Why are we having to have that one dimensional character back again? Catherine Tate only does one character in all her roles and it is one that I am not at all 'bovvered' by. The last series had some moments of classic 'Who' but it declined with the terrible ending (good to see the Master, bad to see a floating aircraft carrier and the Doctor reduced to being Dobby the House Elf).

It really seems that with the exception of the weeping angels, Doctor Who jumped the shark the moment Rose left.

Oh dear, they really should have finished at the last series. CT is one of the most awful people on TV.

Dr. Who has been fantastic up to now. I hope the BBC has the right resources made available to keep the quality up. I’m dreading a return to the cheap cheesy special effects that have typically plagued British productions. Anyone remember Blakes 7?

The character set my teeth on edge, and I didn't find Tate's show at all amusing the one time I watched it. Worse, RTD will probably try to do funny things with her, and his sense of humour is just juvenile.

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment...

Oh FFS. She was even more irritating than Adric and Mel.

I agree, the Master was excellent - slightly manic, and slightly menacing, a departure from the master's of old - but a good one. The ending - fairly crap all seemed to fall apart quickly... Why kill the Mr Saxon Master? Why was Mr Moffat only called upon to write one episode when his episodes clearly stand out as the best (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, Girl in the Fireplace and Blink)

But why-oh-why-oh-why Catherine Tate? I can only assume that we are in for a series of "daaaarrrnnn sarrrf" sass and quippery - or what passes for humour in Ms Tate's repertoire. Why not Sally Sparrow? or someone else with some *acting* talent. Has Russell decided that as he's probably leaving anyway he may as well kill the franchise?

OK, CT was entertaining in the Christmas special but I don't think I can cope with her every week!

Must admit that I've not been especially impressed with the last series, Blink and the season finale made me think that it was getting better but to move to CT!?!

I'm not sure I'll be watching next year and I'm really not sure about Kylie in the Christmas special.

catharine tate is shite, and about as funny as your "crazy" uncle at a wedding with the acting ability of Calculon. why?????

As for the finale of season 3, any one else think the flying ship thing looked more than a bit like the spectrum air base from captain scarlet?

Never mind the total rip off of the phantasm movies, brains inside flying spheres with knifes and lazers, that kill people, controlled by a 'master' (ok a tall guy with yellow blood but never mind)

And why was the master killed with only one bullet, thought being a time lord he had built in redundancy with 2 hearts??

And do you just get the feeling they reused the animation from series 2, just replaced daleks and cybermen with spheres?

this has just confirmed that the cancellation of this current run cant come soon enough, bastards, seriously pissed off at how much they can and have cocked up dr who

For my money, Blink was the top episode in this series, with Carey Mulligan playing the lead role of Sally Sparrow. I thought they'd found an excellent new assistant if one was needed. Maybe she was just too busy to take on the part, because she got my 'top female Who' award this year.

Mind you, it was another one written by Steven Moffat, so very good acting and an excellent script = terrific episode.

Simon, Doctor Who jumped the shark several decades ago! But we don't really mind, as that's part of its charm.

Personally I thought Catherine Tate was rather good in her Christmas episode, and certainly not one dimensional. If the scripts are good (hint, more Steven Moffat please) she'll be excellent.

OK, I can understand the casting of Kylie in the Xmas Special - everyone's fave pop pixie will draw in the crowds, no doubt. But Catherine Tate? Aw, c'mon now that's just going too far!

Was Bonnie Langford already booked up? Beyond the bottom of the barrel, tipping the barrel over and digging 10ft down more like!

I've been playing Doctor's Assistant bingo.

Now I can cross out "ginger".

I only need a blind one-legged Filipino lesbian for a full house. Keep 'em coming Russell.

They are *trying* to run Dr Who into the ground. I haven't seen a franchise get ruined this badly since Star Trek in the late 90s.

He'll be able to come up with a whole slew of 'hollywood movie' style plots that only work because of stupid/belligerent/stubborn characters.

