Last issue we celebrated 20 years of the Eighth Doctor and the making of the TV Movie, and this time it’s time for us to get nostalgic about the era of the Tenth Doctor – which is possibly an even odder thought, as it just seems so recent! Before you know it, we’ll be reminiscing about things that haven’t even happened yet...
But what about the Tenth Doctor and Donna? The series of Doctor Who that they shared together in 2008 was a whirlwind of brilliant adventures. I know we’re not supposed to have favourites, but that was a particularly joyous time, and I’m tremendously fond of the chemistry between those two characters. From the moment they spot each other through the glass in Partners in Crime, to the heartbreaking way in which their travels together are forced to come to an end in Journey’s End, these two were the very best of mates, who secretly adored each other, but never with the desire to actually ‘mate’ (despite one unfortunate misunderstanding).
But, as is so often the way with the best ideas, it happened partly by chance. Donna Noble was created as a one-off character for the 2006 Christmas Special, The Runaway Bride, and that could easily have been that. Famously, Catherine Tate had such a wonderful time making that episode that she had trouble shooting the scene where Donna had to turn down the Doctor’s offer of a trip of a lifetime. Fortunately – for all of us – Donna and Catherine would get their second chance.