Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol – Dork Review

Posted by Nick Bryan on December 27, 2010 · 8 Comments

The Doctor Who Christmas Special was even more important this year, as the rest of the festive schedule was looking particularly desolate. Christmas night itself was almost empty of worthwhile entertainment, so I too was relying on the Doctor to save Christmas in my own small way.

So did Matt Smith and Steven Moffat deliver? Or will we need to wait until next year? More importantly, what did my mum think?

More Christmassy Than An Explosion At Santa’s Workshop

Moffat had said in the pre-match interviews that he wanted to deliver the most festive possible special, in particular because last year’s “The Epic Death Scene Of David Tennant” was comparatively downbeat. And all the elements are certainly in place, although he leaves a larger sense of tragedy than I expected.

But there’s flying, snow, a sleigh, a clear acknowledgment of the source material and, most importantly, both fun and sentiment. I came away feeling cheered, although it was also fairly convoluted for Christmas night. I’m not sure I’d have followed it if I hadn’t been sober and refreshed by a mid-afternoon nap.

Someone Has Emptied The Ponds!

Notable by their absence were regular companions Amy and Rory. Akin to previous Christmas specials, the Doctor is accompanied by guest-star assistants Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins, which leaves the regulars shoved off to one side. Due to their lack of presence in the publicity, I suspected it would go this way, but I admit to still feeling disappointed.

I suppose this shows how well Moffat and Karen Gillan have endeared Amy Pond to the audience, and I imagine we’ll get all the sickening Amy/Rory action we want next year. I laughed at the explanation for their old-school costumes, which caused pre-episode speculation about time travel and such, but ended up being a tad less high-minded.

Mrs Bryan Reviews Who

Anyway, they definitely threw everything in this year. I enjoyed the level of imagination on display, but wasn’t totally sure how well it hung together. And my mother, having ignored the previous Matt Smith episodes, commented that it was all a bit strange and silly, and did they really need those fish as well as everything else?

So, perhaps a good episode for the fans, rather than the casual onlooker? How did your family take “A Christmas Carol”? Do you need to watch it again on iPlayer? And were you as excited as me about the trailer for series six?

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Nick Bryan

Nick learned to read and write at an early age. This has developed into an unhealthy need to either write stories or consume them for later dissection. He reviews film and TV on Dork Adore and The Digital Fix, lives in London and enjoys a nice white beer.