Donna Noble - The Most Important Woman In The Whole Of Creation?

When he lost Rose during the events of Doomsday, the Doctor didn't get a chance to mourn like he wanted. The second he said goodbye (or didn't say "I love you too") he was thrown straight into a brand new adventure. Human bride-to-be, Donna Noble, inexplicably appeared in his TARDIS claiming he must either kidnapped her, or that it was yet another revenge trick played by Nerys. Neither turned out to be true, but who cares? The Runaway Bride, 2006's Doctor Who Christmas special, introduced us to the most popular New-Who companion (it's official, check the results of my poll) so far! Played with aplomb by comedienne Catherine Tate, better known as a foul mouthed old nan in her TV show), Donna Noble was to introduce Catherine's unique humour and heartbreaking depth to a brand new audience. Donna Noble was here!

Working for H.C. Clements, a security firm - and a shell company for the recently disbanded Torchwood Institute - she fell in love with, and arranged to marry, the HR Manager Lance. But this was no ordinary pairing... Lance was in cahoots with Empress of the Racnos, an ancient race of arachnids trapped at the centre of the Earth at the moment of it's creation. Poisoning Donna with Huon Particles, ancient energy used, among other things, to power the TARDIS, his intention was for Donna to be sacrificed in order to open an ancient lock sealing the racnos at the Earth's core. On their release the giant spiders would devour the whole world. But, drawn aboard the TARDIS, Donna and the Doctor saved the day, as per usual. The Doctor offered her a place aboard with him but she refused, too much danger. It wasn't her her.

And that was it. World saved, the Doctor and Donna parted ways. But a Donna is for life, not just for Christmas! During an ivetigation into strange happenings at Adipose Industries a year later the Doctor and Donna were to cross paths again. Her experience with the Doctor at Christmas had given her a new-found curiosity. And she had dedicated her (somewhat dead-end) existence to finding the one man who made her feel important - namely, the Doctor. Defeating human fat, Pyrovile, living shadows, time beetles and DAVROS himself, The Doctor and Donna Noble forged a life long friendship. Gone were the days of bumping uglies in the TARDIS swimming pool (as he must have done with Rose) or being stalked by the obsessive Martha Jones. All the Doctor wanted from Donna was "a mate"... Oh boy! Did that cause some confusion!

And undergoing a Human Time Lord Metacrisis, creating the prophesied DoctorDonna - human body with a Time Lord mind - she defeated the Daleks and their Creator with her comedic typing skills, something that had many fans crying about! Alas, there must never BE a human Time Lord. The Metacrisis DoctorDonna should not, could not, exist. If she were to carry on with a Time Lord mind in a - quite frankly inferior - human brain she would burn up and die.

And so, against his wishes, and those of Donna herself, the Doctor wiped her mind of all traces of their adventures together. Remembering what she is would destroy her. So her adventures were trusted to her grandfather, Christmas companion Wilf, Donna would have to live the rest of her life not knowing that it was she - and she alone - who saved not just the world, but all of existence. All worlds. However if she remembers the Doctor, the TARDIS or anything that went on while she was aboard, the Time Lord aspects of her mind would fire into life and she would burn up again. So, lets just hope that nobody reminds her of what went on eh! Or that could be a very sad Christmas for the Nobles... (snigger). As we know, Donna appears in the 2009 Christmas Special. As has been rumoured, the cliffhanger to The End Of Time, Part One is Donna's eyes burning with flames!

So... I fear we have not seen the last of the DoctorDonna. And as happy as this makes me, the consequence of this knowledge breaks my heart.

Accepted as much more than just a 40 year old school girl shouting "am I bovvered?", Caatherine Tate has become loved as a huge part of Doctor Who's recent history. Nobody thought she would be any good at all, let alone the most warmly embraced companion since the series' return. Is Donna Noble the most important woman in the whole of creation? Yes, to some fans, she really is!