As the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special draws closer, fans eagerly await the announced return of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Though she spent only one season traveling with the Tenth Doctor, Donna was an immensely popular companion.
With her return to the TARDIS and the unfortunate ing of Bernard Cribbins, who played Donna's grandfather Wilf, Whovians will no doubt be revisiting Donna's run as the Doctor's companion. Donna can't be summed up in one line, as she's equal parts brilliant and self-deprecating, sarcastic and sincere. However, many of her quotes from the series illuminate aspects of her strong, sensitive character.
"Give me pockets!"
Season 3 Christmas Special - "The Runaway Bride"
Well before she becomes the Tenth Doctor's companion, Donna is introduced through the Christmas special "The Runaway Bride." She s the Doctor in a millennium-hopping adventure to defeat an army of robots dressed as Santa Claus, all while Donna is still wearing her wedding dress.
In a hilarious back-and-forth with the Doctor about why Donna doesn't have a mobile phone, she viciously decries the lack of pockets in bridal fashion. It's a testament to Donna's resourcefulness that she still proves a helpful ally to the Doctor, tulle and all, even prompting him to invite her to travel with him.
"Isn't Traveling With You One Big Spoiler?"
Season 4, Episode 8 - "Silence In The Library"
One of the best Doctor Who episodes featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, "Silence in the Library" kicks off a Hugo Award-nominated two-parter that takes place in a massive, mysterious library where thousands have gone missing. Significantly, the episode introduces the character of River Song, who would become very important in future seasons.
One of River's later catchphrases, given that she and the Doctor always meet out of sequence, is, "Spoilers." Donna's dialogue here illuminates the complexity and contradictions of accompanying a time traveler. Closeness to the Doctor is like reading the back of a book. Donna seems more than happy to take a peek at the future.
"I'm Waving At Fat."
Season 4, Episode 1 - "Partners In Crime"
In their first outing together since "The Runaway Bride," the Doctor and Donna find themselves facing off against one of the cutest monsters in the Doctor Who universe, the Adipose. These bizarre, adorable creatures, spawned from human fat, are in fact carrying out a galactic colonization effort.
As the Adipose return home, Donna incredulously remarks on the strangeness of the situation. It's not the first (or last) time she'll be exposed to the weird and wonderful secrets of the universe, but it demonstrates how ready she is to be initiated into the Doctor's world.
"I Must Have Been Mad Turning Down That Offer."
Season 4, Episode 1 - "Partners In Crime"
Despite the evidence suggesting they'd make a fantastic team, Donna rejects the Doctor's first offer to him in the TARDIS. When she returns in the season 4 premiere, however, audiences learn that she's regretted the decision ever since.
Donna tried to recapture the thrill of being with the Doctor by traveling the world, but nothing compares. At the end of the day, it's not the adventure she's after, but the chance at a true friendship. It's just what the Doctor needs too.
"We're So Not Married."
Season 4, Episode 3 - "Planet Of The Ood"
The Tenth Doctor's previous two companions, Rose Tyler and Martha Jones, each had romantic inclinations toward the Doctor. After their departures, it was a breath of fresh air to bring in a new character whose relationship with the Doctor was entirely platonic.
It became a running gag for Donna and the Doctor to adamantly insist to other characters that they weren't romantically involved. Yet the love and friendship between the characters was profound. Most importantly, Donna took the Doctor down a peg by not fancying him. She and the Doctor felt like equals, able to be both sarcastic and sincere with each other by equal measure.
"I'm Nothing Special."
Season 4, Episode 11 - "Turn Left"
This season 4 episode imagines an alternate timeline, in which the Doctor dies during the events of season 3's Christmas Special "The Runaway Bride." The episode's emphasis thus falls on Donna, who connects with former Doctor companion Rose Tyler to save the world.
When the episode returns to Doctor Who's standard timeline, Donna utters this self-deprecating comment, but the Doctor pushes back and calls her brilliant. With as much confidence as Donna projects, she still doubts herself; fortunately, the Doctor is there to remind her of her own gifts.
"Oi!"
Seasons 3 And 4 - Multiple Episodes
It's nearly impossible to count the number of times Donna utters this interjection. Common slang for working class British people, "oi" is usually uttered to get another person's attention or express shock.
For Donna, "oi" has almost infinite meanings. Almost an involuntary reaction, she uses it to express anger, surprise, exhaustion, fear, exasperation, and more. Close to a catchphrase, it emphasizes her humble origins and assertive, sometimes abrasive personality.
"He's Amazing, Gramps."
Season 4, Episode 4 - "The Sontaran Stratagem"
Outside of her friendship with the Doctor, the most important relationship in her life was with her grandfather, Wilfred "Wilf" Mott, played by the late Bernard Cribbins. Wilf also becomes enamored of the Doctor through their encounters and Donna's praise of him.
In a rare moment of sincere adoration, Donna expresses to her grandfather how wonderful the Doctor is, and how she trusts him with her life. In the next breath, she warns Wilf not to tell the Doctor what she's just said. This is classic Donna: expressing authentic, profound emotion, but unwilling to give the Doctor the satisfaction of hearing it himself.
"Just Save Someone."
Season 4, Episode 2 - "The Fires Of Pompeii"
The mechanics of time travel frequently present moral dilemmas for the Doctor. In "The Fires of Pompeii," Donna is horrified to learn that the Doctor intends to leave the citizens of the town in the path of the devastating volcanic eruption; the destruction of Pompeii, he insists, is a fixed point in time that can't be altered.
Donna can't accept this, and she convinces the Doctor to return and save one family from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. After the ordeal, the Doctor its that Donna is right, and that sometimes he needs someone to stand up to him. This marks the moment the Doctor and Donna truly become companions, and it solidifies Donna's role as a moral com for the Doctor, willing to call him out when he's taking a wrong turn.
"I Was Going To Be With You Forever."
Season 4, Episode 13 - "Journey's End"
As Donna's mind began to fracture as a result of her transformation into the DoctorDonna, the Doctor realized the only way to save her life was to erase her memories. It's a devastating moment, as all of Donna and the Doctor's adventures flash before the screen and disappear from her mind.
Just before the memory wipe, Donna expresses her desire to travel with the Doctor forever. It's even more tragic knowing how much Donna has grown through their companionship, and that she'll be reset to the mundane life with which she was so dissatisfied. Following Donna's words, the Doctor responds with one of his most heartbreaking quotes: "We had the best of times."