Just like the Jurassic Park films wouldn't have worked without those dumb kids. Don't be surprised if you end up howling 'Jeesus, Don't do *that*!' at the telly each week...

She'll be more of an anti-assistant.

I appear to be in a minority.... I think she's foxy, and I enjoyed watching the xmas special.

S.D.

This smells like the kind of deal that ITV use to keep a hold of their talent, and then overexpose them in every vehicle going. Catherine Tate can do serious reasonably well but she's going to spend 13 weeks being Catherine Tate, and then turn out to be the Rani or something... hang on, there's someone at the door...

I agree with most of the other posts.

Why Catherine Tate, why!

Is this some way of expanding the viewer base by putting a 'popular' personality onto the show, but they seem to have forgotten this move will alienate most of the core fan base that have followed Doctor Who for most of their lives, and continue to support the show and provide the bulk of the viewing figures. The Runaway Bride episode was one of the weakest episodes of David Tennants' reign as the Doctor, who is fast becoming my second favourite Doctor after Peter Davison of course.

I think this is a ploy of Russel T Davies to drive this current run into the ground, so that he can leave it beyond resurrection.

I can only hope that they were looking for someone who would raise a cheer when they killed her off.

I'll try not to swear but Catherine Tate should be banned from ever appearing on TV, she can't act, her show's dross of the highest order and quite frankly she's as funny as stepping dogshit. That's it, no more Who for me until that talentless cackling wench is off the box.

It was a grand homage to Captain Scarlet's Cloudbase. I agree about Dobby, though, that were shit. Where did he suddenly get a tiny suit from?

I thought Catherine Tate was great in the Christmas episode and believe me, I have nothing but loathing for her so-called 'comedy'.

So I'm quite optimistic about the next season being ace. Nice to see Mr Tennant is staying on for another season, too.

Look, am I bovvered!?

Would you please not give the game away with the titles of your stories about Dr Who. I mostly try to avoid finding out whats happening before it does, as I find it spoils the suspense...

+1 Tennant

-1 Catherine Tate

It evens out.

This is a balls up of Sylvester McCoy-esque proportions. Tate will be about as popular as a turd in a lunchbox.

They should add Ardal O'Hanlons Father Dougal the Cat from the extremely crap Gridlock episode.

Everyone is saying how 'Blink' was a great episode (which it was indeed, probably the best one of the series)... but what about Human Nature / the Family of Blood? I thought that was one of the best two-parters of the new series. Probably the most thought-provoking anyway, although I guess you might not see that as a good thing.

In terms of Catherine Tate... well, I don't think she was as annoying in the Christmas special as "Am I Bovvered" from her comedy sketches. Shame to see Freema Agyeman go though, I think I preferred her to Billie.

..isn't dead - he transfered into the woman in the red dress

....you heard it here first.

He'll be back, this time with Gene Hunt to help him in his epic battle with Catherine Tate (and the Doctor)

"Mind you, it was another one written by Steven Moffat, so very good acting and an excellent script = terrific episode."

Is that the same Steven Moffat who wrote Press Gang? I always wondered what happened to him. Blink was excellent, but who wrote the Madam de Pompidou episode, my all time favorite?... transience of human life introduced early on, the clockwork androids instead of clique metal monsters, romance, sadness, plot twists, and the little secret of why they were after her revealed in the final few seconds. Absolute f**ing genius.

Catherine Tate? That episode was unwatchable, she's does that irritating character, and the acting was non existent.

I was very hopeful indeed that Carey Mulligan (aka Sally Sparrow) would be the new assistant. Now I have to put up with CT, who should be banned from ever appearing on television. Who decided that belligerent chavs were funny?

if ( brilliant Dr. Who required )

{

Writer, Steven Moffat = demi-god

Actress, Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow) = proper classy actress

}

else

{

Actress ?!, Catherine Taite = something on your shoe at the kennels

Head Honcho, Russell T Davies != someone who knows the true fan

}

"Dr. Who has been fantastic up to now. I hope the BBC has the right resources made available to keep the quality up. I’m dreading a return to the cheap cheesy special effects that have typically plagued British productions. Anyone remember Blakes 7?"

