Donna Noble facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donna Noble
Doctor Who character
A publicity shot from the episode "The Unicorn and the Wasp".
First appearance	"Doomsday" (2006)
Last appearance	"The Giggle" (2023)
Portrayed by	Catherine Tate
Duration	2006, 2008–2010, 2023
Information
Affiliation	Tenth Doctor Fourteenth Doctor
Title	The DoctorDonna
Family	Geoff Noble (father) Sylvia Noble (mother)
Spouse(s)	Shaun Temple (husband)
Children	Rose Noble (daughter)
Relatives	Wilfred Mott (grandfather)
Home	Earth
Home era	Early 21st century

Donna Noble is a fun and brave character from the British science fiction TV show Doctor Who. She is played by the talented British actress and comedian Catherine Tate. Donna is a special friend, called a companion, to the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors, both played by David Tennant.

Donna first appeared briefly in 2006 and then in a Christmas special called "The Runaway Bride". At first, she wasn't meant to stay with the Doctor. But Catherine Tate really wanted to come back! So, Donna returned as a regular character in 2008 and later in the 2023 60th anniversary specials.

In the show, Donna starts as a regular person from London who works temporary jobs. She thinks her life is quite ordinary. When she first meets the Doctor, she finds him a bit scary. But their adventure makes her realize she wants more than just a normal life. So, she decides to travel through time and space with him!

Donna becomes a huge help to the Doctor on his amazing journeys. She even merges with special Time Lord energy, becoming the powerful DoctorDonna. This helps her save the whole universe! However, this amazing power comes with a big cost: she loses all her memories of traveling with the Doctor to keep her safe. Years later, her memories return when the Doctor comes back in a new form. Eventually, the Doctor even settles down with Donna and her family.

Donna's Adventures Beyond TV

Donna Noble's story isn't just on TV! She also appears in many other Doctor Who adventures.

Books and Comics

Donna features in several BBC Books novels, which tell new stories set between the TV episodes. She appears in books like Ghosts of India, The Doctor Trap, and Shining Darkness. She also shows up in Beautiful Chaos.

Besides books, Donna is in many comic books and comic strips. You can find her in Doctor Who Magazine and Doctor Who Adventures, which is for younger readers. She also appears in comics from American company IDW Publishing. In 2016, a new book called In the Blood was released, featuring Donna and the Tenth Doctor again.

Audio Stories

Donna's adventures continue in audio dramas too! These are like radio plays where you can hear new stories. Catherine Tate, the actress who plays Donna, returned to voice her character in a special series called Destiny of the Doctor in 2013.

Later, Catherine Tate and David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) reunited for more audio adventures in Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures starting in 2016. These stories include Technophobia, Time Reaver, and Death and the Queen. In 2019, Donna, the Tenth Doctor, and even her grandfather Wilfred Mott and mother Sylvia Noble had new audio adventures together, even facing the Judoon!

Donna also stars in three original audiobooks: Pest Control, The Forever Trap, and The Nemonite Invasion.

How Donna Was Chosen

The casting of Catherine Tate as Donna was a big secret! When she filmed her first scene in "Doomsday", very few people knew about it. This helped keep the surprise for the fans. Catherine Tate was the first guest star to be named in the show's opening credits, which was a new thing for Doctor Who specials.

The show's executive producer, Russell T Davies, didn't originally plan for Donna to be a full-time companion. He thought her outspoken personality might be too much for a regular character. In fact, he had other ideas for the Doctor's companion.

A selection of costumes worn by Donna throughout the series, on display at various Doctor Who exhibitions

But Catherine Tate told the BBC that she was interested in coming back. So, Russell T Davies changed his plans and brought Donna back as the new full-time companion for the fourth series! Catherine Tate felt it was a "gamble" for the show to cast her because she was mostly known for her comedy sketches. She was very thankful to Davies for giving her such an important role. She even joked that for a short time, she was "the most important woman in the whole of the universe."

See also

In Spanish: Donna Noble para niños