The problem with all those 'nice' characters from previous shows is that they're just too nice and normal. Smart, intelligent, young, about to fall in love with the Doctor - just like every other companion down the years.

The choice of Catherine is fantastic - she could easily turn out to be the most memorable and unique of all the Doctor's companions. Can you picture her reacting to situations in the same way as Rose or Martha or any of the rest?

What makes the revived Doctor Who so good is that it's NOT the same as years gone by. It wouldn't even surprise me if the next time the Doctor regenerates he turned into a woman.

i personally think it won't be very good with Catherine Tate because i didn't like the 2006 christmas special very much, lets hope it will be better

she was crap at christmas and the same applyes now by the way shes got piczo go on daleksowncybermen.piczo.com the click on billie tyler on the friends doctorwhoth and shes got catherine tate on friends list

i think catherine tate is brilliant! no matter wat u all think of her! :P

unlike the previous companions, the two hotties and all those endless young girls that have clung to the doctor over the years, this WOMAN has already lived a lot fo her young life and she is therefore wittier and wiser! she is funny and strong as well as conflicting with the doctor more than the flimsy likes of moaning-martha!

altho i loved rose and miss jones and hope to see BOTH return i am glad about this addition to the tardis make a loud and screaming comeback! COME ON MISS TATE!/NOBLE!

i also wud like to see a new BOY companion, and/or possibly someone from the NORTH! y does everything take place in london (and if not ther its bloody cardiff!! :O !)

thanx

I agree with J.D., Catherine Tate's Donna will provide a welcome change of pace as a companion.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Rose was mostly good and I love Martha, but I'm a little bored with them being in awe of, or in love with, the Doctor. Donna on the other hand is probably going to be a more 'difficult' companion and I think that is going to give the writers a chance to have some real fun. For one thing I think the dynamics between Donna and Martha should provide some very pithy dialogue *s*

Donna is going to embarrass the Doctor, infuriate him and also make him laugh. Should be a great series I think. Don't forget, you can't always stay in the same key ... contrast is good!

(I just hope she tones down the screeching a little)

Catherine Tate is a good actress but she isn't the best character in dr who. I have also heard that Martha is rejoining half way through the series, and if you ask me 1 companion is enough.

well i think tha donna played by catherine tate will be fun but i have to say Billie Piper is the most successful assistant yet and im still looking forward to series 4!!!

I didn't like the 2006 Christmas special either, I also hope it'll be better.

I was overjoyed to hear that Catherine Tate will be reprising her role as Donna. I saw The Runaway Bride christmas special. Although (in my opinion) it didn't meet the standards of The Christmas Invasion, I actually think that The Doctor can benefit from Donna's hilarity and in-your-face antics, as the loss of Rose has continued for too long (however i still agree that her departure sparked a tear in my eye). I am also hoping that a Doctor Who movie is in the cards for sometime later.

I think that the christmas special is gonna be good and I am hoping that series 4 will have Billie Piper in at least 1 episode. Also on the very first episode in series 1 Rose meets a guy who shows her sketches of The Doctor and 1 of the sketches is where The Doctor (christopher eccleston) stops a family from going aboard the Titanic. I am hoping the christmas special is gonna link in with that and maybe the tenth Doctor(david tennent) can meet the ninth Doctor (christopher eccleston).

Oh no!! As if ruining the Christmas speical wasnt bad enough, now a whole seaason of Dr who is going to be filled with the pyschotic harpie!! her voice goes straight through my head, nothing but screaming, yelling and shouting. What was wrong with Martha??

I think that wat you have all said is true and false. The 2206 chritmas specail was great, like all the others. Cathrine Tate might be good, or not. Why can't we have sally sparrow or a new character, like the actress Kate Ford from coronation street(the one that killed Charlie) Shes really forceful and i think would be a sort of army character or somefin. But sally sparrow would be good. Martha is coming bac. Fancz god. She is the best so far. Rose was good but Martha is better. Go sall, Martha, Kate Ford and Rose. They should all be companions. Sort of Dona!

