Billie Piper, I may not have always bought your acting skills, but your chemistry with David Tennant was undeniable. My tears when you were sucked into a parallel earth, never to be seen from again? Totally real. Though apparently your exile was anything but. BBC announced today that Piper would be reprising the role of Rose Tyler for no less than three episodes in the upcoming fourth season of the new Dr. Who. This move doesn’t seem to be much of a surprise, as showrunner Russell T Davies intended to leave the door open for a Piper return, and Piper has done all of nothing since leaving the show.

Who seems to be taking a page out of The Book of Mormon these days, ‘cause the companion tally is now up to four. Piper joins more recent veterans Freema Agyeman and Catherine Tate (who’ll each be joining him for part or all of the season) and Christmas special guest star Kylie Minogue on the growing season four roster. There’s always the risk of too many cooks spoiling the broth, but each of these ladies has shown they have something unique to bring to the table–Tate, her distinctly British comedy, Agymeman, her charming sexual frustrations and Piper, her… highlights. The new season of Dr. Who will make it stateside sometime in 2008.