It’s been nearly a decade since she last appeared on the show, but Catherine Tate hasn’t stayed away from the world of Doctor Who for good. Since 2016, she’s been reprising the role of Donna Noble opposite David Tennant in Big Finish Productions’ The Tenth Doctor Adventures audio drama series. In her next outing, however, Tate will be going at it alone, meaning Donna will be the star for once.
Big Finish has announced that a new boxset titled Donna Noble: Kidnapped! is on its way. The four stories will see the Doctor nowhere to be found with Donna left to pilot the TARDIS by herself and go around saving the universe in his stead. She’ll even get her own companion in the form of Nat (Niky Wardley), who’s described as “everything Donna isn’t – a career woman, happily married, successful, and confident.”
For those who care about continuity, Kidnapped! takes place after the events of 2008 TV story “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.” The first episode, “Out of this World” by Jacqueline Raynor, will see Donna take a trip back home after the emotionally-devastating experience. The rest of the stories are “Spinavision” by John Dorney, “The Sorcerer of Albion” by James Goss and “The Chiswick Cuckoos” by Matt Fitton.
“It’s lovely that Donna is in charge!” Tate said in response to the news. “The characters carry on developing and having a life on audio. You get a glimpse into the richness of what Donna did. It all adds to the tragedy that at the end Donna loses everything, and it’s all the worse to be forgotten.”
Back in the season 4 finale “Journey’s End,” Donna had her memories of her travels with the Doctor wiped from her mind as a consequence of destroying the Daleks and saving the multiverse. Thanks to these audio stories, though, Donna’s time in the TARDIS can continue for as long as Tate wants.
The boxset becomes available in May 2020, but you can pre-order it from the Big Finish website by following the link below. Doctor Who on TV, meanwhile, is expected to return early next year, perhaps with a winter special before that.
