Radio Times

Episode 1/13 Partners in Crime

Donna Noble, the eponymous Runaway Bride who helped the Doctor defeat the Empress of Racnoss, has realised she made the wrong decision when she turned down the chance to travel in the Tardis. She's determined to track the Time Lord down and tell him she's changed her mind. Meanwhile, the Doctor is investigating the strange goings-on linked to a new diet pill that claims to promote dramatic weight loss. Sarah Lancashire and Bernard Cribbins guest-star.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 5 April 2008)

Grown-up Doctor Who fans rejoice! There's absolutely no sexual tension between the Doctor and his new companion (Catherine Tate). No lingering looks, no smouldering glances; just an adult friendship based on mutual trust and support.

Judging by the opening episode (penned by Russell T Davies), it looks like the Tennant/Tate partnership is going to be a good one. The Doctor continues to mature, growing weary of his isolation and enforced loneliness, while Donna is the wise and reliable big sister.

Episode 2/13 The Fires of Pompeii

The Doctor meant to take Donna to Rome, but they've ended up in Pompeii. Which wouldn't be so bad, except it's AD 79 and Vesuvius is due to erupt. But that's not the only thing they've got to worry about. Monsters made of stone are loose on the streets and a high priestess is making some decidedly dodgy prophecies. As the danger mounts, Donna challenges the Doctor to change history and save lives.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 12 April 2008)

There are some stunning effects as the volcano - and its resident monster - rumbles, burns and eventually erupts, but there is a thoughtful, even sombre aspect to the story as the time travellers befriend a nobleman (Peter Capaldi) and his family.

As the city falls, Donna comes into her own as the Doctor's conscience and voice of reason, and we see the awful burden borne by a Time Lord.

Episode 3/13 Planet of the Ood

Donna's helped the Doctor avert disaster in modern-day Britain and taken a trip back in time to the Roman Empire - now she's ready to experience an alien world. The duo visit the home planet of the Ood, a servile race the Doctor has encountered before (in series two episodes The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit). A company run by the ruthless Mr Halpen (Tim McInnerny) is exploiting the genial aliens - and it's up to the Doctor and Donna to discover the secret he's hiding…

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 19 April 2008)

There are some unexpected moments of throat-catching poignancy as the Doctor takes Donna to her first-ever alien planet. There he's reunited with the Ood, and what unfolds prompts a teary Donna to beg the Doc to take her home.

Episode 4/13 The Sontaran Stratagem

Just as the Doctor's getting to know his new companion, Donna, old friend Martha summons him to Earth. Following her adventures with Torchwood, she's back with Unit, who are facing a threat from one of the Doctor's old enemies. What exactly are the devices being manufactured at the mysterious Atmos factory? Can Donna save her family from the danger they face? And how will she get on with Martha…?

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 26 April 2008)

It's a roistering story (concluding next Saturday) that sees the return, for the first time since 1985, of Weeble-headed warriors the Sontarans.

Episode 5/13 The Poison Sky

The Sontarans step up their attack on Earth, using the Atmos systems to gas the population. Unit are left defenceless and struggle to contain the threat while, unbeknown to them, they also have a traitor in their ranks. The Doctor battles to keep Martha and Donna alive, but as the planet faces war with the Sontarans, he is forced to leave them both and enter the fray. Will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Earth?

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 3 May 2008)

It's a big, gung-ho adventure, though there are too many touchy-feely bits that tend to slow things down. And there's something unintentionally funny and endearing about the warrior Sontarans, particularly when they do their All Blacks-type haka before battle. You realise, despite the bluster, they aren't that scary.

Episode 6/13 The Doctor's Daughter

The Tardis was last seen spiralling out of control, the Doctor powerless to prevent its sudden, unscheduled flight. Now he and his companions find themselves on the planet Messaline, the backdrop for a war between humans and the Hath that's raged for generations. When Martha is abducted by the Hath, the Doctor and Donna are determined to rescue her. But first the Doctor must come to terms with unexpected fatherhood - and painful memories from his past.

