Saturday 21 November

BLOGS

blogCategory
Previous
Back to blog
Next

Doctor Who Christmas special

David Tennant and David Morrissey in the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Next Doctor
  • Posted at 11:44am
  • 19 December 2008
  • by GillHudson-RT
  • 14 comments

Radio Times editor Gill Hudson gives her verdict on the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Next Doctor (Christmas Day, 6:00pm, BBC1):

We're in 1850s Victorian London. It's 24 December. It is snowing, it is bustling, it is Christmas-card perfect. And guess who just landed right in the middle of it?

Correct.

So far, so not terribly surprising – for about 60 seconds, anyway. And that's when another character arrives on the scene and, wouldn't you know it, he's calling himself the Doctor too, complete with sonic screwdriver and Tardis. Mad, bad, dangerous to know, or all three?

From here on in, we're off on another furiously paced adventure, with everything we've come to expect from the reinvented, CGI-enhanced franchise, with some of the most spectacular special effects yet seen.

The Next Doctor marks a thrilling return for the Cybermen, whose metallic bulk sits with surprising ease alongside the heavy-duty machinery of an increasingly industrialised world. And forget Dervla Kirwan's warm and sultry M&S voiceovers: she shows the steel as the frankly terrifying power-crazed Miss Hartigan.

But what puts this episode into another league altogether is the mesmerising chemistry between David Tennant and David Morrissey, each of whom claims to be the one-and-only Doctor. It's a double act of tremendous conviction, and explores an astonishingly wide emotional range – from hilarity and exuberance to heartbreak and desolation. If, by the end, you're not welling up at the scene where Tennant gets a reaction he's not accustomed to, then – erk – have a lovely time doing whatever you Cybermen do at Christmas, OK?

This is not just a Christmas special; this is a Christmas extra special. And I really can't wait to see it again.

**

Are you looking forward to the Doctor Who Christmas special? Tell us by posting a comment below. And enjoy a sneak preview in our stunning photo gallery.

Link to this post
Post a comment | 14 comments

Comments

  • Posted on 06 January 2009
  • at 11:41pm
  • by Yanny

I love David tennant as The Doctor and Billie Pipper . If David says David Morrisey is the one be backs up as the Doctor Great but he looks a little older than David tennant which he will be forever young to me.How ever Rose she should be Billie Pipper or someone that has a close face of youth as she does and good actors they both need to be needs to be. And it would be nice if the Doctor could go to home planet and live there with her for the end sceen And the Doctors daughter should be included in the doctor who show.Ending in the Doctor and Rose last scene of their true love perhaps he surrendering his powers to becoming human so he could live with Rose or having Rose live forever with him protecting the other part of the galaxacy perhaps making their own galafrey .While david Morrisey finds another rose but just as inocent and young and beautiful and their daughter Jenny go help save the planets.Maybe even david tennant appearing with Billie Pipper from time to time if They would?

David Tennant and Bilie Pipper you two will always be my favorites . I will miss you very much Yanny your friend nd fan

  • Posted on 06 January 2009
  • at 5:18pm
  • by Rosie

Well i think the christmas special was one to remember to be honest. I loved the cyberchasers, they were a brilliant invention but i still dont see how the doctor loves bieng in terrifying situations! I'd love to be like that!

  • Posted on 04 January 2009
  • at 1:23am
  • by Tracey

well i enjoyed it, mind you i enjoy anything that features the ONE AND ONLY DAVID TENNANT. Yre, bit late in posting the blog, but hey ,some poeple have to work.Goog story, good acting, good all round ,just what you need on christmas nite.Just in from work ,got to see news of the the new doctor ,should be intesting but you know what...David still my doctor..The one , the only and the best......

  • Posted on 03 January 2009
  • at 2:59pm
  • by Jeggsy

I dint think this one could fail from the trailers and BBc's brilliance at period drama but it did as do all the xmas specials.The rewritten cybermen are clanking buffoons in comparison with their smarter fore runners and the plot is concluded with such lack of real drama it leaves one totally disatisfied.David Morrrisey was great but couldnt carry a poorly written story.

  • Posted on 03 January 2009
  • at 12:35pm
  • by timmeroo

I think Codrot may have something here - think I'll pop up to the bookies and bung a tenner on Morrisey before 5.35 today!

  • Posted on 01 January 2009
  • at 3:08pm
  • by Kt

I love this episode,and had all the elements that are good about SF. Also at the moment I can not imagine a better Doctor than David Tennant, he has really made the role his own. Well done!

