For the previous twenty years, households throughout the UK have gathered across the TV to look at the Physician carry out a complete host of festive pranks.
Usually on Christmas night time (or sometimes New Yr’s Day), Physician Who would mark the beginning of a brand new yr when the Tardis crash-landed in yet one more journey.
Nonetheless, in 2025, the long-running science fiction present is breaking with custom after a turbulent time when the way forward for the flagship BBC sequence was up within the air.
Though showrunner Russell T Davies has confirmed that the Physician (whoever that’s) will return for a Christmas particular in 2026, it does imply that this would be the first Christmas interval in a very long time with out a new episode to look ahead to.
Don’t be concerned, although, as a result of with greater than 15 specials to select from (and that is simply counting the Christmas Day episodes), within the spirit of Physician Who, that is the right time to make a journey down reminiscence lane and delve right into a basic.
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Look, selecting a favourite Physician Who Christmas particular is a really private expertise. One fan’s delight is one other’s horror, one individual’s consolation watch is one other’s ‘keep away from in any respect prices’.
Some scenes will probably be ceaselessly iconic, whether or not it is the Physician quoting The Lion King, going to The Ponds for dinner, spending the final 24 years with River or singing the Goblin Music.
I am actually not right here to spoil anybody’s parade, however I’m right here to remind everybody how wonderful the 2007 Physician Who particular, The Voyage of the Damned, is. And for those who do not agree, that is your cue to rethink.
For these of us watching on the time, we had simply returned from the history-making run of episodes from Human Nature to Final of the Time Lords, and we had been on a excessive!
Jack Harkness was the face of Boe, Martha reclaimed her company, and Jonn Simm had simply accomplished one of the crucial heartbreaking scenes in Who historical past because the Grasp.
Enter our forlorn Time Lord (David Tennant), who rushes to the peak of his Physician Who fame with out a companion to name his personal.
Go to area Titanic. Already a superb begin (sure, I do know, tacky, cliché, however hey, that is what Christmas is all about!).
Earlier than you understand it, the Physician is a stowaway on a spacecraft on which Neighbors icon and Cannot Get You Out Of My Head hitmaker herself, Kylie Minogue, performs the plucky Astrid.
Because the title implies, the Titanic is quickly in grave hazard because the Physician races to avoid wasting everybody on board and on Earth from a grisly dying. Alongside the best way he picks up a cheerful gang of stray animals.
The Physician Who Christmas particular that nearly made it
As talked about, there may be very a lot one thing to be stated for every of the Christmas specials, with every of them bringing their very own appeal!
The 2010 Physician Who Christmas particular, A Christmas Carol, got here a really shut second, so for those who’re not within the temper for Tennant then this may be for you.
Amy and Rory are on their honeymoon when their ship begins to crash, and it’s as much as the Scrooge of Christmas, Kazran (the late Michael Gambon), to avoid wasting them from sure dying.
That includes yet one more iconic singer (perhaps that is the magic ingredient), Katherine Jenkins because the ethereal Abigail, the episode is full of lovely music, heartfelt life classes, and a shifting character redemption arc. It is sufficient to carry a tear to your eye!
Considered one of my favourite features of Who’s once we meet a wealthy array of aspect characters that we come to know and love over the course of the episode – and Voyage of the Damned actually achieves this.
Shiphand Alonso (allons-y Alonso), performed by Russell Tovey, stays a fan favourite to at the present time and even made a cameo later.
There’s additionally the boastful toff who will get his comeuppance, Rickston; the Van Hoff’s, the underdogs who stand up; Bannakaffalatta, an alien rivaling Raxacoricofallipatorious for the craziest title; and the penniless Mr. Copper who thinks folks worship the nice God, Santa Claus.
Final however not least, after all, there’s Kylie, who will at all times be the companion who by no means was – dissolved into stardust after sacrificing her life on the final minute by throwing herself right into a nuclear explosion (or one thing so dramatic).
Moreover, the halo-wearing angel statues (the host) not solely deeply disturbed me as a toddler, but in addition maintain up fairly effectively as a disturbing, if not vestigial, illustration of a rogue know-how.
“Info: You are all going to die.” Chills, literal chills.
In different phrases, it is camp, it is enjoyable, and there is simply sufficient at stake to maintain you hooked till the tip. (Will the faux Titanic crash into Buckingham Palace? I simply cannot say!)
So if, like me, you are going to actually miss the Physician this Christmas, I might advocate giving Voyage of the Damned one other strive.
Plus, it is so disconnected from the remainder of the present that you do not want another context to grasp what is going on on, so it is good for your loved ones to become involved with, too.
Physician Who is offered to stream on BBC iPlayer, together with The Voyage of the Damned.
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