Season 4
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC which depicts the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his time ship, the TARDIS, which appears from the exterior to be a blue police phone box.
With his companions, he explores time and space, solving problems and righting wrongs.
The programme originally ran from 1963-1989. A television film was made in 1996 as a backdoor pilot for a new series (which never entered production), and the programme was successfully relaunched in 2005, produced in-house by BBC Wales.
Doctor Who premiered in South Africa on BBC Prime (which became BBC Entertainment in September 2008) on Saturday 1 September 2007, at 19h00. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 4 premiered on BBC Entertainment on Sunday 11 April 2010, at 18h25. New episodes aired weekly. There are 13 episodes in the fourth season, which was preceded by the Christmas special Voyage of the Damned the week before.
Season 4
Catherine Tate is the Doctor's new companion, returning to her role as Donna who featured in the Christmas special The Runaway Bride.
Donna mysteriously vanished as she prepared to marry her boyfriend in a glittering ceremony on Christmas Eve. She reappeared, much to her astonishment, in the Tardis with the Doctor.
As the Tardis raced to the church, it soon became apparent that Donna was the key to an ancient alien plan to destroy the Earth.
The episode ended with The Doctor inviting Donna to travel with him – an invitation which, at the time, was declined...
The first episode of the new season witnesses Donna determined to find The Doctor again – even if it means braving the villainous Miss Foster, an enigmatic and powerful businesswoman, and her hordes of sinister Adipose.
But when the alien threat escalates out of control, can Donna find her Time Lord, before the march of the Adipose begins?
Donna and The Doctor – David Tennant – will also be travelling through time for an encounter with the legendary murder mystery novelist, Agatha Christie.
Agatha Christie will be played by Jekyll star Fenella Woolgar and The Good Life actress Felicity Kendal will star as Lady Clemency Eddison.
The couple are destined to experience a series of wonderful adventures throughout the new season including meeting one of Doctor Who's most popular aliens, The Ood, in a brand new episode, Planet Of The Ood.
Blackadder and Notting Hill actor Tim McInnerny will also guest star later in the series.
Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones, The Doctor's companion throughout the third season, returns to the show to join The Doctor and Donna mid-season.
Seasons
Series exclusive to BBC Entertainment
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 1 September 2007 | Finale: 24 November, 2007 | Saturdays, 19h00
Special: The Christmas Invasion
Aired: Sunday 7 September 2008, at 18h30 | Length: 1 hour
Season 2 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 14 September 2008 | Finale: 7 December 2008 | Sundays, 18h40
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 18 January 2009 | Finale: 12 April 2009 | Sundays, 19h00
Special: Voyage of the Damned
Aired: Sunday 4 April 2010, at 18h10 | Length: 2 hours
Season 4 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 11 April 2010 | Finale: 4 July 2010 | Sundays, 18h25
Special: The Next Doctor
Aired: 11 October 2010, at 20h30 | Length: 1 hour
Special: Planet of the Dead
Aired: Monday 18 October 2010, at 20h30 | Length: 1 hour
Special: The Waters of Mars
Aired: Monday 25 October 2010, at 20h30 | Length: 1 hour
Special: The End of Time
Aired: 1 and 8 November 2010, at 20h30 | Length: 2 hours
Season 5 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 15 November 2010 | Finale: 7 February 2011 | Mondays, 20h30
Special: A Christmas Carol
Aired: 25 December 2011, at 16h05 | Length: 1 hour
Season 6 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 26 December 2011 | Finale: 7 January 2012 | Daily, 16h10
Special: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
Aired: 8 January 2012, at 16h05 | Length: 1 hour
Season 7 (13 episodes)
Premiere: 9 February 2013 | Finale: 19 May 2013 | Sat, 19h35/Sun, 19h00
Special: The Snowmen
Aired: 16 March 2013, at 19h35 | Length: 1 hour