Episode 7/13 The Unicorn and the Wasp

The Doctor and Donna find themselves in the middle of a classic murder mystery. So it's a good thing Agatha Christie, crime writer extraordinaire, is around to help them solve it. There are no end of suspects at Lady Eddison's estate - and don't discount the giant alien wasp… Might the strange goings-on explain the mystery of those infamous ten days in 1926 when Christie went missing? Felicity Kendal and Cape Wrath's Felicity Jones guest-star.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 17 May 2008)

I suspect Doctor Who die-hards will find it all a bit blah, but it's a diverting, cheerful bit of silliness for the grown-ups.

Episode 8/13 Silence in the Library

There are chills and thrills in store as the Doctor and Donna enter an abandoned library. Not just any old library - it's the greatest in the universe. The one that was sealed off a century before, without any explanation - unless you include the cryptic warning "Count the shadows". With the shadows on the move again, the Doctor and Donna must uncover the terrible truth behind the Nodes and the Data Ghost to reveal the library's secret. Alex Kingston guests.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 31 May 2008)

You might find yourself muttering, "Who turned out the lights?" after the credits have rolled on this spooky episode, written by Doctor Who's new boss-in-waiting, Steven Moffat, which neatly plays with our primeval fear of the dark.

Episode 9/13 Forest of the Dead

Things are looking bad for the Doctor and for the remaining members of River Song's team. They're being pursued by the Vashta Nerada, and the Time Lord's attempt to save Donna has backfired. Forging an alliance with the mysterious River, the Doctor discovers long-buried secrets and revelations about his own future. Meanwhile, the sinister Nodes declare that Donna is doomed.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 7 June 2008)

I had no idea what was going on by the end, though it did leave me with a feeling of unease, as if I'd just woken from a nightmare. Moffat has created a strange, fractured universe in an episode mottled with moments of out-and-out horror (which small children might find scary). As for the Doctor, is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that he is becoming more thoughtful and careworn as the weeks pass by?

Episode 10/13 Midnight

The Doctor jumps at the chance to take a journey across the planet Midnight to see a breathtaking waterfall. Donna opts to top up her tan instead, but as the journey gets under way, it's clear the Time Lord would have been grateful to have her on his side. A sinister knocking on the wall of the shuttle bus triggers a shocking series of events - and the terrified passengers' paranoia soon sparks a witch-hunt. Lesley Sharp guest-stars.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 14 June 2008)

It's a talky episode that might leave little 'uns twiddling their thumbs, but which should give adults something to think about.

Episode 11/13 Turn Left

What would Donna Noble's life have been like if she hadn't met the Doctor? The former temp might regret having her fortune told on the planet Shan Shen… As her world collapses, Donna finds help from a mysterious blonde woman - a traveller from a parallel universe. But are she and Rose too late to save the universe from the approaching darkness? Billie Piper guest-stars as Rose Tyler.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 21 June 2008)

Catherine Tate had her doubters when she first took over the role of the companion - but her electrifying performance here should shut up the whingers once and for all. This is her episode. Yes, Rose (Billie Piper) returns as Donna's guide in another world, but Tate is the commanding presence.

David Tennant takes a back seat and leaves the work to the ladies, but fear not, he re-appears when it matters the most. And the ending will give you goose bumps.

Episode 12/13 The Stolen Earth

Even if you're the Doctor, when you're facing the Daleks, you need all the help you can get. So some familiar faces from the Whoniverse join forces - Captain Jack with his Torchwood team members Gwen and Ianto; Sarah Jane Smith with adopted son Luke; Martha and her mother; and Donna's family. As Earth's greatest heroes battle the implacable threat, a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows…

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 28 June 2008)

It's great fun, packed with chases, excitement, lots of shouting, soppy bits and some fun celebrity cameos. And those implacable tin swine the Daleks, TV's greatest ever villains, never lose their power to scare.

Episode 13/13 Journey's End

The entire universe is in danger as the Daleks activate their master plan. The Doctor, last seen in the throes of regeneration, is helpless, and even the Tardis faces destruction. The Doctor's secret army of companions pool their considerable resources to battle Davros himself - but what of maddened Dalek Caan's prophecy that one of those faithful companions will die?