04x01 - A Noble Return

[bunniefuu]

Series Four,
Catherine Tate is back as Donna.

Oh, my God!

It's great to be back, yeah,
it's as if I never left, actually.

Doctor! This is all your fault.
I should have stayed at home.

MUSIC: "Ray Of Light"
by Madonna
# Quicker than a ray of light

♪ Quicker than a ray of light

♪ Quicker than a ray of light... ♪

Just like old times!

With the script for
Partners In Crime complete,

the cast and crew are gathered
at the Cardiff studios for the first
read-through of the series.

Until you hear the actors
you've cast reading those lines,

it's the first time, really,
that the whole thing comes to life.

Marvellous, I'll be reading the
stage directions. Always exciting.

A lot of them in this. Exterior,
Nobles' house, fast, cheeky music.

Donna steps out,
head held high on a mission.

Donna walking along, left to right,

the Doctor walking along
right to left.

Donna stops in the street,
looks up at a tower block which
is the HQ of Adipose Industries.

The first half of the episode is
basically about the fact that

the two of them keep
missing each other...

Does he need a Coke? Thanks, then.

What's that?

'..And that Donna's been
looking for the Doctor.'

CAR HORN

It's pretty surprising
when the Doctor

sees Donna for the first time.

It's fairly, er, unlikely.

'It's a great way to reintroduce
the characters to each other.'

In a moment of great peril
you have this sort of dumb show...

..and you saw that on the page.

The Doctor looks straight ahead
and Donna looks straight ahead
and she sees him.

And he sees her.

HE MOUTHS

SHE WHISPERS: Doctor.

She does a little mime, "I came here,
trouble, internet, pills, places..."
THEY LAUGH

Marvellous!

I said to James Strong,
the director, the day before,

"Have you got any thoughts
about that?

"You know, at all?"

And he said no.

He said, "I'll ask Russell."

And then the message
that came back was, "See what
Catherine comes up with."

So I kind of did it
a bit on the hoof, actually.

Well as we were filming it, really.

And just mucked about with it a bit
and will be taking
a career in mime a lot further.

It's funny, Catherine's first day
on the set just felt like

she'd never been away. It was like
catching up with an old mate.

Cos its the second time I've worked
with him, I don't have to curtsy
every morning which was the ritual

when I was in the Christmas Special
which was a little bit much,
you know, but fair enough, really.

So now I don't have to,
so that's great.

Obviously we know Catherine Tate
as a great comic actor.

So you've got all that
coming out of the script,

because people know they are writing
for her. Also the way she will turn
a line will keep surprising you...

..Then she'll surprise you again by
fulfilling all the emotional moments
as powerfully as she does as well.

She seems to have a valve
that taps right into her soul
and into the soul of Donna.

You're right.

Cos he's still out there...

..somewhere.

And I'll find him.

Even if I have to wait years.

I'll find him.

Adipose Industries,

the st century
way to lose weight. And here it is.

One capsule, once a day for three
weeks and the fat, as they say...

'The fat just walks away!'

Donna calls her supernanny,

that's where the costume came from,
the glasses, the pose, everything,

everyone said she's
supernanny-come-space villain.

Action. Matron Caphelia,
listen to me!

Oh, I don't think so, Doctor.

And whatever...

whatever I say next.

Really. 'Keep rolling.' Start again.

'Do you want a reminder,
are you all right?' No, I'm fine.
'Here we go. And...action.'

Matron Caphelia, listen to me!

Oh, I don't think so, Doctor.

And if I never see you again,
it will be too soon.

Why does nobody ever listen?
I'm trying to help. Can you shift
the levitation beam?

What? So you can arrest me?

Listen, I saw the Adiposian
instructions, they know it's a crime
breeding on earth,

so what's the one thing they want
to get rid of? Their accomplice!

I'm far more than that.

I'm nanny to all these children.

Exactly.
Mum and Dad have got the kids now,
they don't need the nanny any more.

'Lights.'

'Drop.'

I don't think she's a baddie.
If she is a baddie,

maybe we're seeing things from
a slightly different perspective,

but I've persuaded myself that
actually she's quite a nice lady.

Back to it.

So then, Tardis.

Where do you want to go?

Oh, I know exactly the place.

Which is?

Two-and-a-half miles that way.

MUSIC: "Land Of A Thousand Words"
by Scissor Sisters

♪ Another constellation dies

♪ Do what you want
cos it's your own sky

Donna! Donna!
♪ Call me when
The phone stops ringing... ♪

Donna! Donna...
it's the flying blue box!

♪ I am on your good side

♪ Where it's smoldering
Or freezing... ♪ What?!

♪ It's never all that easy to decide

♪ This is a land of words

♪ But it seems so few are worth... ♪
David, can you put that arm down?

♪ ..I'll be looking after
My own world

♪ You just keep on
Saving the day... ♪
That's Donna! That's Donna!

And that's him.

That's him! That's him!

That's him!

Yeah! Go on, girl, go on,
get up there!

Hey!

It's just the joy. of someone being
able to travel off in time and space.

To see that via a grandfather, one of
my favourite things we've done.

He doesn't resent that,
he doesn't envy her, he stands there
and cheers and waves her off,

and says go get it girl, grab it.

And do what I never did.