My all time favourite Christmas special. I think it's a very clever adaptation of the Dickens story that shows off both Doctor Who and A Christmas Carol at their best. It's smart, emotional and I could watch it at any time tbh. Also Katherine Jenkins is the woman playing Abigail, she's a famous Welsh Mezzo-soprano classical singer who as you said was hired for the role primarily because they wanted someone who could sing in a classical style and yes that is her singing. That song is beautiful.
Completely agreed with this comment, my favorite Christmas special. I did have a little chuckle when a world class Mezzo-soprano's singing was referred to as "quite good" :)
I'll tell you one part I always love. It's when Kazran(not really sure how to spell it) is down in the cellar, weeping over Abigail, and the Doctor shows up to apologize. Then, Kazran, who at this point fully understands that they are doing a Christmas Carol type story, yells at the Doctor to show him his future. And the Doctor says: "I am. I'm showing it to you right now." Then, Kazran turns around to see his young self watching him, And the child just says: "Dad?" I love that little twist. Kazran always hated his father, and now to be confronted with that he has become so much like him. Brilliant.
If I were to actually pick a Doctor Who episode to watch at Christmas, it would be this one. Love the vibe and atmosphere of the whole thing. FYI, the woman is played by Katherine Jenkins who is a renowned Welsh Opera singer. And before anyone brings it up, my head canon explanation for having the same person from a different time touch themselves without the universe going crazy is that the TARDIS was nearby!
Honestly, I love this episode. I love the carols, I like the fish, I like the humour, "half-way out of the dark" hits me in the feels just thinking about it.
This is probably my favorite Christmas special, because, for me, it's all about the Doctor coming to grips with the reality of River. He could tell himself in Season 5 that it's not going to happen like that, she's never going to become his wife that he won't recognize before he lets her die, she's still a stranger. But by the end he knows it isn't true, he does care, and this is going down the way he knew it would since Silence in the Library. He watches his journey play out in Kazran's, because this is the choice he has too. He hasn't married River yet, he can still either embrace it or turn away; but in this episode, he faces what it will cost him. Matt Smith plays it, just watch his face during some of the scenes with Abigail and Kazran, and a couple cryptic, bitter, lines. Then, he can't stand it anymore and bucks in the traces to have a tryst with Marilyn Monroe. But River wouldn't hold that against him.
Of course you're not "above flying fish", they're above you...it's in the name... This is my favourite Christmas special! Michael Gambon is better here than he ever was as Dumbledore.
I do actually really enjoy this as a Christmas Who story. I especially love the scene at the beginning when the Doctor witnesses Gambon's character NOT hit the boy is the catalyst for what him deciding to save him from himself rather than go to war with him. It feels in keeping with the 11th Doctor & I always love that moment. Obviously there's some massively ethical iffiness to this approach, but from the point of view of the Doctor I suppose any time he chooses to interact significantly with anyone, he is rerouting the natural course their lives would have otherwise taken anyway. Tho I acknowledge that this is a very in depth meddling but it made for a charming Christmas story so I'm OK with it 😅 xx
This is by far my favourite Christmas special. It has such heart and really tugs on the heartstrings in parts. It’s a great character piece which you don’t often get on the christmas specials.
"Sorry, Christmas on a rooftop! Saw a chimney- my brain just went: 'What the hell?!' " "Give me time and a crayon!" The mature adult bit. "Big. Big color..." "Two tries?" "Two arms!" "Marilyn! Get your coat!" "She's gotten a chapel- thiS IS happENING NOW!" Definitely one of my top three Christmas specials, along with 'The Return of Doctor Mysterio' and 'Twice Upon a Time' (minus the portrayal of the First Doctor in some scenes)
I'll be honest...I absolutely LOVE this special! it is my favorite adaptation of the story and I love how they use time travel to tell the story in a way that I would only let Doctor Who get away with. The last 10ish minutes SHOULDN'T work because of the whole "can't interfere with your own timeline"...but I let this special get away with it because the storytelling is so on point! When Young Kazran mistakes his older self for his father it hits old Kazran that even though he won't abuse kids, he HAS become his father
Nathenial, when you have tried to explain “who’s that” “what’s happening?” to people who only watch Doctor Who at Xmas and possibly need a hearing test, you will yearn for a simple plot in a Christmas special.
This really was the most Christmas of all the Christmas specials, which is nice, since we needed at least one. It would be good if we had another iconic Christmas story to lean on though, since as you say, everyone's taken a shot at this one. I quite enjoy Michael Gambon's performance - between his turn as the villain in Toys and his take on Dumbledore, I figured he could handle such a transformative role and I'm glad to have been proven right. You're correct that Katherine Jenkins was hired for her singing voice, but it's nice she did a reasonably pleasant job with the acting portion of the role. I agree that changing someone's personality for your own reasons/benefit is kind of questionable, and I'll have to see if I can put that out of mind the next time I watch this.
