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Russell T Davies's series four episode guide - Radio Times, April 2008 |
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The mastermind behind Doctor Who, Russell T Davies, writes exclusively for Radio Times about what's coming up in series four.
Episode 1: Partners in Crime
Writer: Russell T Davies
Guest star: Sarah Lancashire
Modern-day London, and a brand-new diet pill is being tested by the mysterious Adipose Industries. Slogan: the fat just walks away! But soon, there are unexplained deaths, strange creatures in the shadows, and the Doctor starts investigating, little knowing that an old friend of his is also on the trail…
We last saw Donna Noble in the Christmas 2006 special (The Runaway Bride), when her wedding day was ruined by Robot Santas, a Giant Spider, and a villainous groom. But at the end of that story, when the Doctor offered her a place on board the Tardis, she said no. I've always imagined Donna's reaction, when she woke up on Boxing Day. "I said what??!" She's realised that life as a temp in Chiswick doesn t quite compare to adventures in time and space. Now she's determined to put that right - and once Donna decides to do something, not even the sinister Miss Foster and her macabre alien horde can stop her!
I had loved Donna so much, and wanted to write more for her, but I never dreamt for a second that Catherine Tate would be able to commit to an entire series of 13 episodes. Surely she's the busiest woman in TV, not to mention cinema? But thank God, we decided to risk it, and actually asked. And Catherine said yes! Immediately! And her performance is just dazzling. After Rose plucked our heartstrings, and Martha's love went unrequited, it's wonderful to have a companion who isn't interested in the Doctor in that way - she's a friend, an equal and a conscience, and I swear she will break your heart.
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Episode 2: The Fires of Pompeii
Writer: James Moran
Guest stars: Phil Davis, Peter Capaldi, Sasha Behar
Pompeii, AD 79. And it's volcano day! But there's far more than Vesuvius to worry about: psychic powers are running rampant; a secretive Sisterhood conceals a horrifying High Priestess; and beneath the ground, vast creatures are stirring. This is where Donna truly comes into her own, challenging the Time Lord like no-one's ever done before, with one vital question: if he knows everyone is going to die, why can't he save them? For once, there's no easy answer for the Doctor, as the Cult of Vulcan prepares to forge a new empire on Earth…
After last year's visit to meet Shakespeare - our most ambitious production to date - we were determined to go one better. This production team meets every challenge thrown at it, every time. In this case, it meant taking the Tardis from Cardiff to the Cinecittà studios in Rome to shoot the exterior scenes. The result is spectacular, explosive and tragic.
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Episode 3: Planet of the Ood
Writer: Keith Temple
Guest star: Tim McInnerny
Donna's first visit to an alien world. And it's freezing! But on the icescapes of a distant planet, the greatest danger might be from the human race itself. When the Doctor meets the Ood again - last seen in 2006's The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit - he's determined to find out the truth behind their servility. But when an Ood's eyes turn red, you know you're in trouble, and the red-eye is spreading…
Trips to alien worlds allow all our design departments to shine - from the prosthetic Ood, to incredible CG vistas, right down to the tiny details of the wardrobe department's futuristic collars and ties. But it's a savage world out there in space with soldiers and riots and betrayals - and for the Doctor, a terrifying encounter with a very big claw!
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Episodes 4 and 5: The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky
Writer: Helen Raynor
Guest star: Christopher Ryan
The return of Martha Jones! We've seen Freema Agyeman take Martha from Doctor Who to Torchwood, and now back home again in her new job as medical officer for UNIT, a worldwide army dedicated to fighting alien menaces. But the menace is bigger than ever, as the threat of ATMOS spreads across the planet. Sounds like she needs her old friend, the Doctor! But he's about to meet an old enemy, as the Sontarans lie in wait - the warlike, potato-faced monsters not seen on screen since 1985. They're back, they're brutal and they're out for revenge…
This story also gives us a chance to catch up with the family Donna left behind - her no-nonsense mum (Jacqueline King) and Grandad, played by none other than Bernard Cribbins. Bernard appeared in the Christmas 2007 special, alongside Kylie Minogue, and we loved him so much, we asked him back!
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Episode 6: The Doctor's Daughter
Writer: Stephen Greenhorn
Guest stars: Georgia Moffett, Nigel Terry
Yes, that's the title. And it does exactly what it says on the tin! I'm saying no more; just watch David Tennant take the Doctor into new territory, with his most spellbinding performance yet.
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Episode 7: The Unicorn and the Wasp
Writer: Gareth Roberts
Guest stars: Felicity Kendal, Fenella Woolgar
In 1926, Agatha Christie mysteriously disappeared, only to be found, ten days later, with no memory of what happened. Was it a nervous breakdown? A cry for help? Or perhaps a giant alien wasp…?
It's a classic murder mystery, with a country house, vintage cars, a flapper, a vicar, a butler, a body in the library, tea on the lawn, and horrible deaths. And see if you can spot how many titles of Agatha Christie novels are hidden in the dialogue!
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Episodes 8 and 9: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Writer: Steven Moffat
Guest stars: Alex Kingston, Colin Salmon
Just to warn you, Steven Moffat created the "Are you my mummy?" Empty Child, Madame de Pompadour's Clockwork Droids and last year's Weeping Angels ("Don't blink!"). But I think he was just warming up, getting ready for this year's adventure. Now we've got two episodes of terror with an abandoned library, moving shadows, the gruesome Nodes, and the horrifying Data Ghost - possibly the most spine-chilling scene I've ever seen, anywhere. Don't blink indeed, don't miss a second!
[UPDATE: Forest of the Dead is the new title for what was previously announced as River's Run]
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Episode 10: Midnight
Writer: Russell T Davies
Guest stars: Lesley Sharp, Lindsey Coulson, David Troughton
The planet Midnight: a leisure world! Golden spas, diamond landscapes, anti-gravity restaurants… what could possibly go wrong? But for once the Doctor's left powerless and terrified as the knocking on the wall begins…
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Episode 11: Turn Left
Writer: Russell T Davies
Guest star: Chipo Chung
The strands of Donna's story begin to draw towards a terrible climax as she finds her life, her family, her entire world being devastated. Only one person can help. But this time, it's not the Doctor - it's someone from a parallel universe, a woman thought to be lost for ever…
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Episodes 12 and 13: TBA/Journey's End
Writer: Russell T Davies
Guest stars: Too many to name!
It's the big finale! And the title of Episode 12 is being kept secret as it gives away too much. But the threat is on a truly epic scale, as an ancient enemy is resurrected and the whole universe is thrown into danger. Who are the Children of Time? What is the secret of the Vault? And surely, this time, not everyone can get out alive…?
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Now take a look at our full Doctor Who guide.
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