"Doctor Who" Partners in Crime (2008)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

James Strong

Writer:

Russell T. Davies (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

5 April 2008 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

With a new weight-loss pill tested in London by Adipose Industries, The Doctor goes to investigate the sinister truth behind the product, only to find out that his old friend Donna Noble is investigating as well. |

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Time Lord | Tardis | Companion | Doctor Who

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 24

5:00 AM

SYFY

Partners in Crime

#4.1

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Billie Piper	...	Rose Tyler
Sarah Lancashire	...	Miss Foster
Bernard Cribbins	...	Wilfred Mott
Jacqueline King	...	Sylvia Noble
Verona Joseph	...	Penny Carter
Jessica Gunning	...	Stacey Harris
Martin Ball	...	Roger Davey
Rachid Sabitri	...	Craig Staniland
Chandra Ruegg	...	Clare Pope
Sue Kelvin	...	Suzette Chambers
Jonathan Stratt	...	Taxi Driver

Runtime:

48 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

Phil Collinson directed some scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the episode, Donna piles suitcases in the Doctor's arms in preparation to leave with him in the TARDIS, and places a striped hat box on top. The bags stay that way for a while as the camera cuts back and forth between them, and you can see the stack of luggage as the camera films the Doctor from behind. Then, as soon as the camera cuts back to the Doctor's face when Donna leaves to give her mother the car keys, suddenly he has one bag under his arm and another in his hand, and the rest of the bags are on the ground with the hat box stacked neatly on top.

Quotes:

[last lines] [sees the Tardis fly by]
Wilfred Mott: Th-
[shouts]
Wilfred Mott: Donna, it's the flying blue box!
[looks up again; then looks through his telescope to see Donna waving at him]
Wilfred Mott: Wha- That's,
[looks though the telescope again]
Wilfred Mott: that's Donna!
Wilfred Mott: [sees the Doctor wave also] And that's him. That's him!
[cheers]
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Sheer fluff

The Fourth season opens with the reintroducing of one of the most annoying characters in recent Doctor Who memory, (no not the Slitheen, let's hopefully NEVER see them again, knock on wood) Catherine Tate as reprising her role of Donna Noble from 'the Runaway Bride'. She and the Doctor are both separately looking into Adipose industries and their testing of a new weight-loss product that has some strange side effects.

OK, first the good news Tate isn't nearly as grating as she was on the Christmas special she was on, that in itself is cause to celebrate. But that celebration is sort lived when one realizes that the story is lacking at it's core and has nothing to show for it than miniature Staypuft Marshmellow man made of body fat. Way too silly to be taken at all seriously. The only thing going for the episode is a small cameo near the end.

My Grade: C-