'Dr Who' boss explains shock Rose cameo

Russell T. Davies has explained the reasons behind the unexpected appearance of former companion Rose Tyler during the opening episode of Doctor Who's fourth season.

The showrunner wrote in his monthly column in Doctor Who Magazine: "When I wrote the very first draft of 'Partners In Crime' in September, I just got the devil in me. What if, I thought, what if we could transmit something, just once, that no one sees coming...?"

The scene, featuring Billie Piper as Rose and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, was not included in any screenings or DVDs for the press. "We live in such a world of spoilers and preview tapes," said Davies, "that a proper narrative shock is becoming an impossible thing."

Davies also spoke of the "serious reason" behind the concealment of Piper's cameo: "This is Donna's series, and if anyone had caught a rumour of Rose's return, there was a genuine danger that Catherine's launch could have been overshadowed. We owed it to her to carry this off successfully."

> Click here for our review of 'Partners In Crime'