I like it because it is such a time travel story, which is actually an element that the writers use very sparingly. Not that I want the Tardis to be the be-all-fix-all, but it’s fun to see it in the plot every now and then.
Speaking of Halloween have we ever gotten a Dr Who Halloween? If it happened in new who then my memory is going but im on season 17 of classic and i think the closest weve gotten is The Chase
We definitely haven't had one in new Who and I don't recall one in classic either, they didn't do event themed episodes back then. There are obviously episodes that could be classed as 'scary' that could be shown on Halloween but nothing set on Halloween comes to mind.
Curse of Fenric is kinda close. It wasn't written as a Halloween special, but it got shuffled around the running order so it would air during Halloween.
@Alex Bruce Yes, that is a good call. The first one that came to my mind was Horror At Fang Rock but neither were written specifically for Halloween. It's about time they did one but that would mean shifting the show's airing season....again.
For me this is probably my favourite of the Doctor Who Christmas specials.I especially like what was done with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come equivalent and how that played out, even if it doesn't logically line up with how things have worked in some past episodes.
The singer is an opera star that never acted before. Murray actually wrote the song she sings especially for this story, basically at the last minute, according to the confidential. She said although it was mainly recorded in the studio, she actually sang on set.
I'm not against the fish in this episode, I think they sneak in under the "rule of cool". Having something really weird provides something different for the doctor to bounce off.
This is my favorite Doctor Who Christmas special, both because I love how they adapt and use the story and because it's so Christmasy. I really like the moment when you're realizing what The Doctor is doing, and that it's morally complicated, that makes it more interesting. Now I want to re-watch it!
Kazran: “Fine. Do it. Show me. I’ll die cold, alone, and afraid. Of course I will. We all do. What difference does showing me make?" With that line, A Christmas Carol transcends its source material. Easily the best Christmas special.
It's good, but it's not quite The Muppets. Still love this episode though, one of my favourites episodes in general, not just of the Chistmas specials.
Yours was "Mickey's Christmas Carol." Mine was "Mr. MaGoo's Christmas Carol." Ringle Ringle, Coins as they Jingle, Make such a happy sound... :-) Merry Christmas several weeks early!
My favorite was "The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe." I know it's low on the scale for a lot of people, but my dad was a pilot in WW II (P=51's, not bombers, and he was in the CBI, not Europe), but it touches my heart.
I'm not much of a Christmas person, but I reckon this one is clever and delightful. Off the top of my head, it'd be my favourite special except possibly Last Christmas.
My two major issues with the story are Kazran not telling the Doctor about Abigail's illness, it would've made more sense as he would've received confirmation that nothing could be done to save her, and his anger towards the doctor would have more weight. Up until this point the Doctor has been shown as a almost magical figure who saved a shark on the brink of death the first time they met. Also Abigail's family is so poor they have to use a family member as collateral, paying for medication is probably not an option for them. The other is the romance, when they first met Abigail was 30 and Kazran was 11. I know that they get together after he comes of age but it's still creepy when you consider that up until that point Kazran was a child from her perspective.
I agree; on the whole I hate the Christmas Specials, but this one and Last Christmas are exceptionally good examples of the genre; both good enough to overcome my aversion to the type. I don't even object to the flying sharks.
Their own flavor I suspect is what the Brits call "twee", but they are usually enjoyable enough. Funnish factoid: growing up with classic Who in the 70s-80s, there weren't any Christmas specials. Instead, the BBC and ITV VT (video tape) engineers would save bloopers from throughout the year and compile them into specials, often with severely drunken skits and other wackiness. They were "for internal use only", but eventually escaped to the world at large. Search UA-cam for like "BBC Christmas VT" or "Christmas VTR" and you can find lots of them, if you'd like a somewhat debauched British TV time-capsule.
I wasn't a fan of this special at the time (largely due to me not clicking with Eleven yet) but revisiting it a couple of times over the years it's now one of my top favourite of the specials , and of Matt Smith's stories. It's just lovely.🦈
I agree that Christmas Carol has been done to death but this was a clever adaptation. I thought that Katherine Jenkins did a great job for someone outside of her medium. Her voice is out of this world and the song was beautiful. Again, a great adaptation of a timeless tale.
My favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol is The Muppets Christmas Carol... IT'S FRICKING AMAZING! But, back on track, I do love this Christmas Special and I think it might be my favorite along with Husbands Of Riversong
This is one of the christmas specials, I don't mind watching because it's well acted and well written. I am massive fan of the supporting cast, with Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins, who only has one thing to do and because she is a singer, she does it brilliantly. I might be a little bit biased because Jenkins is Welsh.