GO DR WHO GO DR WHO GO DR WHO GO DR WHO GO DR WHO

omg cant you see catherine tate will not work the rating will be so high the first episode then it will drop like a tun of bloody bricks. yes shes funny leave her with her comedy acts she dosen't need to be ruining this amazing tv show which is my faveourite and i am liek obsessed. I want billie piper back bring back ROSE mickey returned when the doctor said he never could why can't the doctor and rose get back together fall back in love and have amazing doctor who series. SERIES 4 IS GONNA GO TO POT WITH HER. what the hell are they thinking they have the BEST doctor now get back the BEST COMPANION ROSE. or hold open auditions for a brand new fresh yound actress take a different turn get a sweet 16 yr old in that happens to hear 'drums' happens to turn out to be the doctors sister or daughter! take a twist make a half timelord! rose + doctors daughter! c'mon i'll write the bloody scripts myself!

series 4 is going to be great because davros will be back! but i still wish rose could come back i hate martha and donna is ok

BRING BACK ROSE BRING BACK ROSE BRING BACK ROSE!!!

I want rose to come back for at least 1 seires because cathirne.T
was rubbish and the story lines have been abit crap lately,rose is
expirneced as well-fun,fun,fun.

Catherine Tate will probably be awful!!!!!!
She's just so annoying and the christmas special was a bit rubbish! Bring back Rose!!!!!!!!

i really want to be part of dr who if you email me mabie i could!!!
and yes i really want rose back because she is a brilliant character and i'v been on all your sites and i'm tring to look for little trailers of series 4!!!

oi, doctor who is immense!!
so is 'RTD' and pleeeeeease bring rose back, she was the best and martha is rubbish.
not too bothered about catherine tate, still dont know whether she is right or not.
anyhoo... i think rose was immense and series 2 was the best so bring her back!! ...please =D

I 2 was overjoyed to hear that tate would be coming back. i prefer martha 2 rose. not sure bout tates character as she has only be in 1 episode. i aslo have to agree that it would be good to have a young girl between 14 and 16 on the show that happens 2 be the doctors daughter but she doesnt tell him cause in the future he tells her never to change the past. i aslo think that if that did happen her character should be ckeeky, funny, sarcastic and full of attitude. never listens to the doctor. and loves 2 have a laugh. also with the doctors enermies she should go over the top with attitude. i think if that did happen though doctor who wouldnt be the same cause he is always on his own. be cool if it did happen though.

I think the new who is gay.The old series was much more watchable!

The new Doctor Who is so awsome and it rocks!
Nothing is more cooler and fantastic than this new doctor but if Rose came back it WOULD be cool but it
would be kinda old. If they keep on giving the doctor new people then that will also be old.
Give him a TIME LORD friend and they should make it a kid. i.e. me. A girl.

i think Catherine Tate will be RUBBISH, yes she might be a good comedian but she iant right for normal acting. NOW we have the best doctor so have the best companion ROSE and if not try using someone like Gwen from torchwood i think she would b great. Also the doctor + roses daughter would b great or another limelady like Romana.

BRING BACK ROSE

I did not enjoy the Christmas episode with Catherine Tate. I mean her character was selfish, ignorant, and difficult to watch. I did get a boost of hope when I saw a comedy sketch with Tennant and Tate on YouTube, as two actors they worked well together in that sketch so I can only hope they change her character a bit. Otherwise I fear the Doctor will see the ugly side of humans and give up hope. Besides, I can't see the Doctor keeping a companion so frustrating.

Rose was my favorite - though Martha did grow on me towards the end, I just wish she wouldn't of been so overtley in love with him. Every episode I found myself saying 'He's just not that into you...isn't it amazing enough to just travel through time and space...you want him to love you on top of that'

It would be such an interesting story to have the Doctor and Rose meet again...just to see how it could happen, what the implications would be, and how Rose would react to the new companion.

