Season Four (2008) Pre-Season Chat - Assume SPOILERS

[Lenny]

Pre-season chat seems like the place to ask, so I shall.

Christmas Special, 2005, Tenant - spaceship over London, Torchwood blows it out of the sky.
Series 2, 2006, Tenant - finale in Torchwood 1.

Christmas Special, 2006, Tenant - spaceship over London, blown out of the sky by tanks on the orders of Saxon (just re-watched, and I picked up on it )
Series 3, 2007, Tenant - finale with Saxon.

Christmas Special, 2007, Tenant - spacecruiser over Earth, nearly brains the Queen.
Series 4, 2008, Tenant - finale?

I see a pattern emerging!! Quick question - was there a special with Eccleston at all?

The Christmas specials seem to hold clues to the theme behind the series to come. But what was the clue, or possible clues, in the 2007 Christmas special?

Come on Teppy, I know you've watched it through three or four times. If there's anyone who might pick up on it then it's you.

Don't make me have to Wikipedia it!

[PTeppic]

Only three...

There wasn't, strictly, a special with Tennant - he handed over seconds before the first in 2005.

My notes about next season were that the Master mentioned the Axons twice in his ramblings... coincidence? I think not.

As for this year's special... can't say I noticed anything, so time to watch it again, with your point well made and my mind receptive.

[Morganita]

this is like confirmed billie is coming back, so is martha so the Doc will have 3 companions on his hands at once... this should be interesting :P

[Lenny]

And possibly Captain Jack. And it's rumoured that Sarah Jane will make another appearance.

I reckon he'll be able to handle five with no problem.

[PTeppic]

It doesn't appear to, er, appear on the BBC Dr Who website yet but there is a new cinema trailer for Season Four. It's perhaps 50% of the post-Christmas Special material with 50% new material, mostly Donna (and her grand-father [which I'm sure is supposed to be a fond nod back to Hartnell and Susan]).

[Dave]

I forgot, it was on before 'Cloverfield'!

Do you think Bernard Cribbins (the grandfather) is going to appear frequently then? (Because he was in the Christmas special.)

It did show those soldiers and the Ood again with longer clips than the TV trailer, but they seem to be from different episodes.

[PTeppic]

It's very hard to tell from the trailer I saw (most of it twice - "National Treasure 2" and "No Country for Old Men", but I was late for the former) since all the clips are jumbled up. I'm not really sure we saw any more detail than before, except the previously known info about Cribbins playing Donna grand-dad. It's unclear if he's the same character as at Christmas, though I think they'd be pushing credibility to re-use him so soon if he's not. There was footage of the Doctor standing in the Tardis looking maudlin, which perhaps is new...

[Ice fyre]

I have heard that Bernard Cribbins charicter is important later in the series.

Saw the cinema trailer, I know all three companions appear in one episode. The first episode will not feature as much of the doctor as David had some other commitments.

Season Five will be three specials due to Davids work schedule on the boards!

I know the Sontarons are the old favs returning and how ooood theyre back as well.

[November]

I just heard that the guy who is Lilly Savage (sorry - forgotten his name) is going to be in Doctor Who. Is that right? Please no! When are they going to stop sucking up to these hopeless stars and putting them in this great programme!

I feel sick just thinking about Catherine Tate, Donna, in the Tardis!
I remember reading a posting saying that the girl in the episode blink would be much better suited for a major role than these hopeless talents we keep getting and I agree.
Russell get a grip!

[PTeppic]

The tabloid websites do seem to agree that Paul O'Grady will be playing himself as a guest star in the s4 finale show. Sounds very much like Trisha in s2 "Army of Ghosts" and Ann Widdecombe / McFly / Sharon Osbourne in s3 "The Sound of Drums", although in this case the rumours suggest it is O'Grady's discsussions on-screen of sinister goings on that trigger the Doctor into investigating.

[November]

Thanks pTeppic, that's reassuring.

I had the most awful feeling that Dr. Who was turning into one great big celebrity love-in. If he is paying himself then it won't be too bad even better if he leaves Cilla at the night club.

[Esioul]

I am so sick of Tenan, I really hope the Tenant and Tate combination won't be too irritation, otherwise I might nto weant to watch this series.

[Lenny]

An interesting and slightly worrying rumour, the first bit of which isn't really a spoiler - apparently everyone's favourite salt cellar's with the high-pitched voices are back.

The spoiler: apparently PM Harriet Jones (yes, you read it right - she's Prime Minister again) gets turned into one... WHAT?!.

[PTeppic]

Well, it's now the week that ends with the first episode of Season Four, which means the TV guides are now out... therefore, look away now...

What's On TV (for example) has a roughly episode-by-episode listing, with one or two howling "plot is a secret" in one story but then "here's Johnny" in a side-bar!!

1 - modern London, Doctor is investigating alien activity (in London) where Donna looks him up and rejoins him; nemesis is Sarah Lancashire, a sinister business woman. Trailers on TV this morning seemed to show creatures growing off some random woman, a forming little gnomey things...
2 - Mount Vesuvius on the eve of its most famous event
3 - icy planet of the Ood
4/5 - UNIT vs Sontarans (includes Martha)
6 - "a secret" but includes Peter Davison's real-life daughter Georgia Moffett - for unexpected major spoilerage, see her Wiki page!!
7 - 30's England involving Agatha Christie (and Felicity Kendall as the Lady of the house)
8/9 - "scary" Steven Moffatt penned two-parter, featuring Alex Kingston
10 - set on an intergalactic spa under threat from aliens
11/12/13 - they've gone to the trouble of reporting that "details... being kept under wraps" yet at the same-time in a side-bar have a feature on Davros and "what will the mad scientist have in store for the Doctor in the dramatic series finale" - no clue there then!?
Wiki does also have an almost complete episode list for season four

[Lenny]

Ooooh! Sounds like fun! I'm trying to work out which past characters will fit into which episodes. I guess that [character from my post above] is probably in the [well, do you not have a brain?] episode, but the other definite one, and the one that probably will be because we love him so?

We may have to see what happens on Friday for the latter.

By the way, have you seen the new trailer?