I like a Christmas Carol and twice upon a time it being Christmas does play in to the ending at least with captain Lethbridge Stewart and it makes for a very teary eye moment I think they are my 2 favorite Christmas episodes and your right take the Christmas element out of the other Christmas episodes and it is the same story
5:58 No, I wouldn't say that's like this at all. Doctor isn't brainwashing anyone, he's just trying to convince someone to change their ways. Effectively it's the same thing the three ghost were trying to do with Scrooge.
I think I completely disagree. I'm on a rewatch of the series at the moment and just watched this tonight. I thinks it's fantastic. The story is heartwarming and tear jerking. Matt Smith is just great as The Doctor here. Gambon was excellent. I really like the flying fish, totally would happen in a non Christmas episode as well.
Bit late in catching up with this overdue review. I do tend to prefer Moffat's Christmas eppisodes over Davies's. I do love the the more magical, heartwarming plot at Christmas. Moffat does do that really well. "The singer?" "I think she was hired primarily for her singing"??? That my friend is cathrine Jenkins! Just goes to show how someone can be super famous in one country, and not really heard off in another. I'm quite surprised she isnt more well known in the states though. Second most famous Catherine the show has had. I thought she was really good. Never seen her do any acting prior to this. I wasn't much a fan of the love story in this episode. I get the feeling that Abigail was supposed to be a fairly young woman in this story, but because shes so well known in the UK, were all aware that at the time this was aired she was in her mid thirties. Because the show never actually referenced her age, to the majority of the audience she would come across as a woman in her mid thirties. So to see her start a love affair with someone so young, who she had known since he was a little boy, just seemed a bit icky. Maybe that was just me, I dunno.
It's not impossible to restructure A Christmas Carol, one show did a Halloween version, at its core, it's a story about a miserable old man who, with the help of the supernatural, gains a more positive outlook on life. What I do like about this one, is that it could have been so easy to make the Doctor be the Scrooge and have the ghosts be past versions of himself, but instead they actually tried.
it gud. honestly i think it's one of the better episodes from that year, in a year of at least decent stories. Still my favorite christmas special in new who but, as you said, not the highest bar really.
Why is it that the Doctor only likes to regenerate on Christmas specials? End of Time, Time of the Doctor, Twice Upon a Time, hell, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways was right before a Christmas special.
I love this episode. I can't fathom the hate it seems to get. Christmas Doctor Who should be hopeful and positive, if only because Christmas Eastenders a few hours later usually makes you want to pop a Valium. "This is going to be the best Christmas Walford’s ever had"
after spending the day with the family and little kids, eating good food and enjoying myself, i just want to sit down at the end and have a fun dr who eps,which this was. sadly no more, get your crap togather BBC
Honestly my main gripe about this episode is the painting of Katherine Jenkins’ character How they managed to fail at catching the appearance of her that badly... eugh! And especially because it’s supposed to be the woman who Gambon loves, why would he have settled for a picture that looks so bad?! And having seen the painting in real life, I can honestly say that it’s not better when you can stand a foot away from it. Like I said it’s a gripe but one that always sucks me out of the moment.
I always loved this episode apart from the flying sharks. The DW Christmas specials tend to be watched by people who don't normally watch DW, so they need to appeal to these casual audiences too.
My problem with this one was that Scrooge was irredeemable. He's willing to let a cruise ship full of people die because screw them. Even Dickens' Scrooge wouldn't have done that. So I can't buy that this dude's heart just needs to be opened.
That's an odd criticism to me because it's pretty much just a sci-fi extrapolation of the exchange Scrooge has with the people collecting money for the poor in the original book. In the book Scrooge has the power to help, to save people from starvation, exposure, and death. But he can't be bothered, and even when it's made clear to him that some of these people will die without help he advises that "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." It's the exact same mindset in a different setting.
It's the same fundamental choice though in how it is laid out to the character: Do something and save lives or do nothing and let people die. Realize, I'm not saying failing to donate to charity makes people murderers. I'm talking narrative function and framing within the story: it's the same moral dilemma and he makes the same choice in both instances.
I have a very pedantic continuity complaint about this episode, though it's not technically this episodes fault. In A Christmas Carol the Doctor claims to know Santa and provides photographic proof of him and Santa at Hugh Hefner's winter lodge, however in Last Christmas when Nick Frost shows up as Santa and claims to know the Doctor, he immediately dismisses him as imaginary, and then that's the premise for why everything at the arctic base isn't real.
I mean if you're really going to get on that, it all flies in the face of the fact that the Doctor implied that HE is Father Christmas way back in Series 1, The Doctor Dances. "Look at you beaming like you're Father Christmas." "Who says I'm not? Red bicycle when you were twelve." "WHAT?"
@@CouncilofGeeks yeah, but that also highlights why his dismissal of Santa's existence is stupid since any time lord could theoretically deliver all of the presents every Christmas ever in a really short time with a tardis. What's to say the doctor didn't just get bored one day and decided to go to every Christmas.
