"Doctor Who"
Partners in Crime (2008)

Director:

James Strong

Writer:

Russell T. Davies (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

5 April 2008 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

With a new weight-loss pill tested in London by Adipose Industries, The Doctor goes to investigate the sinister truth behind the product, only to find out that his old friend Donna Noble is investigating as well. |

Plot Keywords:

Christ Allegory | Man With No Name | Telephone Booth | Doctor Who | Doctor Hero

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Billie Piper	...	Rose Tyler
Sarah Lancashire	...	Miss Foster
Bernard Cribbins	...	Wilfred Mott
Jacqueline King	...	Sylvia Noble
Verona Joseph	...	Penny Carter
Jessica Gunning	...	Stacey Harris
Martin Ball	...	Roger Davey
Rachid Sabitri	...	Craig Staniland
Chandra Ruegg	...	Clare Pope
Sue Kelvin	...	Suzette Chambers
Jonathan Stratt	...	Taxi Driver

Directed by
James Strong

Writing credits
Russell T. Davies		(written by)

Produced by
Phil Collinson	....	producer
Russell T. Davies	....	executive producer
Julie Gardner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Murray Gold

Cinematography by
Ernest Vincze		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mike Jones

Casting by
Andy Pryor

Production Design by
Edward Thomas

Art Direction by
Arwel Jones		(supervising art director) (as Arwel Wyn Jones)

Set Decoration by
Malin Lindholm

Costume Design by
Louise Page

Makeup Department
Pam Mullins	....	makeup artist
John Munro	....	makeup artist
Steve Smith	....	makeup artist
Barbara Southcott	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Chris Blatchford	....	post-production supervisor
Rhys Griffiths	....	unit manager
Samantha Hall	....	post-production supervisor
Tracie Simpson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Blackwell	....	first assistant director
Sarah Davies	....	third assistant director
Jennie Fava	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Paul Aitken	....	property master
Keith Freeman	....	stand-by rigger
Matthew Hywel-Davies	....	construction manager
Barry Jones	....	senior propmaker
Jonathan Marquand Allison	....	art department production manager (as Jonathan Allison)
Nick Murray	....	stand-by props
Stephen Nicholas	....	chief supervising art director
James North	....	associate designer
John Pinkerton	....	scenic artist
Amy Pope	....	art department coordinator
Will Pope	....	stand-by carpenter
Nicholas Robatto	....	props maker (as Nick Robatto)
Al Roberts	....	design assistant
Catherine Samuel	....	props buyer
Phil Shellard	....	stand-by props (as Phill Shellard)
Ciaran Thompson	....	stand-by art director
Matthew Wild	....	dressing chargehand
Shaun Williams	....	storyboard artist
Ellen Woods	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Kelly-Marie Angell	....	foley editor
Julian Howarth	....	sound recordist
Paul Jefferies	....	sound effects editor
Paul McFadden	....	supervising sound editor
Tim Ricketts	....	dubbing mixer
Jeff Welch	....	boom operator
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Darran Clement	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ben Ashmore	....	special effects coordinator
Neill Gorton	....	prosthetics designer
Danny Hargreaves	....	special effects supervisor
Rob Mayor	....	prosthetics supervisor

Visual Effects by
Murray Barber	....	2D artist
Tim Barter	....	2D artist
Tim Barter	....	on-set visual effects supervisor
Bryan Bartlett	....	2D artist
Sara Bennett	....	2D artist
Serena Cacciato	....	3D artist
Will Cohen	....	visual effects producer
Loraine Cooper	....	2D artist
Barney Curnow	....	visual effects supervisor
Ceres Doyle	....	visual effects editor
Simon C. Holden	....	2D artist
Dave Houghton	....	visual effects supervisor
Rebecca Johnson	....	visual effects coordinator
Marie A. Jones	....	visual effects producer (as Marie Jones)
David Levy	....	3D artist (as Dave Levy)
Matthew McKinney	....	3D artist (as Matt McKinney)
James Moxon	....	2D artist
Marianne Paton	....	visual effects production assistant
Jenna Powell	....	visual effects coordinator
Stephen Regelous	....	3D artist
Greg Spencer	....	2D artist
Janak Thakker	....	senior character animator (uncredited)