You just have to remember the past few seasons of Doctor Who nevermind Blake 7. It's the same cheap & cheesy but in 3D.

Honestly I'm sorry but anyone who actually enjoys Dr Who for it's standards needs to find some batteries for their TV remote because it is - always has been - cheesy, nasty rubbish. Even I can enjoy it knowing that much.

Why do we get this shit for our telly license when there's such great stuff being made over the pond? To hell with Dr Poo, the new season of Battlestar Galactica's due early next year - 24 episodes of high standards, excellent acting, great scripting and no fucking dobbins or idiot stereotypical characters, including the flippin queen and shakespear in sight thank you so much.

Honestly, someone bring Rod Hull back to life, he'd fit right in.

looks like it's time to hide back behind the sofa... a reminder of Bonnie Langford and Sylvester McCoy's pullovers...

Hopefully the BBC find new writers for S5. More forward thinking writers could easily explain away that flying aircraft carrier thing as the Master's tardis rather than assuming the USA would be capable of building something like that. It was afterall designed by the Master...

Is he casting an iconic sci-fi show or a christmas panto?

Say it isn't so... this is apalling news!

Why is it that Dr Who producers of the "self confessed player of the pink oboe" variety inevitably destroy the series? Remember John Nathan Turner? The man responsible for killing Dr Who in the first place...

Come on, BG was like Eastenders in Space, but worse :( I gave up half way through the first series. Agree with the rest of the comments, though. The doctor's assistants usually try to be either sexy or clever, and the rare ones (Sara Jane Smith, Martha Jones) manage to be both. Tate is right in there with Piper & Langford as being neither. One can only assume RTD's own preferences blind him to the obvious.

Still, I was half expecting the last series to end up with the Master getting married to Cap'n Jack and repenting all, so it could have been worse...

Phill - Human Nature was indeed pretty awesome, but i suspect only elevated to that height by Harry Lloyd - inspired casting. Super, Super Fun!

I suspect the BBC have grossly misjudged their target audience - either that or they have seriously misjudged CT ability. If Russel would stop trying to teach us all moral lessons - let the darker, and sometimes the more comedy side out, it would be so much better. Why was all of his best scripting present in the last two episodes? Come on - forget the light and fluffy - get stuck in!

Yes, yes. Everyone is suggesting Sally Sparrow. But that about WPC Annie Cartwright from Life On Mars?

So, the cardboard cut-out that is Martha failed to capture our hearts (not surprising given the poor standard of writing) so they've gone back to a "name" to carry the new series (with DT supposed to be leaving part way through?).

Carey Mulligan shone like a star in this series - why on earth did they not make her an offer she couldn't refuse (unless they have her lined up as the first lady doctor?)

I really can't believe they're bringing Torchwood back. Come on, it's a kids' TV show desperately trying to be adult by throwing in gratuitous & often jarring sexual or profane content to get past the 9 o'clock watershed. The writing was as bad as the last series of Rentaghost or Dr Who v Bertie Bassett!

RTD is certainly not as good a writer as he thinks he is. He has just one story in him & tries to disguise it with almost "painting by numbers" attempts at emotional involvment (which usually fail spectacularly). I'd like to see more of what Mr Moffat can do - there's some good stuff in his stories, even though the living statues idea was a bit pre-teen.

The "The Family" story was truly dreadful: tthe pocket watch was a thinly disguised contrived plot device for the season finale, thought-provoking or emotional themes were slung in & neon lit rather than seamlessly integrated into the story, it felt like an am-dram production and the whole thing would have been over in a few minutes if it wasn't for that meddling kid!

This season has been a disappointment, but I'm not sure it's been as bad as Colin Baker, Bonnie b****y Langford, Bertie Bassett & others. I'll keep watching, then ranting at the TV for 5 mins after every episode...