@@CouncilofGeeks I thought they had to travel more than once in the tardis? They or at least the boy traveled many times over the years. And holy shit cant believe you replied lol love your videos
In the 70s Who, like many things were hugely influenced by Star Wars. When this episode came out Doctor Who was hugely influenced by Harry Potter. Maybe too much so when it came to things like flying fish.
To me this story made no sense for its placement, Matt is an incredibly lighthearted and soft doctor, series 5 was pretty fairy tale and lighthearted too, so this really dark and depressing Christmas story didn’t work IMO especially as it’s matts first one. This story made more sense for capaldi or Eccleston. I remember when it first came out, I wasn’t impressed at all. I was only about 9 or 10 and I just found it dull. Honestly I’ya an extremely boring story.
Hate to say this, but I've never been a huge fan of this one, both as an episode and special in general. RTD wasn't without his flaws, but his Christmas Specials seemed to have the festival way more in the background, and the story at the forefront, as if it just happened to be set at that time, whilst Moffat focused way more on connecting them together. That's some peoples' tastes, but not mine. It's why I enjoy The Snowmen quite a lot, it doesn't focus so much on the Christmas angle.
Very divided opinions so it would seem. I must say I found it most unmemorable until I re-watched it last Christmas, then I was most impressed. I now share my opinion with the guy who runs the meetings!
Council of Geeks okay, fair point, but you did say you didn’t like the whimsy of these Christmas specials which is kinda the same thing. I mean if you really want to get all hard sci-fi the idea of a dense enough atmosphere composed of the right elements that things we would recognize as fish can swim through it isn’t that far fetched when compared to other timey whimey shenanigans the Doctor usually gets up to. Also you did say children of earth could be darker so on that alone my point still stands.
I see this was Moffat's first Christmas special, so I suppose he took some time to think about it. I had mixed feelings about the result: overall, it was OK. But I like "The snowmen" and "The return of Doctor Mysterio" better, even though they have less to do with Christmas. Indeed, I like them better than most non-Christmas stories. "The Doctor, the widow and the wardrobe" was rather feeble by comparison, but amiable and quite pleasant to watch. I'm not keen on "Twice upon a time", although Capaldi performed well in it.
I never really understood the hype behind this episode? I can appreciate it tried to do something different to the previous specials which were more focused on the action & adventure aspect, where as this tried to focus on the 'feel good' nature of Christmas buuuut I still find it boring :/ it's one of the few episodes I tend to skip when I rewatch earlier seasons.
I never got a sense of urgency or danger in this episode. The tone was just too silly for my liking. And because the concept of the story is hardly original, I give it a thumbs down.
My favourite part of this episode is how it handles the Ghost of Christmas Future. I thought it was a preetty clever, albeit small, twist.
My all time favourite Christmas special. I think it's a very clever adaptation of the Dickens story that shows off both Doctor Who and A Christmas Carol at their best. It's smart, emotional and I could watch it at any time tbh.
Also Katherine Jenkins is the woman playing Abigail, she's a famous Welsh Mezzo-soprano classical singer who as you said was hired for the role primarily because they wanted someone who could sing in a classical style and yes that is her singing. That song is beautiful.
Completely agreed with this comment, my favorite Christmas special.
I did have a little chuckle when a world class Mezzo-soprano's singing was referred to as "quite good" :)
I got to sing with her with a group of boys a few years back in Hampton Court. She really sounds amazing
@@SomeRandomGuy908 Wow that's awesome, how lucky :o
Welsh. *shakes fist* Rusty's agenda continues even after.
I'll tell you one part I always love.
It's when Kazran(not really sure how to spell it) is down in the cellar, weeping over Abigail, and the Doctor shows up to apologize. Then, Kazran, who at this point fully understands that they are doing a Christmas Carol type story, yells at the Doctor to show him his future. And the Doctor says: "I am. I'm showing it to you right now."
Then, Kazran turns around to see his young self watching him, And the child just says: "Dad?"
I love that little twist. Kazran always hated his father, and now to be confronted with that he has become so much like him. Brilliant.
If I were to actually pick a Doctor Who episode to watch at Christmas, it would be this one. Love the vibe and atmosphere of the whole thing. FYI, the woman is played by Katherine Jenkins who is a renowned Welsh Opera singer.
And before anyone brings it up, my head canon explanation for having the same person from a different time touch themselves without the universe going crazy is that the TARDIS was nearby!
The TARDIS was in the room when Rose did it, wasn't it?
@@leahdavis9434No, the universe was glitched and the TARDIS didn't technically exist at the time.
Honestly, I love this episode.
I love the carols, I like the fish, I like the humour, "half-way out of the dark" hits me in the feels just thinking about it.
Oooh "halfway out of the dark", such a great line and I agree with you, I love the flying fish, so Doctor who, straight out of nowhere :)
Remains hands down the best Christmas special this show has ever done.
