Donna Noble’s surprise return for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary was planned three years in advance
Were you surprised when Donna Noble returned for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special? Seeing Catherine Tate reunite with David Tennant was a heartwarming moment that recaptured the magic of their old adventures. If Donna’s appearance was a pleasant surprise, then you can thank Catherine Tate. It turns out that the actress had to keep her return a secret for three years!
During a spotlight panel at Dragon Con, Tate was asked if it was hard to keep Donna’s return a secret. The actress had an interesting answer. “It wasn’t difficult because no one expected it. But actually Dave [Gibbons] and I, and Russell [T Davies] sat on that. The first time it was thought up to when we came onto the tv screens, it was probably about three years.”
“It was a long time. We filmed it eighteen months before it aired, and we knew about it as a definite go ahead a year before that, and it was six months before that when Russell had kind of gone, ‘I’ve got this idea.’ So it was a long time.”
Three years is a long time to keep Donna’s return under wraps. Take note, if you need to trust someone with a secret, then Catherine Tate is your woman.