Stunts
Derek Lea	....	stunt performer
Tom Lucy	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Julian Barber	....	camera operator
Peter Chester	....	best boy
Ben Griffiths	....	electrician
Mark Hutchings	....	gaffer
Clive Johnson	....	electrician
Steve Rees	....	focus puller
John Robinson	....	grip
Steve Slocombe	....	electrician
Rory Taylor	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Andy Brierley	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lindsay Bonaccorsi	....	costume supervisor
Rose Goodheart	....	assistant costume designer (as Rose Goodhart)
Barbara Harrington	....	costume assistant
Louise Martin	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Mark Bright	....	on-line editor
Marie Brown	....	post-production coordinator
Matthew Clarke	....	on-line editor
Carmen Roberts	....	assistant editor
Mick Vincent	....	colorist

Music Department
Ron Grainer	....	composer: original theme music

Other crew
Olivier Ager	....	production accountant (as Oliver Ager)
Lindsey Alford	....	script editor
Kath Blackman	....	contracts assistant
Nicola Brown	....	production runner
Debi Griffiths	....	assistant production coordinator
Sheila Johnston	....	continuity
Kevin Myers	....	production secretary
Andy Newbery	....	floor runner
Chris Rogers	....	finance manager
Julie Scott	....	production executive
Gareth Skelding	....	location manager
Jess Van Niekerk	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Howard Attfield	....	in memory of

Makeup Department
Stuart Bray	....	special makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Hill	....	third assistant director
Alex Mercer	....	third assistant director

Sound Department
Colin Cooper	....	adr mixer
Dave Humphries	....	foley recordist
Richard Ostroff	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Charlie Bluett	....	special effects senior technician
Benjamin M. Esterson	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Gareth Hughes	....	camera operator: second unit

Other crew
Ian Gruchfield	....	brand manager: BBC

Production Companies

• BBC Wales

Special Effects

• Any Effects (special effects)
• Millennium FX (prosthetics)
• The Mill (visual effects)

Other Companies

• BBC National Orchestra of Wales  thanks
• BBC Wales Graphics  graphics

Runtime:

48 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

Howard Attfield was to reappear as Donna's father, but his health was failing, and died before the episode aired. This episode was dedicated to him. Bernard Cribbins, who starred in the previous episode as Wilfred Mott, was brought back to re-film Attfield's scenes, now establishing Wilfred as Donna's grandfather.

Goofs:

Continuity: Donna's car license plate near the start of the episode was "YD56 VHG". At the end of the episode, the license plate becomes "LN54 VKR".

Quotes:

Donna Noble: [watching the Adipose getting beamed on to the nursery ship] What are you going to do then? Blow them up?
The Doctor: They're just children; they can't help where they came from.
Donna Noble: Oh, well that makes a change from last time. That Martha must've done you good.
The Doctor: She did, yeah. She did...
[sniffs]
The Doctor: She fancied me.
Donna Noble: Mad Martha, that one. Blind Martha. Charity Martha.

Movie Connections:

References "Watchdog" (1985)

The surprisingly pleasing return of Donna Noble

Despite serious misgivings concerning the return of Catherine Tate's Donna Noble to the Tardis, I found myself eating humble pie as this episode gained momentum.

"Partners in Crime" brings a whole new dynamism to the series, demonstrating what fans have always known...that "Doctor Who" is capable of changing every few years. From the pleasingly re-energised starting sequence which harks back to the time-tunnel of earlier Doctors to the climax, every scene in this episode was a delight.

Providing welcome comic relief to the series after the doom-and-gloom of the last few tales, this opening to "Series 4" has fantastic chemistry between Tennant and Tate, another appearance from the television legend that is Bernard Cribbins, and a wonderfully comic turn from Sarah Lancashire.

Tennant reminds me a little of Bruce Campbell, with his energetic, enthusiastic and wide-eyed portrayal of the Time Lord. He's clearly extremely comfortable in the role and I dearly hope he decides to stay around for quite some time, no pun intended.

The effects in "Partners in Crime" are largely first class and the latest alien creation, the Andipose, are the cutest beings yet to appear in the long history of the series.

9 out of 10. I haven't had so much fun watching an episode of "Doctor Who" for quite some time. Marvellous family entertainment.