It was 2008. The hype was unreal. Everyone was wondering how on earth the show would move on after the heartbreaking departure of Martha Jones and that weird, brief stint with Catherine Tate in the Christmas special. Then, Doctor Who Partners in Crime aired. It didn’t just bring back a familiar face; it fundamentally shifted the tone of the Tenth Doctor's final full season. Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle the episode works at all. You’ve got a plot about sentient fat, a corporate conspiracy involving a nanny from outer space, and two leads who spend half the runtime narrowly missing each other in hallways. It sounds like a recipe for a disaster. Instead, it became a masterclass in comedic timing.
The Doctor and Donna Noble are basically the ultimate "platonic soulmates." People often forget that back then, the audience was used to the "pining companion" trope. Rose Tyler loved him. Martha Jones loved him. Then Donna walks in and just wants to see the universe and get away from her mum’s nagging. It was refreshing.
The Adipose and the Absurdity of 2000s Sci-Fi
The central threat of Doctor Who Partners in Crime is the Adipose. Little marshmallows made of human blubber. They’re cute. They’re horrifying. If you think about the body horror for more than five seconds, it’s actually deeply disturbing. People take a pill, and their body fat literally walks away at night. Sometimes the process goes wrong and the person just... dissolves. Russell T Davies has this weird knack for taking a very British obsession—weight loss—and turning it into a galactic crisis.
The villain, Miss Foster (played with chilling poise by Sarah Lancashire), isn't some cackling monster. She’s a "nanny." She’s just doing a job for the Adipose First Family because their breeding planet was lost. It’s a corporate heist movie disguised as a family sci-fi episode. Lancashire's performance is what keeps the episode from drifting into pure slapstick. When she threatens the Doctor with a sonic pen, you actually believe she might win. It’s that balance of the ridiculous and the stakes that defined the Davies era.
The production design here is peak 2008 BBC. We see the blurry CGI of the Adipose swarming the streets of London. It doesn't look like a Marvel movie. It looks like Doctor Who. There’s a charm in that. You see the yellow taxis, the chunky laptops, and the specific grey tint of a London afternoon. It’s nostalgic now, but at the time, it felt incredibly contemporary.
That Window Scene (You Know the One)
If you ask any fan about the highlights of Doctor Who Partners in Crime, they’re going to talk about the window scene. It is perhaps the best bit of physical comedy in the show’s sixty-year history. The Doctor is peering through the glass of an office door. Donna is peering through the glass of the opposite door. They see each other. No dialogue. Just frantic miming.
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David Tennant and Catherine Tate had spent years working together in various comedy circles before this, and it shows. The chemistry is telepathic. While the Adipose are being born and the villain is explaining her master plan, the leads are just happy to have found their best friend. It breaks every rule of dramatic tension, and yet, it’s the reason the episode is a classic. It proved that the Doctor didn’t need a romance to be interesting. He just needed someone who could keep up with him.
Why the Critics Were Initially Split
Not everyone loved it at first. Some critics thought it was too "light." After the heavy themes of Series 3—the Master, the end of the universe, Martha’s year of hell—starting Series 4 with "fat babies" felt like a regression to some. The Guardian and other UK outlets were a bit lukewarm on the slapstick. But the ratings told a different story. Over 9 million people tuned in.
Looking back, the "lightness" was the point. The Doctor was lonely. He’d lost everyone. Bringing Donna back wasn't just a gimmick; it was a narrative necessity. She was the only person who could tell him "no." In Doctor Who Partners in Crime, she tells him she’s been looking for him. She regretted turning him down the first time. That admission adds a layer of maturity to the show that Rose or Martha couldn't provide because they were too busy being in awe of him.
The Return of Rose Tyler: A Stealth Tease
The ending of the episode contains one of the most famous "blink and you’ll miss it" moments in the revival. Donna asks a blonde woman on the street to tell her mother she’s gone off to the stars. The camera lingers. The woman turns around. It’s Rose.