It's my second favourite (very close) but this one has the best Xmas feeling about it.
i thought it was funny that they actually got sick of Christmas
I think it's one of the best Smith era episodes.
This is the most Christmas- y Christmas Special that ever Christmas- ed
- Nathaniel, 2019
The best Christmas Carol parody; Blackadder Christmas Special!
This is probably my favorite Christmas special, because, for me, it's all about the Doctor coming to grips with the reality of River. He could tell himself in Season 5 that it's not going to happen like that, she's never going to become his wife that he won't recognize before he lets her die, she's still a stranger. But by the end he knows it isn't true, he does care, and this is going down the way he knew it would since Silence in the Library. He watches his journey play out in Kazran's, because this is the choice he has too. He hasn't married River yet, he can still either embrace it or turn away; but in this episode, he faces what it will cost him.
Matt Smith plays it, just watch his face during some of the scenes with Abigail and Kazran, and a couple cryptic, bitter, lines.
Then, he can't stand it anymore and bucks in the traces to have a tryst with Marilyn Monroe. But River wouldn't hold that against him.
Of course you're not "above flying fish", they're above you...it's in the name...
This is my favourite Christmas special! Michael Gambon is better here than he ever was as Dumbledore.
"I despise Christmas!" Dumbledore said calmly.
I actually like the majority of the Christmas specials and this one hits me in the feels.
I do actually really enjoy this as a Christmas Who story. I especially love the scene at the beginning when the Doctor witnesses Gambon's character NOT hit the boy is the catalyst for what him deciding to save him from himself rather than go to war with him. It feels in keeping with the 11th Doctor & I always love that moment. Obviously there's some massively ethical iffiness to this approach, but from the point of view of the Doctor I suppose any time he chooses to interact significantly with anyone, he is rerouting the natural course their lives would have otherwise taken anyway. Tho I acknowledge that this is a very in depth meddling but it made for a charming Christmas story so I'm OK with it 😅 xx
I found this episode incredibly moving. Abigail's song? Wow!
This is by far my favourite Christmas special. It has such heart and really tugs on the heartstrings in parts. It’s a great character piece which you don’t often get on the christmas specials.
"Sorry, Christmas on a rooftop! Saw a chimney- my brain just went: 'What the hell?!' "
"Give me time and a crayon!"
The mature adult bit.
"Big. Big color..."
"Two tries?" "Two arms!"
"Marilyn! Get your coat!"
"She's gotten a chapel- thiS IS happENING NOW!"
Definitely one of my top three Christmas specials, along with 'The Return of Doctor Mysterio' and 'Twice Upon a Time' (minus the portrayal of the First Doctor in some scenes)
I'll be honest...I absolutely LOVE this special! it is my favorite adaptation of the story and I love how they use time travel to tell the story in a way that I would only let Doctor Who get away with. The last 10ish minutes SHOULDN'T work because of the whole "can't interfere with your own timeline"...but I let this special get away with it because the storytelling is so on point! When Young Kazran mistakes his older self for his father it hits old Kazran that even though he won't abuse kids, he HAS become his father
Katherine Jenkins... "Her singing is quite good."
Really?
:D
lol ya, that was a bit funny
This is my favorite Christmas special. Looking forward to breaking this one out next month!
Nathenial, when you have tried to explain “who’s that” “what’s happening?” to people who only watch Doctor Who at Xmas and possibly need a hearing test, you will yearn for a simple plot in a Christmas special.
My fam doesn't even watch it with me anymore, they just quietly drift away, and drift back when its over.
Maurine T I’m just not even spending Xmas this year with those mentioned above. Watched Resolution on my own and it was bliss!
This really was the most Christmas of all the Christmas specials, which is nice, since we needed at least one. It would be good if we had another iconic Christmas story to lean on though, since as you say, everyone's taken a shot at this one. I quite enjoy Michael Gambon's performance - between his turn as the villain in Toys and his take on Dumbledore, I figured he could handle such a transformative role and I'm glad to have been proven right. You're correct that Katherine Jenkins was hired for her singing voice, but it's nice she did a reasonably pleasant job with the acting portion of the role. I agree that changing someone's personality for your own reasons/benefit is kind of questionable, and I'll have to see if I can put that out of mind the next time I watch this.
I like it because it is such a time travel story, which is actually an element that the writers use very sparingly. Not that I want the Tardis to be the be-all-fix-all, but it’s fun to see it in the plot every now and then.
My favourite Christmas special, inspired by my favourite Dickens story!
Speaking of Halloween have we ever gotten a Dr Who Halloween? If it happened in new who then my memory is going but im on season 17 of classic and i think the closest weve gotten is The Chase
We definitely haven't had one in new Who and I don't recall one in classic either, they didn't do event themed episodes back then. There are obviously episodes that could be classed as 'scary' that could be shown on Halloween but nothing set on Halloween comes to mind.
