'Doctor Who' Season Four Preview

The iconic Time Lord will shortly be back on BBC One to make Saturday's telly more bearable, or at least it will for those around to catch it in its ridiculously early new timeslot of 6.20pm. Here's a rundown of what to look forward to in the fourth season, encompassing the friends, the foes and the familiar faces that will be encountered along the journey. Let's hope it will be another trip of a lifetime...

The Companions

The bride is no longer running away from The Doctor, as Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate, tracks down her man and gains full-time companion status for the season. Tate's performance during the 2006 Christmas Special divided the fans, but if the extended trailer and early buzz is anything to go by, then we'll all be won over in less time than it takes a Hoix to devour a Big Mac.

Joining her will be the legendary Bernard Cribbins as her grandfather Wilf, as seen in 'The Voyage Of The Damned'. He was the well-weathered newspaper vendor who spoke to The Doctor during his trip to the Earth with Astrid and several other aliens.

Fresh from fending off Owen Harper's flirtations on Torchwood, if not Captain Jack's tongue, Martha Jones is back for a handful of episodes. Now working for government organisation UNIT, Martha first bumps into The Doctor when the Sontarans (see below) decide to storm the planet. Be prepared to witness a nastier version of Martha on display too, for these Sontarans like their cloning (as opposed to personal grooming).

A dazzling array of past companions are set to return as the series hurtles towards its climax in the latter episodes. Billie Piper gives her chavette lingo another outing as Rose Tyler slips through the Void to hook up with The Doctor. Or is it the other way round? Captain Jack and Sarah Jane Smith also return from their spin-off shows for a mass reunion alongside Jackie Tyler and the self-professed 'tin dog' Mickey Smith. Although we'd love to hear the cute bark of "affirmative Master", there's no evidence that K-9 has been cocking his rusty leg on the Tardis again. Finally, rumours that The Doctor defied a horde of Reapers to bring Adric back from the death for the season finale have so far proven unfounded.

The Monsters

There's an even balance of new and old creatures in the fourth season. In the former category, the Adipose are set to debut in the opening episode 'Partners In Crime' and, if the production designs are a good indication, are definitely in the cute-but-nasty mould previously occupied by the Slitheen. The following story involves an encounter with the fiery, volcano-dwelling Pyrovillians in Pompeii 79AD, while giant wasps known as the Vespiform will be buzzing around a 1930s mansion later on in the series.

As for the mandatory blasts from the past, the big news - for veteran Whovians at least - is that the Sontarans are back. This warmongering, vertically-challenged race of clones hide something rather sinister beneath their helmets - faces that resemble jacket potatoes. The Sontarans are certainly spuds you don't like, as they make their first appearance since 1985 to do battle with The Doctor, Donna, UNIT and Martha Jones in a mid-season two-parter.

The origins of The Ood, the supposedly servile squid-faced race previously encountered near a black hole, are explored in the third episode, which takes place on their home planet. Unsurprisingly, the Daleks are back for the finale - but will they be reacquainted with their evil creator Davros in the process? If so, let's hope The Doctor serves up lashings of unlimited rice pudding, etc, etc for his withered nemesis. If you understand the last sentence, you've clearly been watching too much of the Sylvester McCoy era!

The Guest Stars

A delectable delight of familiar thespian names are on display throughout the 13 episodes. Representing the ladies, former Coronation Street star Sarah Lancashire plays baddie Miss Foster in the season premiere, ex EastEnder Lindsey 'Carol Jackson' Coulson will appear in 'Midnight' and national treasure Felicity Kendal will head back to the days of Agatha Christie in 'The Unicorn And The Wasp'.

Former Doctor Peter Davison's daughter Georgia Moffett plays a very important role in the latter half of the series, ironically rumoured to be The Doctor's daughter Susan, or someone posing as her. However, the biggest casting news came when former ER and Moll Flanders actress Alex Kingston was revealed to have been signed up for the eagerly-anticipated Steven Moffat two-parter 'Silence In The Library'.

As for the lads, British hearthrob Colin Salmon, best known for his Brosnan-era James Bond appearances, takes his place alongside Kingston in Moffat's story. In addition, respected actors Peter Capaldi and Phil Davis, best known for The Thick Of It and Quadrophenia respectively, will both be donning togas (and perhaps a bit of lava) for their stint in Pompeii.

Finally, two much-loved faces from the days of 1980s BBC comedy both turn up in the first half of the season. In 'The Planet Of The Ood', Blackadder legend Tim McInnery appears, although we doubt The Doctor will be calling him 'Darling'. Christopher Ryan, renowned for portraying straight man Mike in anarchic comedy The Young Ones, then stomps onto our screens as Sontaran leader General Staal in the subsequent two episodes. Poor Ryan will undoubtedly be wondering whether his own face will ever make it into the Whoniverse, for his previous appearance in the show in 1986 as the amphibious Mentor Lord Kiv also required heavy make-up.

> Click here for our Doctor Who related phobia of inflatable snakes