  • Posted on 30 December 2008
  • at 7:21pm
  • by codrot how

Disappointing is putting it mildly esp. after all the false hyperbole. I never really thought Morrissey was set to be 'the next Doctor', but I do think RTD missed a trick here in not having him as a parallel whoniverse Doctor (after all the Tylers and Mickey had their parallel Earth doppelgangers, so why not a parallel whoniverse Doctor too? €“this would have then paved the way for letting in all those otherwise "€˜non-DW canononical" spin-offs to have their place - perhaps!) However, we do learn that the current Doctor reckons that "€˜you are the next doctor, or the next but one future Doctor anyway", which must mean he believes he cannot continue to regenenerate beyond his thirteenth body otherwise he would have continued with ... or the next, or the next..., babbling on in that way, as he has been characterized to do on occassions. This does not necessarily mean that Morrisey could not be the next Doctor, for the Doctor could be so impressed by Jackson Lake that when it comes to regeneration he, out of a lasting respect for Lake, chooses to take his form. The last series showed he has some control over his regenerative abilities and, after all, did he not choose his sixth physique from a certain Gallifreyan Chancellory Guard, Maxil? - and Romana was also seen to be able to choose for herself who she would like to resemble - "If anyone had to be the Doctor, I'm glad it was you" - hmmm! - and as for that Dalek Dimension Vault - like info stamps - conveniently naff! In addition to Wendy comment " the tenth doctor has yet to meet QEI for a first time (ie before The Shakespeare Code). So, speculations on The Planet of the Dead: Tenth Doc meets Eighth Doc on the remains of Gallifrey??? - and why not!!!

  • Posted on 25 December 2008
  • at 7:03pm
  • by wendy

hmmm just watched the christmas drwho special, it was a bit of a dissapointment really.. there have been much better.... much much.. we still have to see yat what happened to his daughter etc... and the angel one where was he rushing to with martha with bow and arrows. robin hood ... hmmmm ... we'll see

  • Posted on 24 December 2008
  • at 11:44pm
  • by Doctor 10

Saw this being filmed in Gloucester in April its gonna be brilliant, saw Doc arrive & leave in the TARDIS not saying if he was alone tho!! "Spoilers"

  • Posted on 24 December 2008
  • at 6:10pm
  • by thehellhecould

I think the whole programme is witless and Ternnant is a smug annoying prat. I cannot watch him in anything and he is particularly irritating when he is just himself. His Cansanova was vile.

  • Posted on 22 December 2008
  • at 9:17pm
  • by Millie

Hey i love doctor who, but can you tell me is he going to find a partner

  • Posted on 22 December 2008
  • at 7:16pm
  • by Pester

Nice idea from Sam Wren about the first doctor, there's a storyline waiting for an actor to take charge of William Hartnell's (also Peter Cushing's) incarnation in his early years. However, the title of this upcoming episode is "The Next Doctor" and I think the 10th incarnation would remember his first. Still wondering if this is yet another RTD wind-up following on from last season's false regeneration gag in the penultimate episode's cliffhanger, but David Morrisey would get my vote for an 11th DW under Stephen Moffat's stewardship. Having said that, so would a lot of other actors. Alexander Siddig (Julian Bashir in Star Trek DS9) now seems to be British based (keeps guesting in a lot of things, recently Merlin, also the PM in the not so hot Doomsday that his uncle Malcolm McDowell featured in as well, previously Kingdom of Heaven, 24 and an episode of Spooks a while back). Siddig is a very charismatic actor that is tragically overlooked by casting agents where lead roles are concerned. He would make a fabulous DW. As for this Christmas special, not being a Cyberman I am certainly looking forward to it (the lady in my life is fed up with me calling December 25th 'Doctor Day').

  • Posted on 22 December 2008
  • at 8:36am
  • by Sam Wren

I personally think David Morrissey is the First Doctor. I will find out in 3 days.

  • Posted on 19 December 2008
  • at 8:14pm
  • by Matthew

I cant wait to waych it at christmas I here that all past doctors will be in it is thos true

Post a comment

Do you have something to say about this post? Share your thoughts…

Post a comment

(first or nickname only)

Please do not include any personal or personally identifiable information about yourself or others (including email addresses). All information you submit about yourself or others can be viewed by others.

Thank you for your comment

Thank you for your comments. All comments will be looked at by a moderator, however, due to the numbers of comments we receive, we can't promise that all will be posted on the site.

Post another comment

More


Advertisement