tate as a comedian, I disliked her in The Runaway Bride, and was not best pleased when it was announced that she was going to be the next companion.

However, not for the first time I was glad to be proved wrong. Catherine was a revelation in the part, and quickly became my favourite of all screen companions, with series 4 as my favourite series.

She was excellent in the comedy bits, but she broke my heart in the tragic scenes. I have never been so affected by anything (fictional) I've seen on TV as I was by the memory wipe. Devastatingly good.

Now I even like her in The Runaway Bride.

I don't

As with many others, I disliked her in the runaway bride, and as such was not optimistic when she was announced as the new full time companion. I felt my negative assumptions had been proved true after partners in crime as she still seemed to grate in that episode also. Then however she gave such range in the fires of pompeii from her natural comedic turns to her bonding with the daughter of the family, and then her heart wrenching 'just save someone' scene at the end.

From that episode on she went from strength to strength and showed the full emotional range and talents of a character who is probably the most everyday, down to earth companion the doctor has had. Series 4 is one of my favourites and particularly the last three episodes are masterpieces in my opinion, and Catherine's portrayal of donna contributes much to the brilliance of those episodes.

As such she ranks my second favourite companion, after Rose, and it's a close second.

Donna is the best companion in the history of the show, IMO. Fantastically well-written and wonderfully acted.

I never liked her, either.

I should make it clear that even though I hate Donna, I love Wilf.

Bernard Cribbins was fantastic

Donna was great as a companion (poor in runaway bride). Thought she was great, loved the way she challenged Ten to be more humane and break rules, embrace daughterhood etc ....

I LOVED Donna, Wilf & Sylvia!!
What is there NOT to like? OK she's a comedy actress - but she can act other roles for goodness sake!
I thought Catherine did a brilliant job - and I wish she had stayed a bit longer, as she worked very well with Tennant!
For all you 'anti-Donna' guys - I hope she returns as a character like 'swearing Nan!!'

I very much agree. Comedy wise, she's about as funny as squirting bleach into ones eyes, then stubbing a toe on a chair while running around partly blinded and in incredible pain.

But anyway, I digress: in series four, she acted her socks off - and impressed me in doing so.

I liked Donna in The Runaway Bride but when it was announced she would be the companion for series four I wasn't sure if she would work, I remember thinking that I would prefer if they introduced a new character. How wrong I was (as is usually the case) she was brilliant imo and my favourite companion.

Wilf was ace. Would love him to come back.

I don't. She can DEFINATELY do drama! If I had to choose which two companions, (one from Classic Who and one from Nu-Who), were my favourite, I would say Sarah Jane Smith and Donna Noble. They were the best by far!

With Catherine Tate, she played Donna in a grown-up sort of way, not like how Billie or Karen played their characters. You could still see that Donna had great affection for the Doctor, but not in a lovey-dovey way, wanting to kiss the Doctor every five minutes.

It seems that Character Options don't like Donna though, as to my knowledge, only one Donna figure has been released. I was hoping to see at least two, plus one of her in the wedding dress from The Runaway Bride. Not to be unfortunately! Quite frustrated about that!

I agree that SJS was a good companion, although I liked Jo, Liz Shaw, Jaime and Polly too, but IMO Catherine Tate was a better actor than any of them and it's one reason why Donna stands alone amongst companions, past and present. She sold to the audience every single moment she was given.

Some great examples are here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E83ZLtYar7s

11# and 10# are particular favourites of mine and 1# is just hilarious!

Okay confession time. I hated Donna in the first twenty minutes of The Runaway Bride and while I did warm to her towards the second half of the episode, I was relieved when she turned down the offer to travel with Ten and was initially cautious about her being a regular for the fourth series.

However, when I watched the fourth series, I absolutely loved her with Tennant's Doctor and thought the pair of them made for a wonderful team and was sad to see her departure as well.

That being said, I do find it annoying in fandom when people constantly keep going on about how she wasn't attracted to the Doctor in some hamfisted away to take a pop at other companions though.

Aside from that Donna's great.

Season 4 remains my favourite season to date, and Donna is a major part of the reason for that. Her relationship with the Doctor was just perfect and her mix of comedy and drama are superb. IMO.

No. She was my favourite companion by far. Anyway hasn't this been discussed at length several times before ?

I think it's off the back of an article from Catherine Tate saying she wouldn't want to return... Just probably reminded the OP low much they hated her...

Yes she was awful at first wasn't she? but that was the beauyy of the story, we were supposed to dislike her, she was a horrible selfish girl, but as she softened then we did towards her by the time she came back in partners in crime, a loved her and the relationship she had with ten.

I read it more that she thinks she can't return rather than wouldn't want to.....her head would explode if she remembered the Doctor.

Yeah, well, that didn't happen in The End of Time, did it. So there's always a way around it!

Maybe Catherine chose to forget that part of TEOT....lord knows, I wish I could.