"Blink was excellent, but who wrote the Madam de Pompidou episode, my all time favorite?"

That was Girl in the Fireplace, another Moffat episode. He is the same Moffat from Press Gang, too.

Rewind a couple of years, replace: "Catherine Tate" comments with "Billie Piper". Or even "David Tennant" with "Paul McGahn".

Always the same old story when a new character is announced: we hate person x get person y.

You never know, she might end up being better than you think. Lets just wait and see shall we?

"Why do we get this shit for our telly license when there's such great stuff being made over the pond? To hell with Dr Poo, the new season of Battlestar Galactica's due early next year - 24 episodes of high standards, excellent acting, great scripting and no fucking dobbins or idiot stereotypical characters, including the flippin queen and shakespear in sight thank you so much."

lol Sure you'll be able to enjoy BSG for the final season... then what will you watch?

And frankly BSG is highly annoying with the camera moving all over the place... I mean come on do you jump up and down and constantly move when looking at other people or when talking with them...

"Lets just wait and see shall we?"

Er, I think the point is that we have ALREADY seen, and we didn't like it.

Well that's one series I won't be watching for fear of destroying my TV set by involuntarily throwing something heavy at the screen.

Dr Who is a children's programme broadcast on early Saturday evenings. Catherine Tate will appeal a lot to children and young teenagers.

Nearly all the commenters on this story seem to be adult men interested in computers and science fiction... and possibly in comic books. No offence, like, but who cares what you think?

I'm a big BSG fan but it had some appalling episodes last season. Doctor Who's main problem is that it doesn't give enough time to each story anymore and BSG's is that it tries to drag far too little story over far too much time, leading to constant filler episodes while you wait for something to actually happen.

I'm against the casting of Tate, as she's talentless, but then again everything said the same about Billie Piper. I know we've had an episode of Tate already and it wasn't great but Billie's first appearance wasn't mind-blowing either.

As for jumping the shark... surely 8 million viewers giving an AI of 88 for the last episode says it all.

And why does everyone say Dobby? He looked quite Dobbyish but he was surely designed as more of a Gollum character? Dobby was an elf, he looked like he did because he was of a different species, Gollum was a hobbit who was given an unnaturally long life but at a high cost. Surely that's more a representation of what the Doctor was meant to be?

... and if they're appealing to their target demographic that blows Ms Maisie's argument out of the water. If they're not, it just shows how bad Radio Local & Radio 2 are, but that's off topic.

Dr Who is a _family_ show - it's Torchwood that's the kids' show! :)

The idea that you are supposed to put up with bad writing because it's "a kids show" is not only missing the point (it's a family show) but patronising to kids.

She is crap!

When her episode was shown here in Oz a couple of weeks ago I was horrified that she might be the new assistant for season three.... and then last week I was so relieved to see they'd picked someone else who is actually good. But now I don't think I'll be able to watch season four at all.

Is it too late for the BBC to rip up her contract?

Ms Tate as the new DW companion. Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Maisie Donaldson - yes, I'm an old fartie like you describe, but even my 9 year old daughter thinks that a whole series of CT is like 12 episodes too many, (I'd argue it's 13 but then again I'm just a curmudgeon). Oh, and DW is a *family* programme not a kids one.

I agree with some of the folks here - the choice of co-stars got to be an attempt by the producer to kill off the series - so she's a "poison pill".

I'd be willing to pay a bit more on my license fee if they could substitute Ms Tate with someone a lot less annoying. My choice? Sophia Myles (Reinette from "Girl in the fireplace") as it means that the Dr could continue that love interest with her, and Ms Myles has got the ability to be a real kick-a** sidekick (she was a pretty good Lady Penelope in the Thunderbirds film - which was a dire film otherwise). She's also pretty easy on the eye - keep the dad's interested... ;-)

Last - the flying aircraft carrier. This also figured in the film "Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow" although in a different guise. The DW one was not US built - it was a UNIT vessel, so presumably United Nations. And if they want to do an "homage" to Captain Scarlett then no objections from me. S.I.G !!