BRING ROSE BACK PLEASE

i would like to c martha and rose together because series 3 gives u the impression that marthaq dosnt like rose at all. i would like to c if the doctor has moved on from rose like he did with sarah-jane or if he'd choose rose over matrha if he got the chance

i prefer if the doctor chose martha 2 rose cause i didnt reli like rose, but thats my opinion. what id like 2 see is a new actress. but 1 thats in their teens. probably between 14-16. A good twist would be if that character was the doctors daughter. think wat she would be like. be interestin if it happened.

i agree bring back rose or a new charecter i do not think catherine tate will be a good companion come on think about it all of my friends hated martha jones at first but she grew on them but catherine tate soooo will not why can't thety bring back captain jack he was cool. in the last episode he was in he said he was nicknamed the face of boe cos he could never die but the face of boe died does anyone know if the face of boe is/was jack or not please if you know tell me.
does anyone agree with me by saying that everybody liked billie piper i think she was excellent. and last thing what happened to martha at the end of series 3 cos i cannot remember and i saw it about 10 times.

Tate's character will definitely change for the better and less-annoying... look at how Mickey turned out.

everyone.....FORGET ROSE FOR GODS SAKE...
she is stuck in a parallel universe and unless the doctor pulls out an extremely nifty trick from his baisically inexhaustable sleeve, that is where she will stay.

and this whole issue of catherine tate..give her a go. i dont think she'll turn out to be as good as the other companions but at least they're doing something different and trying to vary the plot...and martha is coming bak half way through the series so stop complaining

when is Rose coming back and for how long?

Catherine Tate will be brilliant!
When Davros comes back and acts insane like he always did i cant wait to see her reaction!
And when she meets Martha, and the sontarons!
Shell be like "Oi Potato head!", shes gonna be funny in the new series, V-E-R-Y funny!

Rose is comin bck 4, 4 episodes
The Doctors gonna have 3 companions now
Should b reali funni 2 watch
Can`t wait 4 da new series of Doctor Who

This New Series Is Going To Be Great!
First Of All Catherine Tate Is Back, She Is A Bit Boring, But I Like Her. Then The'll Be Martha, Martha Is A Bit Fun In Her Series Of Doctor Who, But Rose, Oh I Love Her, I Felt Sad When She Was Leaving The Episode "Doomsday".

I Know Some Of The Episodes, I've Seen "Voyage Of The Damned" On TV Already, It's Great, Also There Is "Time Crash", And I Get To See The Fifth Doctor, YES, And The Ood's Are Back, In An Episode Called "Planet Of The Ood", Yippee, This Is Gonna Be The Best Series Ever!

rose is nicer than donna

hello ROSE TYLER is coming back its been confurmed.ive seen the first scene shes in. Donna sees a light and rose comes out of it. and no it is not a portal from the paranell universe! rose then walks up 2 donna and they have a lil chat but i cant really hear it cos there were camera people around.
so all rose tyler fans....SHES BACK!!!!

i like this show because i think it is gdgd and funny

I love Rose, I'm so glad she's coming back.
Martha drove me insane with her pining.
I quite like Donna, coz she's different, and I think she'll be very funny.
I can't wait for the Rose/Martha bitchfight, I reckon that'll be the highlight of 2008!

is billie piper coming back to dr who i hope she will because shes the best companion so far!!!

the axons are back!!

Get over the Rose thing! It would make for VERY boring tv if the doctor fell in love, got married and had kids...i think that part of the attraction for the assistants and the viewers is that The Doctor is unattainable and always will be. Leave him be!

i think that rose tyler is not the best compainion for the doctor but it was sad when she nearlly went into the void even if here dead dad pete saved the day i still prefer martha jones as she is far more interesting and gives of a much better atmosphere. ecspecially the way she saved the doctor in the last two episodes she is full of creativity and is the most natural performer i have ever seen.

it looks like in the previews that martha id coming back in the 4th series

i agree somewhat, she was annoying, but i think thats the point of her charcter, if Russel wrote in another young woman that fancied the pants of doctor, it would start to get boring, and with rose returning, we don;t want a love war

I agree with Kyra because it would be boring if the doctor fell in love, got married and had kids, but it would be interesting to see what would happen. especially if one heard drums.

i can't wait for the new series

it's going to be brill

i think donna's brill companion

Catherine Tate is a very bad choice for the doctors companion. Personally, I think the Christmas special with her was the worst of the new version of Dr Who I have seen.