The internet—at least the 2008 version of it—went absolutely nuclear. There was no social media like we have today, but the forums were on fire. This wasn't just a standalone episode; it was the start of a massive, season-long arc that would lead to "The Stolen Earth." It’s a brilliant bit of pacing. You give the audience a fun, breezy adventure, then hit them with a five-second cameo that changes everything.
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Wilfred Mott and the Heart of the Show
We can’t talk about this episode without mentioning Bernard Cribbins. Originally, Donna’s father (played by Howard Attfield) was supposed to be the recurring grandfather figure. Sadly, Attfield passed away during filming. The production team brought back the newsstand vendor from "The Voyage of the Damned" and revealed him to be Donna’s Gramps, Wilfred Mott.
It was the best accident in the history of the show.
Wilf watching the TARDIS through his telescope at the end of the episode is pure magic. He’s the audience. He’s the one who believes in the wonder of it all when everyone else is worried about their mortgage or their weight. His joy at seeing Donna finally find her purpose is the emotional anchor of the entire fourth season. It starts right here, in a silly episode about alien fat.
Fact-Checking the Production
- Filming Locations: Most of the "Adipose Industries" scenes were filmed at the DHL building in Temlpe Way, Bristol, and the Call Centre in Cardiff.
- The Sonic Pen: This was the first time we saw a "rival" to the sonic screwdriver that wasn't just a weapon. It established that other civilizations have similar, non-violent tech.
- The Adipose Origin: They come from the planet Adipose 3. In the episode, it's revealed that their nursery planet was "lost," which was a massive clue toward the Series 4 finale involving the Medusa Cascade.
The Legacy of Partners in Crime
So, does it hold up? Absolutely. It’s a "comfort" episode. It’s the one you put on when you’re feeling down because the energy is infectious. It also serves as a perfect entry point for new viewers. You don't need to know much about Time Lords or Daleks to understand "woman wants to travel the stars, finds a guy with a blue box."
The episode also tackled the idea of "the companion's family" better than almost any other. Sylvia Noble is frustrating, but her skepticism provides a grounded contrast to the madness of the Doctor’s life. It makes Donna’s decision to leave feel earned. She isn't running away from a bad life; she’s running toward a bigger one.
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How to Re-watch Like an Expert
If you're going back to watch it today, pay attention to the music. Murray Gold’s score for this episode is incredibly distinct. He uses a lot of "mickey-mousing"—where the music mimics the physical actions of the characters. It’s very orchestral and bouncy, which fits the comedic tone perfectly.
Also, watch the background actors during the "emergence" scene. The chaos in the streets of London was filmed with hundreds of extras, and the sheer scale of it was quite ambitious for the budget at the time. It’s a reminder of what the show could do with practical effects and a lot of heart.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Writers:
- Character Dynamics: If you're writing your own fiction, look at the "Window Scene" as a study in non-verbal communication. You don't always need dialogue to establish a relationship.
- Tonal Balance: Use "Partners in Crime" as a template for balancing horror and comedy. The "death by fat" concept is dark, but the execution keeps it accessible.
- Foreshadowing: Notice how the mention of "lost planets" is dropped casually. When writing a long-form series, plant your seeds early and let them grow in the background.
- Nostalgia Value: Re-visiting this era highlights how much the "modern" show owes to the 2008 production style.
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble eventually met a tragic end in "The End of Time," and their more recent 60th-anniversary return only reinforces why this specific episode worked. It established a bond that was built on fun, not tragedy. That’s a rare thing in sci-fi. It’s why we still talk about the Adipose nearly two decades later. They weren't the scariest monsters, but they were part of the happiest time in the TARDIS.
For those looking to dive deeper into the lore, checking out the "Doctor Who Confidential" episode for this specific filming block is a must. It shows the sheer difficulty of filming that window sequence and the genuine friendship between Tennant and Tate. It wasn't just acting; they were having the time of their lives.
Next time you feel like the world is a bit too serious, just remember there's an episode of television where a man and a woman mime at each other through office windows while thousands of little fat babies wave goodbye and fly into space. It’s ridiculous. It’s brilliant. It’s Doctor Who.