Remember Martha is returning mid-season. With any luck she'll snap and torture Catherine to death, then dump her body into the time vortex. Best for everybody really.

CT is funny, but she can also do a lot more than just "bovvered" (not even her funniest character in her show). I'm just hoping that this gets rid of this whole "apprentice loves Dr" cliche that they've slipped into recently. Boring! (I suppose the best way around that is to get rid of DT and hire someone more in keeping with the original concept of the Dr, controversial!).

Oh, and Moffat is the best writer. Bye bye RTD!

please, let's see a dreadful, horrific ending for CT

Ugh. I'd no idea before who this Catherine Tate person was, but hearing it's that horrible woman from the christmas episode is disheartening. Why would they do that, there are so many better assistants he's passed by.

It's not even just that she's old and unattractive, the assistant from the episode where all the teachers in a high school were alien bats was old too, but she'd still have been a far more engaging assistant than this Tate person :(

...."..isn't dead - he transfered into the woman in the red dress"

That whole bit about the picking up the ring at the end and the laugh in the ether from the Master just smacked far too much of Flash Gordon Film (ending after Ming has been killed and the credits are about to roll or have rolled).

I agree with an earlier poster, same comments different story, nobody thought Billy Piper would be any good, but she surprised many.

It's a shame the Martha character won't be along till mid way through the series I think she has the making of an 'Ace' character (Ace almost outshone the Doctor she was accompanying and certainly achieved cult status in her own right).

Dr Who's companions should not be "celebrities", it's a big, big mistake.

Blink was brilliant, BTW, more of the same.

Russell T D, is a camp wild card. Despite his stunningly successful regeneration of the Dr Who franchise, Torchwood amply illustrates his strengths AND weaknesses. Although Dr Who is still better than 80% of anything on telly, and strikes a fine balance between afficionados, family viewing and an increasingly sophisticated viewing public, it is still VERY variable.

I've really enjoyed Doctor Who's return to our televisions, with the stark exception of a single episode: the Catherine Tate Christmas Special. The only thing that kept me watching was the hope that she might die horribly at the end. I cannot watch a whole series of that shite. This is a terrible mistake on the part of the BBC.

well i guess thats on more tv show i wont be watching now.

which is a shame as i liked Dr Who, But i hated the christmas special, as Catherine Taite has no decernable talent than a one line phrase that was old the moment it was first said.

Catherine Tate has the face only a mother could love and one you would never get fed up of punching! Why oh why Russell T Davies have you done this, one thing is for sure I won't be watching a single minute of series 4. As far as i'm concerned the programme ended last week. Come back Freema, all is forgiven!

Now, she would have been a great choice for a new assistant. Sexy, intelligent, brave and the added bonus that virtually everything she came across would have been completely new to her. How many storylines could that have given?

Please choose just one response.

1. I Would rather be surrounded by a host of Daleks chanting EXTERMINATE!

2. I would rather be surrounded by a host of Daleks chanting PROPIGATE!

Choose wisely.

Well, looks like I'm switching off after the Christmas special then. I was willing to put up with Kylie as it's Christmas and they're allowed to be a bit camp at Christmas. But last year's The Runaway Bride was a train wreck - largely because of Tate's shrill, untalented, unattractive, annoying presence. Of all the episodes it's the one I can't stand to watch again. I tried to get my parents into New Who that Christmas and was embarrassed to have asked them to watch such shite.

No way. I'm not watching her for thirteen episodes. I'd rather turn off - which is what I'll do as soon as she appears on screen. That is, unless she's in the process of dying a horrible, messy, permanent, no-reset-button death!

I thought it was the Doctor's enemies that were supposed to make us want to hide behind the sofa, not his companion...