My main reasons for this are the fact that the only time we had seen her before then was in her comedy sketch show, and the character she played could have been pulled straight out of that show.

She can never be a serious actress and should stick to what she knows best (making a fool of herself, and using expletives as her main joke. ie her character "Nan"), and leave the real acting to people with more talent then her.

I really am surprised that her show has lasted so long and got her an appearance on comic relief with Tony Blair.

I think the viewing figures for the next series will drop, maybe not much because some peopel will watch it just because it is Dr Who, but the hangers on, may be put off by the Catherine Tate character.

Personally, I am put off by Catherine being in it, I will watch the start but if I can't stand her character i won't watch for long.

/rant over

ROSE IS A STUPID BITCH AND I HATE HER
martha is a thousand times better than her
and i think donna will be even better than martha

I think that billie is brill and that her and the doctor should get together and I heard somewhere that the doc gets hitched in serise 4! omg but not 2 rose! what will we do?

Wots wrong with u ppl? Catherine Tate bein in the show is great, i hated the catherine tate show but she is hilarious in Doctor who, that christmas special was so much better thn the one we just had with Kylie. It was a great episode with Tate because even though we all love Rose the most and miss her so much it had shown just how much the Doctor loved Rose and Tate was hilarious in chrimbo special although she made him look insignificant and like he wasn't the star of the show which was the downfall but he met his match in that way as she really pushed him and was a bit of a handful soooooo funny.

I think its so funny that no matter what the doctor does everyone falls in love with him cus he's such a "knight in shining armour" and cares for everyone. Martha is cool but not as good as the other two.

Honestly, I think Donna will make for a challenging companion for the Doctor. I think it would do him some good to have a companion who can go toe-to-toe with him in the manic shouting department. :D

If you'll pardon the cheesy entertainment magazine phrase, I think the pairing will be electric. A much needed wild ride after the simpering little girls of the last two seasons.

i can't wait 4 the new series
i think tate is gonna be brill
donna is certainly gonna give the doctor a run 4 his money

hurry up series 4!!!!!!!!!!

I THINK DONNAS GOING TO BE A GREAT IN SERIES 4... ROSE IS COMING BACK FOR THE LAST 3 EPISODES (I THINK)AND HOPEFULLY IT WIL BE AIRING ON THE 22 OF MARCH.. THERE ARE RUMERS THAT DAVROS IS COMING BACK, IF YOU DONT KNOW, DAVROS IS THE CREATOR OF DARLEKS AND CAPTAIN JACK WITH TORCHWOOD WILL ALSO BE IN SERIES 4... AND THERE IS ANOTHER RUMER THAT THE RANI IS COMING BACK (THE RANI WAS A EVIL TIMELORD... WORSE THAN THE MASTER, SHE WAS BANISHED FROM GALLIFERY) ANYWAY THATS ALL I KNOW :-)

Those of you who are commenting that Catherine Tate as Donna Noble is not good for Series Four. Have you actually seen her in this series? Maybe you didn't like her performance in The Runaway Bride, I personally thought she was brilliant in it. Her character in the Christmas special in 2006 was a common, show off, comical Londoner with attitude. I think that the writers will have taken into account that Donna will have learnt from the Doctor. In the Torchwood episode 'Reset', we could see that Martha Jones had changed her life for the better, thanks to the Doctor. Her character in Series 4 will surely be a more intelligent, open minded, respectable companaion for the Doctor. So to thoses who doubt her, at least wait until after her first appearance of Series 4 before you pass judgement.

