Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)
Partners in Crime is the first episode of Doctor Who’s fourth series, airing on BBC One on 5 April 2008. It reintroduces Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, now a full-time companion to the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). The Doctor and Donna separately investigate Adipose Industries, a company selling a miracle diet pill. The pills secretly use people’s body fat to birth thousands of small, white aliens called Adipose. The villain is Miss Foster, an alien running the company, and the Adipose were created with the MASSIVE software for crowd effects.
Returning characters include Sylvia Noble and Wilfred Mott, with a brief cameo by Rose Tyler. By the end, Donna decides to travel with the Doctor, but they agree to be friends for now. A final moment hints at Rose’s return as Donna leaves her car keys in a bin and a mysterious blonde woman (Rose) helps her mother find them. The Doctor then flies the TARDIS past Donna’s grandfather, Wilfred Mott.
Production notes: The episode was filmed mainly in Cardiff, with the Adipose designed to look cute. Miss Foster was inspired by Jo Frost and Eva Perón. The story was praised for its visual effects and for giving Donna a more rounded, emotional presence, though some critics felt the plot was light. It drew strong viewing figures and a high Appreciation Index, and is remembered for pairing the Doctor with Donna and setting up her ongoing arc in Series 4.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:18 (CET).