Doctor Who (series 4)
| Doctor Who (series 4) | |
|---|---|
DVD box set cover art
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| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of stories | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (+1 supplemental) |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 5 April – 5 July 2008 |
| Series chronology | |
The fourth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who began on 25 December 2007 with the Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes aired, starting with "Partners in Crime" on 5 April 2008 and ending with "Journey's End". "Partners in Crime" marked the debut of Donna Noble, as played by Catherine Tate, as a full-time companion to the Tenth Doctor. A short Children in Need special was also produced. The series started production on 8 August 2007 and concluded on 29 March 2008. This was the final full series to star David Tennant as the Doctor, and the last with lead writer and showrunner Russell T Davies, however they would both stay until 2010, following a year's worth of specials.
The concept of the "Doctor-Lite" episodes (which included "Love & Monsters" from Series 2 and "Blink" in Series 3), in which the Doctor plays a minimal part in the action of the story, was taken further in this series with the addition of a "Companion-Lite" episode; "Midnight" is a story primarily featuring the Doctor, with Donna only in scenes at the beginning and end of the episode, while "Turn Left" equally has the Doctor playing a minimal role, instead focusing on Donna.
"We are delighted that one of Britain's greatest talents has agreed to join us for the fourth series."
The fourth series marked David Tennant's third and final full series as the Doctor (although he continued in the role for the 2008–2010 Specials) and also featured a total of seven companions. In the Christmas special, Australian actress and singer Kylie Minogue starred as one-time companion Astrid Peth, who perished before the end of the episode. The companions in the regular series had all been in the lead companion role previously: the primary role of Donna Noble, who was introduced in "The Runaway Bride", was played by Catherine Tate for all thirteen episodes. Her return was announced by the BBC on 3 July 2007.Freema Agyeman, who portrayed the Doctor's companion Martha Jones in series three, returned for "The Sontaran Stratagem", "The Poison Sky", "The Doctor's Daughter", "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End". Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler from the first episode of the new series to the finale of the second series appeared in the three final episodes of the series. She made brief appearances in the episodes "Partners in Crime", "The Poison Sky" and "Midnight". Her return had been planned by Davies since her departure in 2006. Her return to the show was announced on 27 November 2007.John Barrowman, Elisabeth Sladen, Noel Clarke and Camille Coduri, who portrayed previous companions Jack Harkness, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler respectively, also reappeared in the finale.
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