Curse of Fenric is kinda close. It wasn't written as a Halloween special, but it got shuffled around the running order so it would air during Halloween.
@Alex Bruce Yes, that is a good call. The first one that came to my mind was Horror At Fang Rock but neither were written specifically for Halloween. It's about time they did one but that would mean shifting the show's airing season....again.
Waters of Mars was an Autumn Special
For me this is probably my favourite of the Doctor Who Christmas specials.I especially like what was done with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come equivalent and how that played out, even if it doesn't logically line up with how things have worked in some past episodes.
Great Christmas special and one of the best of Smith
The singer is an opera star that never acted before. Murray actually wrote the song she sings especially for this story, basically at the last minute, according to the confidential. She said although it was mainly recorded in the studio, she actually sang on set.
I thought it was one of the best episodes ever.
I'm not against the fish in this episode, I think they sneak in under the "rule of cool". Having something really weird provides something different for the doctor to bounce off.
This is my favorite Doctor Who Christmas special, both because I love how they adapt and use the story and because it's so Christmasy. I really like the moment when you're realizing what The Doctor is doing, and that it's morally complicated, that makes it more interesting.
Now I want to re-watch it!
Kazran: “Fine. Do it. Show me. I’ll die cold, alone, and afraid. Of course I will. We all do. What difference does showing me make?"
With that line, A Christmas Carol transcends its source material. Easily the best Christmas special.
Love your video as always
It's good, but it's not quite The Muppets.
Still love this episode though, one of my favourites episodes in general, not just of the Chistmas specials.
Well yeah, of course, it's the Muppets but that is a film, not a Xmas Special from a TV show, so it doesn't really count in this.
Yours was "Mickey's Christmas Carol." Mine was "Mr. MaGoo's Christmas Carol."
Ringle Ringle,
Coins as they Jingle,
Make such a happy sound...
:-) Merry Christmas several weeks early!
My favorite was "The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe." I know it's low on the scale for a lot of people, but my dad was a pilot in WW II (P=51's, not bombers, and he was in the CBI, not Europe), but it touches my heart.
Love your reviews. They’re so interesting. When you do series 6 will you go back to doing the 2 part episodes into one review/video?
It's one of my favourite episodes, not limiting to just christmas specials. And I really like the "Abigail's song".
I'm not much of a Christmas person, but I reckon this one is clever and delightful. Off the top of my head, it'd be my favourite special except possibly Last Christmas.
The Best of the Christmas Specials for me!!!
Got to love you describing the international opera singer that is Katherine Jenkins as quite qood.
My two major issues with the story are Kazran not telling the Doctor about Abigail's illness, it would've made more sense as he would've received confirmation that nothing could be done to save her, and his anger towards the doctor would have more weight. Up until this point the Doctor has been shown as a almost magical figure who saved a shark on the brink of death the first time they met. Also Abigail's family is so poor they have to use a family member as collateral, paying for medication is probably not an option for them.
The other is the romance, when they first met Abigail was 30 and Kazran was 11. I know that they get together after he comes of age but it's still creepy when you consider that up until that point Kazran was a child from her perspective.
Blackadder did the christmas carol best imho. More christmasy than a christmas mouse with a christmas mug full of hot festive chocolate.
I agree; on the whole I hate the Christmas Specials, but this one and Last Christmas are exceptionally good examples of the genre; both good enough to overcome my aversion to the type. I don't even object to the flying sharks.
Their own flavor I suspect is what the Brits call "twee", but they are usually enjoyable enough.
Funnish factoid: growing up with classic Who in the 70s-80s, there weren't any Christmas specials. Instead, the BBC and ITV VT (video tape) engineers would save bloopers from throughout the year and compile them into specials, often with severely drunken skits and other wackiness. They were "for internal use only", but eventually escaped to the world at large. Search UA-cam for like "BBC Christmas VT" or "Christmas VTR" and you can find lots of them, if you'd like a somewhat debauched British TV time-capsule.
I wasn't a fan of this special at the time (largely due to me not clicking with Eleven yet) but revisiting it a couple of times over the years it's now one of my top favourite of the specials , and of Matt Smith's stories. It's just lovely.🦈
I agree that Christmas Carol has been done to death but this was a clever adaptation. I thought that Katherine Jenkins did a great job for someone outside of her medium. Her voice is out of this world and the song was beautiful. Again, a great adaptation of a timeless tale.
Would definitely love to see a darker more serious Christmas episode
A lot of people don't realize that a Christmas Carol is actually a horror story.
The 'Space/Time' minisode is next. Get ready for Moffat to cross a line.
