A Noble Return Doctor Who Confidential

Series Four, Catherine Tate is back as Donna.

Oh, my God!

It's great to be back, yeah, it's as if I never left, actually.

Doctor! This is all your fault. I should have stayed at home.

MUSIC: "Ray Of Light" by Madonna # Quicker than a ray of light

# Quicker than a ray of light

# Quicker than a ray of light... #

Just like old times!

With the script for Partners In Crime complete,

the cast and crew are gathered at the Cardiff studios for the first read-through of the series.

Until you hear the actors you've cast reading those lines,

it's the first time, really, that the whole thing comes to life.

Marvellous, I'll be reading the stage directions. Always exciting.

A lot of them in this. Exterior, Nobles' house, fast, cheeky music.

Donna steps out, head held high on a mission.

Donna walking along, left to right,

the Doctor walking along right to left.

Donna stops in the street, looks up at a tower block which is the HQ of Adipose Industries.

The first half of the episode is basically about the fact that

the two of them keep missing each other...

-Does he need a Coke?

-Thanks, then.

What's that?

'..And that Donna's been looking for the Doctor.'

CAR HORN

It's pretty surprising when the Doctor

sees Donna for the first time.

It's fairly, er, unlikely.

'It's a great way to reintroduce the characters to each other.'

In a moment of great peril you have this sort of dumb show...

..and you saw that on the page.

The Doctor looks straight ahead and Donna looks straight ahead and she sees him.

And he sees her.

HE MOUTHS

-SHE WHISPERS:

-Doctor.

She does a little mime, "I came here, trouble, internet, pills, places..." THEY LAUGH

Marvellous!

I said to James Strong, the director, the day before,

"Have you got any thoughts about that?

"You know, at all?"

And he said no.

He said, "I'll ask Russell."

And then the message that came back was, "See what Catherine comes up with."

So I kind of did it a bit on the hoof, actually.

Well as we were filming it, really.

And just mucked about with it a bit and will be taking a career in mime a lot further.

It's funny, Catherine's first day on the set just felt like

she'd never been away. It was like catching up with an old mate.

Cos its the second time I've worked with him, I don't have to curtsy every morning which was the ritual

when I was in the Christmas Special which was a little bit much, you know, but fair enough, really.

So now I don't have to, so that's great.

Obviously we know Catherine Tate as a great comic actor.

So you've got all that coming out of the script,

because people know they are writing for her. Also the way she will turn a line will keep surprising you...

..Then she'll surprise you again by fulfilling all the emotional moments as powerfully as she does as well.

She seems to have a valve that taps right into her soul and into the soul of Donna.

You're right.

Cos he's still out there...

..somewhere.

And I'll find him.

Even if I have to wait 100 years.

I'll find him.

Adipose Industries,

the 21st century way to lose weight. And here it is.

One capsule, once a day for three weeks and the fat, as they say...

'The fat just walks away!'

Donna calls her supernanny,

that's where the costume came from, the glasses, the pose, everything,

everyone said she's supernanny-come-space villain.

-Action.

-Matron Caphelia, listen to me!

Oh, I don't think so, Doctor.

And whatever...

whatever I say next.

-Really.

-'Keep rolling.'

-Start again.

-'Do you want a reminder, are you all right?'

-No, I'm fine.

-'Here we go. And...action.'

Matron Caphelia, listen to me!

Oh, I don't think so, Doctor.

And if I never see you again, it will be too soon.

Why does nobody ever listen? I'm trying to help. Can you shift the levitation beam?

What? So you can arrest me?

Listen, I saw the Adiposian instructions, they know it's a crime breeding on earth,

so what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!

I'm far more than that.

I'm nanny to all these children.

Exactly. Mum and Dad have got the kids now, they don't need the nanny any more.

'Lights.'

'Drop.'

I don't think she's a baddie. If she is a baddie,

maybe we're seeing things from a slightly different perspective,

but I've persuaded myself that actually she's quite a nice lady.

Back to it.

So then, Tardis.

Where do you want to go?

Oh, I know exactly the place.

Which is?

Two-and-a-half miles that way.

MUSIC: "Land Of A Thousand Words" by Scissor Sisters

# Another constellation dies

# Do what you want cos it's your own sky

-Donna! Donna!

-# Call me when The phone stops ringing... #

Donna! Donna... it's the flying blue box!

# I am on your good side

-# Where it's smoldering Or freezing... #

-What?!

# It's never all that easy to decide

# This is a land of 1000 words

-# But it seems so few are worth... #

-David, can you put that arm down?

# ..I'll be looking after My own world

-# You just keep on Saving the day... #

-That's Donna! That's Donna!

And that's him.

That's him! That's him!

That's him!

Yeah! Go on, girl, go on, get up there!

Hey!

It's just the joy. of someone being able to travel off in time and space.

To see that via a grandfather, one of my favourite things we've done.

He doesn't resent that, he doesn't envy her, he stands there and cheers and waves her off,

and says go get it girl, grab it.

And do what I never did.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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