DW 04-01: Partners In Crime

A Guide to Classic Who references (and other references) in new Who.

Doctor Who Series 4 episode 1 (Story 33).  The Doctor runs into Donna Noble a second time.

May contain spoilers for

"Partners in Crime."

Viewing Order:

• Doctor Who 2006 Christmas Special "The Runaway Bride" - Introduction of character.

References:

[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic Doctor Who series (or the film.)  Episode List.

For context, the following are also covered:

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series, including Torchwood.

[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new Doctor Who series.

Ongoing References:

• [NEW]  Donna Noble - A one-off assistant to the Doctor in "The Runaway Bride."

• [OLD] The Doctor - The main character.  Real name: unknown; actual age: unclear.  Status as a Medical Doctor:  Undetermined.  He is a Time Lord from the Planet Gallifrey.

• [OLD] Sonic Screwdriver - The Doctor's favourite tool.  First appeared in "Fury of the Deep" (Season 5) and has been used off and on by various Doctor including the Ninth and Tenth.

• [NEW]  Wilf - First appeared, unnamed, in "Voyage of the Damned."

• [OLD]  The TARDIS - The Doctor's time and space travel vechicle.  TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space.  Like a lot of Time Lord technology it is "bigger on the inside."  The Doctor stole his Tardis when fleeing Gallifrey.  It is an older model ("Type 40") and unreliable, often ending up in the wrong location and the chamleon circuit - designed to make the Tardis appear inconspicuous in any surroundings it appears has failed so it always appears as a police telephone box from 1960s England.

• [NEW]  Martha - Companion to the Tenth Doctor, from "Smith and Jones" to "Last of the Time Lords."

• [NEW]  Rose - Companion to the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, from "Rose" to "Doomsday."

From this episode:

• [1ST]  Adipose Industries - First appearance of this company.

• [NEW]  Cat-people - The Fourth Doctor met the time-sensitive lion-people called the Tharil (in Season 18's "Warrior's Gate") and the Seventh Doctor met the teleporting cheetah-people who were called (for reasons yet unclear) the Cheetah People (in Season 26's "Survival").  The Tenth Doctor episodes "New Earth" and "Gridlock" included cat people, especially Novice Hame.

• [1ST] The Adipose - First appearance of this race.

• [1ST]  Sonic Pen - First appearance of a sonic pen.  There has been a number of sonic devices, including a Sonic Knife (Season 17's "City of Death"), a Sonic Cone (Season 24's "Delta & the Banner Men"), a Sonic Blaster ("The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances") and Sonic Lipstick (The Sarah Jane Adventures).

• [NEW]  Lance/Christmas - The events of "The Runaway Bride."

• [NEW]  Titanic - The events of "Voyage of the Damned."

• [NEW]  Deadlock sealed/Triple deadlocked - Deadlock seals cannot be opened by a sonic screwdriver, as was seen in "Bad Wolf."  A Double Deadlock appeared in "Voyage of the Damned."  This is the first Triple Deadlock.  In Season 15's "The Invasion of Time" the Forth Doctor couldn't use his Sonic Screwdriver to open a secret door.  Some now suggest this was a Deadlock Seal, but it was never stated as such.

• [1ST]  Missing planet - The first mention of this phenomenon.

• [NEW]  Shadow Proclamation - Laws invoked by the Ninth Doctor ("Rose"), clumsily by Rose herself ("The Christmas Invasion") and the Tenth Doctor ("Fear Her"),  Here for the first time it is implied to be an organisation.

~ DUG.

Other new Doctor Who episodes.