Doctor Who spin-off review: Donna Noble: Kidnapped! is a wonderful tribute to a much-loved companion

Featuring everyone’s favorite temp from Chiswick, Donna Noble: Kidnapped! is a great tribute to a much-loved era of Doctor Who.

Over a decade later, and Series 4 of Doctor Who is still greatly loved by fans. It’s not hard to see why. Not only is it full of great episodes such as Silence in the Library, Midnight and Turn Left. But it also features arguably one of the best Doctor/companion pairings of the modern era: the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, as played by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, respectively. The banter and chemistry between the two made them a great pairing to watch.

So a series focused on Donna without the Doctor could almost be seen as a huge risk. Especially considering the ending of Donna’s story, meaning that it would have to be set before she stops traveling with the Doctor.

However, there were two key reasons why Big Finish audio box set Donna Noble: Kidnapped! looked promising. The first is that Turn Left, possibly one of the very best episodes of not just of Series 4, but of the whole of the New Series, was almost entirely focused on Donna. So we knew that she could easily hold a story on her own.

The second reason was when her own box set would be set – after the events of Forest of the Dead. To recap, Donna lived an entirely different life, one where she had a family of her own. While she was only living her virtual life in the Library for a very short time, to her, it felt like a lifetime. Donna Noble: Kidnapped! is set shortly after that story, when she has to take a break from the Doctor for a while to deal with the trauma.

We’re used to Donna traveling with the Tenth Doctor – but in this series, she’s on her own…

Image Courtesy Tony Whitmore, Big Finish Productions

Friends and family

The stories presented in Donna Noble: Kidnapped! fit not just the tone, but also the character of Donna very well. Interestingly, the theme tune of the box set is the same as the arrangement used for Series 4, so the whole thing feels like a natural part of that series rather than separate from it. Even when the Doctor isn’t around, it’s clear that he’s still a big part of Donna’s life.

Speaking of Donna’s life, that gets explored in a big way in this set, particularly in the opening and closing episodes. With Donna back at home, she once again has to deal with her mother Sylvia (Jacqueline King), who continues to tell Donna every criticism that springs to mind. Surprisingly, she’s presented a little more sympathetically than usual, and it’s not just Donna herself who gets explored in this box set.

Perhaps more important than Sylvia though is the box set’s other major character: Donna’s old friend Natalie Morrison, as played by Niky Wardley. Wardley has had a long working relationship with Catherine Tate, so unsurprisingly, their characters bounce off each other in a natural way.

On top of that, they each get a clear idea of how the other’s living their life. Nat discovers that her best friend is seeing the universe and constantly getting into trouble, while Donna learns that, while Nat seems to have a great life on the surface, it might not be as satisfying as it appears. Overall, Nat is both a great companion to Donna and a great character in her own right, and she feels like a natural part of the box set.

More from Winter is Coming

• For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
• Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
• Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
• Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
• Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”

Balance of adventure and character

In terms of the stories featured in this box set, they’re rather light in tone, but not too much. The second episode, Spinvasion, does occasionally run the risk of being a little too blunt and direct in its satire at times, although it’s still a fun episode.

But overall, the stories strike the right balance between light storytelling and emotional content. Opening episode Out of this World features Donna and Nat trying to investigate a mystery and features a few amusing little twists. But it also includes some great scenes between Donna and her mother, as they each open up about what they’re dealing with.

The Sorcerer of Albion is a subversive little story by James Goss, one that has a lot of fun with several tropes of the fantasy genre while exploring Donna’s and Nat’s friendship a little more.

The final episode, The Chiswick Cuckoos, has something of a typical alien invasion story that you’d expect in Doctor Who, especially during the Russell T Davies era. But at the same time, it also has some rather touching moments. Particularly towards the end, which reminds us of the tragic fate that Donna is slowly heading towards…

Overall, Donna Noble: Kidnapped! is a lot of fun, and easily matches the style of the era it’s written for. It’s particularly recommended for fans of both the character and Series 4, and highlights exactly why Donna was not just a fantastic companion, but also a great character in her own right.

Have you listened to or are you interested in Donna Noble: Kidnapped!? Are you a fan of the companion? Do you think she should be given more box sets of her own in the future? Let us know in the comments below.