You had to be there: no Trump , no Brexit , no Bolsonaro, Christmas
My favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol is The Muppets Christmas Carol... IT'S FRICKING AMAZING! But, back on track, I do love this Christmas Special and I think it might be my favorite along with Husbands Of Riversong
Definitely one of my favourite xmas episodes
This is the most Christmas special In all of dr who
This is one of the christmas specials, I don't mind watching because it's well acted and well written. I am massive fan of the supporting cast, with Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins, who only has one thing to do and because she is a singer, she does it brilliantly. I might be a little bit biased because Jenkins is Welsh.
I like a Christmas Carol and twice upon a time it being Christmas does play in to the ending at least with captain Lethbridge Stewart and it makes for a very teary eye moment I think they are my 2 favorite Christmas episodes and your right take the Christmas element out of the other Christmas episodes and it is the same story
5:58 No, I wouldn't say that's like this at all. Doctor isn't brainwashing anyone, he's just trying to convince someone to change their ways. Effectively it's the same thing the three ghost were trying to do with Scrooge.
I think I completely disagree. I'm on a rewatch of the series at the moment and just watched this tonight. I thinks it's fantastic. The story is heartwarming and tear jerking. Matt Smith is just great as The Doctor here. Gambon was excellent. I really like the flying fish, totally would happen in a non Christmas episode as well.
Bit late in catching up with this overdue review. I do tend to prefer Moffat's Christmas eppisodes over Davies's. I do love the the more magical, heartwarming plot at Christmas. Moffat does do that really well.
"The singer?" "I think she was hired primarily for her singing"???
That my friend is cathrine Jenkins! Just goes to show how someone can be super famous in one country, and not really heard off in another. I'm quite surprised she isnt more well known in the states though. Second most famous Catherine the show has had. I thought she was really good. Never seen her do any acting prior to this.
I wasn't much a fan of the love story in this episode. I get the feeling that Abigail was supposed to be a fairly young woman in this story, but because shes so well known in the UK, were all aware that at the time this was aired she was in her mid thirties. Because the show never actually referenced her age, to the majority of the audience she would come across as a woman in her mid thirties. So to see her start a love affair with someone so young, who she had known since he was a little boy, just seemed a bit icky. Maybe that was just me, I dunno.
It's not impossible to restructure A Christmas Carol, one show did a Halloween version, at its core, it's a story about a miserable old man who, with the help of the supernatural, gains a more positive outlook on life. What I do like about this one, is that it could have been so easy to make the Doctor be the Scrooge and have the ghosts be past versions of himself, but instead they actually tried.
it gud. honestly i think it's one of the better episodes from that year, in a year of at least decent stories. Still my favorite christmas special in new who but, as you said, not the highest bar really.
@Council of Geeks So, have you seen the Mandolorian yet?
Star Trek is better.
I just love it shows what happens when you mess with a god
Why is it that the Doctor only likes to regenerate on Christmas specials? End of Time, Time of the Doctor, Twice Upon a Time, hell, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways was right before a Christmas special.
I love this episode. I can't fathom the hate it seems to get. Christmas Doctor Who should be hopeful and positive, if only because Christmas Eastenders a few hours later usually makes you want to pop a Valium. "This is going to be the best Christmas Walford’s ever had"
after spending the day with the family and little kids, eating good food and enjoying myself, i just want to sit down at the end and have a fun dr who eps,which this was. sadly no more, get your crap togather BBC
I enjoyed it very much
Honestly my main gripe about this episode is the painting of Katherine Jenkins’ character
How they managed to fail at catching the appearance of her that badly... eugh! And especially because it’s supposed to be the woman who Gambon loves, why would he have settled for a picture that looks so bad?! And having seen the painting in real life, I can honestly say that it’s not better when you can stand a foot away from it.
Like I said it’s a gripe but one that always sucks me out of the moment.
Meanwhile, I'm that one person who's not terribly keen on this episode. Never got the hype for it.
Liked: the fact that the Ghost of Christmas Future ended up being Kazran himself.
Dislike: Sky sharks.
I always loved this episode apart from the flying sharks. The DW Christmas specials tend to be watched by people who don't normally watch DW, so they need to appeal to these casual audiences too.
Notification squad where you at
No Christmas Carol, this year...
My problem with this one was that Scrooge was irredeemable. He's willing to let a cruise ship full of people die because screw them. Even Dickens' Scrooge wouldn't have done that. So I can't buy that this dude's heart just needs to be opened.
That's an odd criticism to me because it's pretty much just a sci-fi extrapolation of the exchange Scrooge has with the people collecting money for the poor in the original book. In the book Scrooge has the power to help, to save people from starvation, exposure, and death. But he can't be bothered, and even when it's made clear to him that some of these people will die without help he advises that "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." It's the exact same mindset in a different setting.
@@CouncilofGeeks Not donating to charity is selfish. Letting a cruise ship crash is murder.
It's the same fundamental choice though in how it is laid out to the character:
Do something and save lives or do nothing and let people die.
