DOCTOR WHO: PARTNERS IN CRIME

Writer: Russell T Davies / Script Editor: Lindsey Alford / Costumes: Louise Page / Production Design: Edward Thomas / Director: James Strong

Series: Doctor Who
Season Four Episode One

“I just want a mate”
“You just want to mate?”
“I just want a mate”
“You’re not mating with me sunshine”
“A mate – a mate”
“Well just as well, I’m not having any of that nonsense, you’re just a long streak of nothing, alien nothing”.

Following the massiveness of the Christmas Special Voyage of the Damned, Doctor Who’s fourth season proper kicks off on ABC1 on 6 July @ 7.30pm and reintroduces Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) who first appeared in the Christmas Special episode The Alien Invasion, now she is back as a full time member of the TARDIS. In Partners In Crime Donna has spent the last year desperately searching for the Doctor and whilst investigating a strange new company with a 100% guaranteed successful slimming pill she discovers that there may be more to it than meets the eye. The Doctor too has discovered that something untoward is going on and is carrying on his own investigations.

As usual there is some fun dialogue, several nods to what has gone before, The Doctor explaining to Donna how Martha Jones fancied him, mention of Rose still being lost. The whole episodes though has something of air of mid 60′s runabout original Who, Tennant uses his sonic screwdriver like it is going out of fashion, Tate over acts up a storm and Bernard Cribbens makes a welcome re-appearance as Tate’s grandfather. Chief guest star Sarah Lancashire actually has surprisingly little to do apart from act like a stern headmistress or as the episode progresses a veritable supernanny – maybe they should have just got Jo Frost herself in.

Watch out for a brilliant little knock you sideways moment at the end that spells some major developments for the rest of the season.

GUEST CAST
BILLIE PIPER as Rose Tyler
SARAH LANCASHIRE as Miss Foster
BERNARD CRIBBENS as Wilfred Mott
JACQUELINE KING as Sylvia Noble
VERONA JOSEPH as Penny Carter
JESSICA GUNNING as Stacey Harris
MARTIN BALL as Roger Davey
RACHID SABITRI as Craig Staniland
CHANDRA RUEGG as Claire Pope
SUE KELVIN as Suzette Chambers
JONATHAN STRATT as Taxi Driver
The episode is dedicated to the memory of Howard Attfield