TV is the New Reading

‘Doctor Who’ fourth season full of surprises

Science fiction fanatics rejoice ...

Oh dear. I’ve already lost more than half my readers.

I swear, fans of British time-traveling gadabout “Doctor Who” are in for some huge surprises, especially given the climax the story builds to through Season Four.

Season Four – airing Saturdays on BBC America starting this week – pairs David Tennant as everyone’s favorite madcap genius with Catherine Tate as Donna. It’s true that Donna isn’t everyone’s favorite Companion, but honestly she gets better as the show goes on. She made her first appearance in the 2006 Christmas special, called “The Runaway Bride.” She returns in the Season Four episode “Partners in Crime” – set to air next weekend.

As the season progresses, viewers will encounter lava monsters in Pompeii, giant wasp creatures attacking Agatha Christie and an entire planet covered in books. There’s a mind-stealing alien on a pleasure planet and a race of enslaved creatures who sing the saddest song in the universe.

Hidden in all of these adventures are offhand mentions of planets and moons that have gone missing somehow. As the show counts down to its climatic finale, long-time fans will have plenty to “squeeee” about as that particular conundrum comes front and center.

Kicking off the new season is the Christmas special from last year, titled “Voyage of the Damned,” featuring Kylie Minogue as a hostess on an intergalactic version of the Titanic, along with some ne’er-do-well Christmas angels. Fans of the PBS sitcom “Keeping Up Appearances” will enjoy an appearance by that production’s long-suffering Richard Bucket, Clive Swift, as a good-natured if somewhat vague tour-guide for the ship.

Without giving too much away, the Doctor encounters the ship in potentially the most destructive way possible, which would be worse if it wasn’t for his patented “do-over” dial, and his adventures bring him in contact with some seriously tough customers on his way to hooking up with Donna and facing down thousands of tiny monsters made of ...

Well, that’s an adventure for another day.

“Doctor Who” airs at 8 p.m. Saturdays on BBC America.

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