I think Rose was ok. She was like a big lumbering puppy. She always acted with no forethought. She was such a baby. Donna was alright but only as a character that pops in and pops right back out. Martha helped take the story to another level. She added just the right tone of "romance/drama" to the show. She was a strong enough character to keep the doctor tethered. It's a shame the writers could not pursue their storyline. I don't think she was given a fair shot. It's a shame that her character has been written out. Bring her back, leave Rose out.

rose, rose, rose, I am so sick of hearing all this bring rose back. rose was really only good in the beginning. when the show started to mature she didn’t mature with it, the writers fault. she became obsolete. donna was ok, but she sounded more like a nagging wife than a good companion for the doctor. her voice is so irritating. martha, now there is a companion. most of you say she was whinny. but i think her yearning for his attention made it all the more interesting. he used her on the rebound and treated her like dirt. it’s the classic blonde syndrome with rose. i think in this day and age blondes should not continue to have more fun. bring martha back. she was sweet, yet sassy, intelligent yet vulnerable, not too bad on the eyes either, and she loved him. what more could the doctor ask for. why did they write her out on the sly. rose, get rid of her and let the doctor finally see martha.. you won’t be sorry.

Cathrin Tate is gonna be FANTASTIC!!! And I don't care what anybody els says becouse cathy is onna appear on series 4, she's gonna be grait, she's gonna prove you all wrong and then i'll be expecting you all to hang you'r heads in shame!!!

Catherine Tate trained as an actress before she went into comedy. Give her a chance, at least watch series 4 before slagging her off!!!!

You're all wrong Rose and Martha are both fantastic companions but Rose is the best and the original, so all of you geeks can shut up. Anyway series 4 will be amazing.

me personally think that catherine/donna and freema/martha were both kind off bad at the role of the doctors assistant.
billie/rose was the best assistant the dr has had and i am glad that they are bringing her back so that there will actually be some decent episodes again she's gr8 at the role. i hope she will be in more than 3 episodes

omg i think catherine will be okay but i am so happy to hears that MARTHA is coming back she is the best! better that rose coz she is smart and was actually doing something with her life when she met the doctor. I agree sally sparrow would be a good companion!

OMG OKAII ALL OF YU ARE WRONG ROSE WAS AMAZING SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT MADE THE DOCTOR HEAD OVER HEALS!! IF U DIDNT NOTICE THE DOCTOR ACTUALLY CRIED WHEN HE LOST HER!! THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS SOMETHING!!MARTHA WAS OKAII BUT SHE WAS SOOO GOD DAMN NEEDY AND MOANY BUT I BEGAN TO LIKE HER TOWARDS THE END!DONNA WAS REALLY ......UMMMMM........ SHE WAS FUN! SHE MADE PEOPLE LAUGH BUT SHE WAS REALLY LOUD AND QUITE PATRONISING.I STILL LOVE HER THO LOL.FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DONT NO ROSE IS COMING BACK AT THE END FOR 3 EPISODES.MARTHA IS ALSO COMING BACK (SHE FOUND IN SOME LIKE GOOEY BED THING LIKE ALL WET LOL)AND OFCOURSE DONNA(CATHERINE TATE) IS ALSO GOING TO BE ONE OF DOCTORS COMPANIONS.I THINK THAT ITS A SHAME THE DOCTOR LOST ROSE AND SHE SUITS HIM BETTER THAN ANY OF THEM.AND THE PEOPLE THAT CALL THEMSELVES 'P' AND'PJ'YUU BOTH REALLY NEED TO SHUTUP AND 'PJ' YOUR JUST JEALOUS OF BLONDES WHAT ARE YUU LIKE GINGER OR BRUNNETTE COZ BLONDES DO HAVE MORE FUN SO GET USED TO IT!!!ROSE IS THE BEST FOR THE DOCTOR AND THEY SHOULD BRING HER BACK!!!HERES THE PROPER TRAILER FOR SERIES FOUR IF YU HAVENT SEEN IT http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qfEPQqHx40c