A Doctor Who a Day - Day 15 - Review: The Christmas Invasion

@BBC

Doctor Who Series 2, Episode X, The Christmas Invasion

Original Air Date: 25th December 2005

"Well, yeah, you could, yeah. You could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people, these human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet, blinking step into the sun. There is more to be seen than can ever be seen. More to do than… No, hold on. Sorry, that’s the Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

I am so grateful for Doctor Who. I hate this world and most of the people on it, but Doctor Who always shines a little light that tells me it isn't all bad.

The Christmas Invasion is a Doctor Who episode that always lifts my spirits. If only for an hour of escapism. In real life it seems that it is women who are holding vile pricks to account, and it is Billie that does all the heavy lifting in this episode (I am not calling David Tennant a vile prick, I was just using this as an excuse to slate the people I hate the most). It is uplifting seeing so many brave women challenging thick as pig shit coked up little football hooligans as they put their shitty Chinese made flags up. I fucking love it in fact. Thank fuck for women is all I can say.

I am glad I got a bit of slagging off done before I go into why this episode is really good. This is an episode where the Doctor spends the majority of it in bed, and it doesn’t suffer because of this. Billie Piper is brilliant as this, and she is ably assisted by her mother and kind of boyfriend.

With a little sprinkle of hindsight, this is right up there as one of the best specials in the entire show.

This must have been such a thrill for people at the time, a Doctor bloody Who special on Christmas day. Little did everyone know what a festive staple this would become.

Going back to watch every series in order has brought me a little thrill as well. It is like I own my very own Tardis and I am being transported back to a magical time. I don't know why I think that, I have watched a lot of these episodes hundreds of times, but there is something extra special about watching it all in order. Taking the good and the bad as they come.

"I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!"

It is also easy to forget how jarring a new Doctor can be. Ten doesn't do much until the last ten minutes, people must have been spitting feathers at the time. Imagine if Ncuti spent all of Space Babies in bed? That might not have been a bad thing for him though.

Russell doesn’t make any mistakes with this one though. We get more family life, and it is always nice to spend time with the Tyler’s. Jackie has to be the best Doctor Who Mum right? Every scene with Jackie is great. Every single one! Who else could pull off nearly being killed by a Christmas tree?

Whilst I am talking of great things, the Doctor's Theme really is an amazing piece of music, every single time I hear it, it sends chills down my spine. I think it helps transport me back to the first time watching it, and I love it.

"I don't think we've been introduced. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister."

Some things don’t do it for me though. I will climb up to the top of my hill and say this - I do not like "yes, we know who you are". I am sorry, but it is up there with "mavity" for me, and not in a good way.

One thing I dislike but cannot help to love, is how shit some of the Doctor Who extras are. Does the show have a special gift for picking the most fantastically awful actors to run around and be completely over the top scared? They do make for a couple of great visuals in this episode though.

"Wanna know the best bit? This new hand? It's a fightin' hand!"

When we do finally get to properly meet the Doctor, it is as joyous as it can be. Joyous in the way only Doctor Who can do. You want to punch the air when he opens the Tardis doors. We get a small glimpse into what the Tenth Doctor will be like, and I think David Tennant did more than enough to let us all know the show was in safe hands for the coming years ahead.

I love the ending as well. Six words, Song for Ten is a banger, the Doctor having Christmas dinner with Rose, Jackie and Mickey, and then planning their next trip in the snow, it is all very lovely.

This episode really set the tone for Christmas specials, and I love it for this. The Christmas specials are always fun to watch. Maybe that isn’t always a good thing, as it gives a slightly false impression of what the show can be to the more casual viewer, and maybe Chibnall had a point when he moved to the new year. But that discussion is for another day.

What did you think of this Christmas special? Where does it rank in the specials you have seen? Has it ever been beaten? Let me know in the comments below.

A Doctor Who a Day - Day 16

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