Realize, I'm not saying failing to donate to charity makes people murderers. I'm talking narrative function and framing within the story: it's the same moral dilemma and he makes the same choice in both instances.
I have a very pedantic continuity complaint about this episode, though it's not technically this episodes fault.
In A Christmas Carol the Doctor claims to know Santa and provides photographic proof of him and Santa at Hugh Hefner's winter lodge, however in Last Christmas when Nick Frost shows up as Santa and claims to know the Doctor, he immediately dismisses him as imaginary, and then that's the premise for why everything at the arctic base isn't real.
I mean if you're really going to get on that, it all flies in the face of the fact that the Doctor implied that HE is Father Christmas way back in Series 1, The Doctor Dances.
"Look at you beaming like you're Father Christmas."
"Who says I'm not? Red bicycle when you were twelve."
"WHAT?"
@@CouncilofGeeks yeah, but that also highlights why his dismissal of Santa's existence is stupid since any time lord could theoretically deliver all of the presents every Christmas ever in a really short time with a tardis.
What's to say the doctor didn't just get bored one day and decided to go to every Christmas.
Where do these companions rank with the others? He left them out of the list he made a long time ago
That's because by my definition they have to appear more than once to be counted as a companion.
@@CouncilofGeeks I thought they had to travel more than once in the tardis? They or at least the boy traveled many times over the years. And holy shit cant believe you replied lol love your videos
In the 70s Who, like many things were hugely influenced by Star Wars. When this episode came out Doctor Who was hugely influenced by Harry Potter. Maybe too much so when it came to things like flying fish.
To me this story made no sense for its placement, Matt is an incredibly lighthearted and soft doctor, series 5 was pretty fairy tale and lighthearted too, so this really dark and depressing Christmas story didn’t work IMO especially as it’s matts first one. This story made more sense for capaldi or Eccleston.
I remember when it first came out, I wasn’t impressed at all. I was only about 9 or 10 and I just found it dull. Honestly I’ya an extremely boring story.
I would disagree, because of the giant flying CG shark and all of the shenanigans that come with it. I just don't see Eccleston playing off that.
Nice review Scrooge.
Katherine Jenkins singing is quite good?maybe she should take it up professionally.Going back in time to stop mass murder is ok in my book
Hate to say this, but I've never been a huge fan of this one, both as an episode and special in general. RTD wasn't without his flaws, but his Christmas Specials seemed to have the festival way more in the background, and the story at the forefront, as if it just happened to be set at that time, whilst Moffat focused way more on connecting them together. That's some peoples' tastes, but not mine. It's why I enjoy The Snowmen quite a lot, it doesn't focus so much on the Christmas angle.
Very divided opinions so it would seem. I must say I found it most unmemorable until I re-watched it last Christmas, then I was most impressed. I now share my opinion with the guy who runs the meetings!
So you don’t like Christmas and you wished children of earth was darker? Yeah something isn’t right with this one.
I never said I don't like Christmas.
Council of Geeks okay, fair point, but you did say you didn’t like the whimsy of these Christmas specials which is kinda the same thing. I mean if you really want to get all hard sci-fi the idea of a dense enough atmosphere composed of the right elements that things we would recognize as fish can swim through it isn’t that far fetched when compared to other timey whimey shenanigans the Doctor usually gets up to.
Also you did say children of earth could be darker so on that alone my point still stands.
@@mlp_firewind8129 Opinion is subjective and lots of elements come into play.
On a scale of a flying fish... It's fine. Yeah, the fish were too much for me.
You nailed it on this one. The flying fish really put me off. Also the singer was Katherine Jenkins who is a Welsh singer songwriter.
I see this was Moffat's first Christmas special, so I suppose he took some time to think about it. I had mixed feelings about the result: overall, it was OK. But I like "The snowmen" and "The return of Doctor Mysterio" better, even though they have less to do with Christmas. Indeed, I like them better than most non-Christmas stories. "The Doctor, the widow and the wardrobe" was rather feeble by comparison, but amiable and quite pleasant to watch. I'm not keen on "Twice upon a time", although Capaldi performed well in it.
It always bothered me that a shark too big to fit through a full sized door could fit in the human sized freeze chambers
I never really understood the hype behind this episode? I can appreciate it tried to do something different to the previous specials which were more focused on the action & adventure aspect, where as this tried to focus on the 'feel good' nature of Christmas buuuut I still find it boring :/ it's one of the few episodes I tend to skip when I rewatch earlier seasons.
Probably my least favourite Christmas episode if im honest theres very little i like
This story is just crap... I don't have any other words for it
Doctor who a chirstmas carol it is good but not one of the best who the villen in it
I never got a sense of urgency or danger in this episode. The tone was just too silly for my liking. And because the concept of the story is hardly original, I give it a thumbs down.