She's got her knockers, so I'm looking forward to seeing her in DW. The Christmas special wasn't very good but she was the best bits in it.

She is nowhere near as hot as Martha - who made BP look like a husky pug-faced teenager - but Tate will be better than that horribly constipated Piper acting. She's definitely attractive in her own strong way too, certainly wouldn't throw her out of bed for eating crackers.

Battlestar Galactica ?? BUY A TRIPOD !!!! Massive production budget that seemed to stop strangely shy of buying anything to steady the camera and then filming cheapskate style with only one wherever possible - utterly forced. The Mormon allegory original series had better storylines too, v.v.boring, can't believe people find its shallow bling satisfying. Utter tosh. "Eastenders in space" is a slur on Walford's miserablist; more like "Swept away" in space.

Click.....

Well, it's obvious my sentiment is hardly a unique one anymore, but still, I have to fly with it.

Seriously though, why, why, why and why? What possible reason can there be for this casting *ahem* "decision"?

As it's clear I'm not the only one who thought of Sally Sparrow/Care Mulligan being the perfect choice for a new assistant for the doctor. Being smart, attractive (extremely I would have to be inclined to add) and easily a perfect match for the doctor. Everything Catherine Tate isn't.

I thought Sally Sparrow would have been an obvious choice, and would nicely continue the trend of a "bit part" form the previous series turning up as a regular in the next one. Oh, and by that I mean a good bit part, just in case you're wondering.

Alas, I cannot stand Catherine Tate, and I don't see how I will be able to cope with her being on Doctor Who for 13 weeks.

it was a good show while it lasted. Also, I haven;'t seen anything on the BBC forums about this. That will have to change.

My take on the super-evolved Doctor was that it was an homage to the writer (though I forget which) whose humans of the future had become rather intellectualised and whose torsos grew small and useless.

I seem to recall some degree of telepathic ability had arisen with the evolved brains, hinted at by the future-human in the Sphere who claimed to share the memories with the diamonds-in-the-sky boy of Martha's recollection.

I also seem to recall that further evolution led to extremely large heads, if not complete non-existence of the body ... hinted at once more with Captain Jack's curiosity around his longevity and that he may have been the very same Face of Bo' (...he couldn't! No. Definitely not).

W.

Ok yes i thought the tiny version of the Dr's suit was a bit naff but I certainly dont think this was intended to be a Dobby character or in any way comical.

To me it resonated the transformation of the Dalek's from a pure human (oid) form into something distinctly diverse which had lost the vestigaes of humanity alongside the use of its limbs and could now only survive and retain mobility by being inside a mechanical device. The Doctor's ultimate form could be seen as almost being a point on this same divergent path away from traditional humanoid form but distinctly different in clearly retaining his humanitarian values.

"Ok yes i thought the tiny version of the Dr's suit was a bit naff but I certainly dont think this was intended to be a Dobby character or in any way comical."

I very much believe it was intended to be comical. That's RTD's style of writing.

In his own words, "oh, it's just a little bit of fun" (or words to that effect as he often says with a stupid grin on his face).

It was as daft as the Scissor Sisters dance (Who's 'musical' homage to RTD's beloved Buffy that he really wanted to make all along), and the obligatory comedy gay gags required in every RTD script.

New Who is at it's best when Moffat, Cornell and Gattis are writing and RTD sticks to production. The first two incidentally penned the three best episodes of the last series (the only decent episodes of the last series, the rest were truly awful), and those three indeed rank as some of the best Who ever. Scripts by these guys are leagues ahead of the rest. It's like two completely different shows. One with quality family sci-fi TV able to hold it's own against big US shows with these guys writing and the rest is some dire CBBC affair.

"if ( brilliant Dr. Who required )

{

Writer, Steven Moffat = demi-god

Actress, Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow) = proper classy actress

}

else

{

Actress ?!, Catherine Taite = something on your shoe at the kennels

Head Honcho, Russell T Davies != someone who knows the true fan

}"

You shouldn't be allowed outside.