donna was the doctor's full time companion for all 13 episodes of series 4. her return to the series sees her with her maternal grandfather, recurring character wilfred mott, as well as her mother, sylvia. mott is played by bernard cribbins, whose appearance as a newspaper seller in voyage of the damned was merged into his new role following the death of howard attfield who played donna's father in "the runaway bride". donna has encountered the racnoss, the adipose, the pyroviles, the ood, the sontarans, the hath, vespiforms, the vashta nerada, the judoon, the shadow proclamation, and the daleks.