Just watched an interview with RTD on Newsround where he made some comments on Catherine Tate as Donna saying the she becomes the most extrarordinary companion, pushing the Doctor, testing him, to become a friend to him like we've never seen before.

Also he says series 4 is fun and darker than ever in some places. (although he did say earlier in the year that Series 4 would be lighter than Series 3)

All sounds interesting.

There was an interview in one of the TV guides recently that had similar comments.

He also said (from memory) that while Donna loves the Doctor she was not in love with him and that the Doctor and Donna are mistaken for husband and wife (possibly more than once).

probably because they look the same age whereas martha and rose were under like 23.

Don't have the exact quote to hand, but I think he said that S4 wasn't going to be 'darker' than S3, not less dark.

Personally, I like to see a good balance of stories.

Regards,

Cypher

but then there is the extreme of light and lighter..oe devoid of any substance or credibility

And, with that, we're well into the realms of the subjective.

Agree that New Who has produced a few duds, but the show has always been very inconsistent. There are very, very few seasons of the classic series where you can honestly say that every story was good (I'd venture Seasons 7, 14 and 16) - some seasons, IMHO, didn't even manage a single good story (Season 9), tho' I do find 'The Time Monster' very entertaining, if only for the levity of it all.

Regards,

Cypher

I shudder at the mere thought of having to endure The Horns of Nimon or The Happiness Patrol.

Am not blinded by the faults and shortcomings of the classic series, nor the new.

I actually really like 'The Horns Of Nimon' - so much wrong with it, but so much charm at the same time.

Never liked THP tho'.

Regards,

Cypher

each to their own my dear Cypher...

God. There are some stories, especially some of McCoy's, I'd puke if I were made to sit through again.

What was that awful one about the Welsh holiday camp? Or Delta and the Bannermen -

I did think Donna would take more of a Sarah Jane role than be another Rose. I know 'School Reunion' suggested Sarah was in love with the Doctor, but during her time in the show Sarah was really like his best friend.

I was hoping Donna wasn't going to fall in love with the Doctor - far more fun if she fell in love with a different bloke each episode.

we've done the love, unrequited love thus far so time they gave it a rest.

With you on that one, there are some good ideas going on there in the story, and its not that badly made, its just Graham Crowden munching on the set and Tom haming it up that detract a little, but its fun and I'd rather watch this again than most Pertwee stuff, any of Tom Bakers souless last series, or any of the first 3 of Sylv's stories!! It has charm, I think Tom, on his day, can carry off anything

Nice to see a thread that takes an objective look at classic Who rather than the usual rose tinted approach

If we are gonna make Classic Who comparisions I think Donna will be like Tegan: a bit 'gob on legs' and bickering with the doctor a lot. I think done right it could be really good... Tegan was a good concept as a character but the writers often went down the complaining route a bit too often, I also don't think such a character really worked well with five who was quite mild but I think a gobby companion will do Ten the world of good (he really does need slapping sometimes). I'm just not sure if Catherine Tate has the charm to pull off such a character and make her likeable.

I can see the production team wanting to go down a similar angle with Donna that they did with Jack, now bare with me for a moment but...


When Jack first came in, he wasn't exactly Mr Popular (well unless like me you've had a thing for John Barrowman since Live and Kicking) but we did see Jack's character change and evolve into becoming the loveable flirtatious rogue that we now all know and love. I can see Donna as a character having a very similar evolution, she'll always be a gobby cow, thats in her nature, but I honestly think she could become one of the shineout companions of recent Who for various reasons, least of all being that unlike Rose and Martha I really don't think we'll see her falling for the Doctor at least not in a Romantic way anyway, if anything I could see the relationship being almost sibling like.

^^^ God I hope Donna doesn't develop like Jack. Jack went from being an interesting abeilt morally grey character with a spiky relationship with the doctor in tEC/DD into a superfluous character who's only function is to die a few times per episode (Doctor Who) or be all emo about being able to die a few times per episode (Torchwood), oh and to pine after the Doctor for a hundred years or so.

I hope that Donna doesn't have any romantic feelings for the Doctor, because RTD has managed to ruin every single companion in nuWho so far (including Sarah Jane). Not because they simply have romantic feelings for the doctor, but because they seemingly can't live a full life unless they have the doctor's love.

I mean RTD said that Martha was always meant to be second apparently because the doctor doesn't love her. So the value of a companion seems to be determined by how much the hero loves him/her which to my mind is extremely rubbish characterisation, and a terrible message to send out to young children, and apparently the female companions are meant to stronger in nuWho

I agree the companions being in love with the Doctor has been done now, but I wouldn't include Sarah Jane in this. I think her feelings in School Reunion really honoured how she felt when she left the Doc in Hand of Fear. Of course if you have been travelling the universe with the guy being back on Earth is going to be tough, no matter whether you're a woman or a man. And it is clear from School Reunion that Sarah Jane has got on with life without him. ok she doesn't have a family, but if she did wouldn't that just make her a less independent woman? To me she did not rely on a man after returning to Earth.

When the Doctor asks her about men in her life her reply is negative and she says something like "Well there was this man I travelled with..."

I think for Sarah after the time she spent with the Doctor and the impact he had on her, no man she was going to meet would ever match up. She wasn'y IN love with him but did love him - as many of his companions have

Why does this year's 'I'm a Celebrity Get me out of Here' spring to mind for me?

Biggins for Doctor 11!

Oh and if the've done love and unrequited love, surely the next step is either the Doctor being unrequitedly in love with Donna (I AIN'T BOVVERED!) or else go down the Tom Baker/Lalla Ward route and make it blatant that they're shagging but we don't get to see it.

Well... there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while. But he was a tough act to follow...