Favorite New Who Companion: Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)

In my post about who I thought were the best and worst of all the Doctor Who Companions, Donna came in second to the inimitable Sarah Jane Smith. This is what I wrote about Donna then:

Donna started out rough…she was an abrasive and unlikable character in the Runaway Bride special; but when she was brought back as the regular Companion the character had been toned down a bit and Donna become one of my favorites. She broke up the pattern in new Who to have a Companion with romantic interest in The Doctor and instead the two of them developed a wonderful friendship bordering on sibling affection. Donna also had the most heartbreaking exit of any Companion.

Over time my opinion has not changed at all. Donna grew on me and I still get a little misty thinking about how her journey with The Doctor ended.