For 12 years in the U.K. between 2015 and 2017, The Doctor Who Christmas Special was as much of a Christmas day tradition as opening presents, eating heartily and arguing with the family. Sadly, that tradition came to an end because the current show-runner Chris Chibnell and his team had reportedly “run out of festive ideas.”
As sad as it is that the Christmas specials have ended, we still have the classics to rewatch. So join us now as we travel back in time to rank the best of the best of these Christmas classics, according to IMDB.
Voyage Of The Damned (2007) Score 7.6
When the TARDIS collides with a space cruiser aptly named TITANIC, the ship lives up to its namesake by facing disaster. Luckily, unlike the original, The Doctor is here to save the day. Currently between companions, The Doctor relies on assistance from a waitress named Astrid, played by charming Australian pop-legend Kylie Minogue.
The ship visits a strange little planet called Earth, and the villainous ship owner Max Capricorn’s plan starts to take shape. One of the highlights of this episode is seeing Earth starting to get used to alien attacks around the holiday season, and taking the necessary precautions.
The Runaway Bride (2006) Score 7.6
When comedian Catherine Tate was announced as the partner for the 2006 Christmas special “The Runaway Bride” most Whovians sighed a collective moan. Luckily Tate proved her doubters wrong and went on to become one of the most beloved companions of all time and returned as a regular crew member of the TARDIS a couple of years later.
Donna Noble (Tate) finds herself transported to the TARDIS on her Wedding Day, and of course, she is the link to an evil alien plot. A fun episode with the chemistry between Tennant and Tate being the true star.
The Christmas Invasion (2005) Score 8.1
Despite Chris Eccleston being a fantastic Doctor, a lot of long term fans were longing for a less serious, more quirkily dressed, jovial time lord more similar to those they knew from their childhood. Enter David Tennant and what is truly his first story as the title character.
Even though the 10th spends most of this episode lying unconscious from the effects of recently regenerating, by the time a good old fashioned cup of tea wakes him up he becomes the embodiment of the character we all know and love, and a new generation discovered its favorite Doctor.
Twice Upon A Time (2017) Score 8.1
Although Tennant’s first Christmas special was also his full debut as the character, it soon became a tradition for an incarnation of a Doctor to take his bow during the end of the year celebrations. In this episode, it was two, as Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor has one last adventure with the 1st, Beautifully played by David Bradly, who had played the first Doctor actor William Hartnell before in the TV drama An Adventure In Time And Space.
This episode is about two cranky older Doctors hundreds of years of adventures apart coming to terms with letting go. Steven Moffat’s last episode, and one of the best of all time.
The End Of Time Part One (2009) Score 8.2
Another farewell for the series, this time for David Tennant and showrunner Russell T Davis. A celebration of the entirety of the RTD era, The Master returns and it’s up to The Doctor and Donna’s grandfather Wilfred, played by British legend Bernard Cribbins, to put a stop to his madness.
The episode ends with one of the most satisfying cliffhangers in the show’s history, opening the doors for a major component of the series past to make a return. The two-parter concluded on New Years Day, and it’s amazing to think it’s been almost ten years since we heard Tennant utter the immortal lines “I don’t want to go.”
Last Christmas (2014) Score 8.3
Somewhere in a science base in the north pole, evil “dream crabs” are forcing people to sleep so they can kill them in their slumber. A terrifying premise that envokes both The Thing and A Nightmare On Elm Street forces the doctor to rely on one man: Santa Claus himself.
You don’t get more Christmassy than the Doctor enjoying a sleigh ride with Chris Cringle, played by Nick Frost of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz fame. Silly fun.
The Snowmen (2012) Score 8.4
“The Snowmen” is very different from other Who Christmas specials. For one, it is actually part of the main series continuity rather than a little stand-alone adventure. It’s also a little reboot, almost like a regeneration episode but with no Doctor death taking place.
There is the continuing origin of new assistant Clara Oswald, the introduction of Richard E. Grant’s villainous Great Intelligence, a new TARDIS interior design, and an updated title sequence. This episode was basically the starting point for the 50th-anniversary celebrations. Of course, the snowy Victorian London setting and imagery such as the Doctor in a top hat and killer snowmen all add to the Christmassy feels.
The Time Of The Doctor (2013) Score 8.4
If “The Snowmen” was the prologue to the 50th anniversary, then “The Time Of The Doctor” is surely the epilogue. A perfect ending for the landmark year, what with the 11th Doctor reaching the end of his regeneration cycle, meaning by the time the clock reaches 12 it is all over (quite fitting for a Time Traveler).
Of course what with this being Matt Smith’s final episode it is a very emotional affair and a heartfelt goodbye to the end of an era. As for the festive atmosphere, the adventure takes place in a town literally called Christmas. What more could you want?
The Husband Of River Song (2015) Score 8.5
One of the most brilliant things Steven Moffat brought to Doctor Who was the saga of River Song, a character whose journey started years back in the David Tennant/Russell T Davis era and ends here.
River and The Doctor may have not always been on the same wavelength, or timeline for that matter, but as the years went by you felt the passion they felt for each other grow or diminish depending on where they were in each other’s personal history. A fitting finale for the character portrayed wonderfully by Alex Kingston and one that will melt the heart of even the most hardened Who fans.
A Christmas Carol (2010) Score 8.6
Quite a surprise for a top entry, but when it comes to Christmas storytelling you can’t really beat Dickens classic. Maybe it ranked so highly because it was the first Christmas special to be shown in the US on Christmas Day as well as the UK. Maybe it was the brilliant performances from Michael Gambon as the Scrooge-esq Kazran Sardick. Maybe it was the magical vocals of welsh singer Katherine Jenkins, or maybe, just maybe it’s because this episode features FLYING SHARKS!
Whatever the reason, The Doctor using the TARDIS in the style of the Christmas spirits to change the ways of a mean old miser is bound to charm no matter who many times you watch it.
