Filming has begun on season 4 of Doctor Who, with Catherine Tate returning as Donna Noble from The Runaway Bride Christmas Special (see above). According to a BBC press release, the first episode will find Donna "tracking down the Time Lord during an alien emergency in modern-day London."
Catherine Tate said: "I am delighted to be returning to Doctor Who. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from Gallifrey."
With Tate and Tennant in the TARDIS, season 4 will include an episode called Planet Of The Ood (with the popular aliens from season 2's The Impossible Planet returning), an encounter with murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie (played by Jekyll's Fenella Woolgar), plus appearances by Felicity Kendal (The Good Life) as Lady Clemency Eddison and Tim McInnerny (Blackadder).
Matthew Prichard, Agatha Christie's grandson, commented: "What a brilliant idea that Agatha Christie and Doctor Who should meet! Two characters whose contribution to British entertainment is absolutely unrivalled. As far as I know my grandmother, Agatha Christie, never saw Doctor Who, but I am sure she would have been intrigued, excited and above all flattered by all this attention in 2007."
Executive producer and head writer, Russell T. Davies commented: "Visiting Agatha Christie has been on my wish-list for ages now, and for The Doctor, it's a real meeting of minds! Viewers can expect many more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008."
Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones in season 3, will definitely be returning to the show mid-season, following some appearances in Who spin-off Torchwood.
While I'm still wary of Catherine Tate as a regular companion (purely because she irritated the hell out of me in Runaway Bride, I admit), she does look good in this publicity still. Her look has clearly been modelling on actress Elisabeth Sladen (who played iconic companion Sarah Jane Smith in the 70s), although I still suspect we'll end up with a Bonny Langford from the 80s...
Catherine Tate said: "I am delighted to be returning to Doctor Who. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from Gallifrey."
With Tate and Tennant in the TARDIS, season 4 will include an episode called Planet Of The Ood (with the popular aliens from season 2's The Impossible Planet returning), an encounter with murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie (played by Jekyll's Fenella Woolgar), plus appearances by Felicity Kendal (The Good Life) as Lady Clemency Eddison and Tim McInnerny (Blackadder).
Matthew Prichard, Agatha Christie's grandson, commented: "What a brilliant idea that Agatha Christie and Doctor Who should meet! Two characters whose contribution to British entertainment is absolutely unrivalled. As far as I know my grandmother, Agatha Christie, never saw Doctor Who, but I am sure she would have been intrigued, excited and above all flattered by all this attention in 2007."
Executive producer and head writer, Russell T. Davies commented: "Visiting Agatha Christie has been on my wish-list for ages now, and for The Doctor, it's a real meeting of minds! Viewers can expect many more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008."
Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones in season 3, will definitely be returning to the show mid-season, following some appearances in Who spin-off Torchwood.
While I'm still wary of Catherine Tate as a regular companion (purely because she irritated the hell out of me in Runaway Bride, I admit), she does look good in this publicity still. Her look has clearly been modelling on actress Elisabeth Sladen (who played iconic companion Sarah Jane Smith in the 70s), although I still suspect we'll end up with a Bonny Langford from the 80s...
