Don’t Even Blink, It’s the ‘Doctor Who’ Holiday Special Watch Guide
We’ve joined The Doctor on loads of adventures, and some of the biggest happen during Christmas and New Years.
For Doctor Who fans, the yearly Christmas and New Year’s specials are something that make the holiday season feel a little more like the holiday season. They are also a time for episodes that are a little more special. Sometimes introducing new characters, sometimes re-introducing fan-favorite actors, and sometimes just going a little more off the wall than regular adventures with the Doctor dare. In fact, the holiday episodes are such an anticipated part of the fandom every year, that you may think they’ve always been a part of Doctor Who. But it turns out, that isn’t true.
Classic Who
There is a good chance you already know that Doctor Who is a show that came, went, and came back around again. The original run of the show spanned 1963 to 1989 and the first eight regenerations of the Doctor. But falling viewer numbers eventually led to the once very popular show being canceled. Then in 2005, the series was revived with a brand new cast, a new ninth doctor, and a whole slew of new (still campy and classic feeling) adventures.
But the classic run of Doctor Who had very little in the way of holiday-themed programming. The third season included the twelve-part The Dalek’s Master Plan with episodes for Christmas and New Year’s airing on those respective dates. Other various episodes of the show did air on or around Christmas or New Year’s but had nothing to do with the holidays.
“The Christmas Invasion” (Christmas 2005)
Featuring a newly regenerated 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose, this episode went full-camp when the team is attacked by Santa robots. This is also one of the first references to Torchwood, a secret group within the Doctor Who universe who wouldn’t make their first appearance in their own standalone show until 2006.
“The Runaway Bride” (Christmas 2006)
Technically the second episode we see Donna Noble, after a cliff-hanger appearance on the TARDIS mid-flight in a wedding dress, the Doctor attempts to return Donna to her wedding and ends up traveling billions of years back in time instead. Despite Donna later becoming one of the most famous companions, she turns down the offer to travel with the Doctor in this special.
“Voyage of the Damned” (Christmas 2007)
The TARDIS collides with the Titanic. Not that one, a spaceship called the Titanic.
“The Next Doctor” (Christmas 2008)
The Doctor encounters another person known as “The Doctor” with a companion named Rosita and believes he may be a future regeneration of himself. Of course, nothing is as it seems.
“The End of Time” – Part One (Christmas 2009)
After a warning from the Ood that The Master is returning, The Master is resurrected and returns. She goes on to be one of The Doctor’s strongest and most constant enemies. This time they are attempting to replace all of humankind’s DNA with his own and bring about a return of the once all-but-extinct Time Lords.
“The End of Time – Part Two” (New Year’s Day 2010)
The conclusion to part one’s Christmas cliffhanger, this episode brings the Time Lord home world of Gallifrey to us and gives us a regeneration and the eleventh doctor.
“A Christmas Carol” (Christmas 2010)
Companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams are on their honeymoon on a space-liner and are caught in an electrified cloud. The Doctor wasn’t initially invited on their honeymoon but is called in to figure out what’s going on.
“The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe” (Christmas 2011)
Even by Doctor Who standards, this one is a little unique and weird- and as you can probably tell from the title, it takes a lot of inspiration from C. S. Lewis. It’s 1941, there’s an evacuation to the country, a box that transports some kids to a winter planet, and a few Christmas miracles. Where does The Doctor come in? He’s taking care of the house that this version of the Wardrobe is in, of course.
“The Snowmen” (Christmas 2012)
“Memory snow” falls on Victorian London, creating an army of ice people, and one of the local people who come to the Doctor’s assistance is another version of Clara Oswald. After making a few appearances in various times and places in the galaxy, the Doctor concludes that this is the same person over and over and leaves on the TARDIS to find her, again, in another time.
“The Time of the Doctor” (Christmas 2013)
Now traveling with Clara, the doctor returns to Gallifrey to stop the Trenzalore from preventing the return of the Time Lords. After fighting for long enough to almost die of old age, he regenerates into the twelfth doctor.
“Last Christmas” (Christmas 2014)
This special actually has Santa. Or, as it turns out, it has Dream Crabs that make people hallucinate all sorts of things, including Santa. Then the crabs eat their dreaming victim’s brains. Naturally, it’s a problem that The Doctor and Clara have to fly to the North Pole to deal with.
“The Husbands of River Song” (Christmas 2015)
The Doctor and River Song go on a date that starts with scavenging a diamond and ends at the first restaurant on Darillium.
“The Return of Doctor Mysterio” (Christmas 2016)
The New York branch of a giant research company is transplanting alien brains into humans with the goal of replacing world leaders.
“Twice Upon a Time” (Christmas 2017)
The Twelfth Doctor encounters the First, neither of whom wants to regenerate even though it’s time. After being abducted by other aliens and eventually escaping back to their various times and places, Twelve decides it’s time to become Thirteen.
“Resolution” (New Year’s Day 2019)
This one is a pretty classic doctor-versus-Dalek story. Only the Dalek in question isn’t in the usual metal suit we see and appears as a squid-like creature controlling people.
“Spyfall, Part 1” (New Year’s Day 2020)
Also the first episode of the twelfth season, The Doctor has another run-in with The Master.
“Revolution of the Daleks” (New Year’s Day 2021)
This episode follows up on Resolution two years prior, this episode features a return of Jack Harkness.
“Eve of the Daleks” (New Year’s Day 2022)
The TARDIS lands in ELF storage by accident and triggers a time loop.
“The Church on Ruby Road” (Christmas 2023)
This episode will air on December 25th.
Courtesy of BBC Worldwide
Have you seen all of the Doctor Who Christmas and New Years episodes? Does that include classic Who, or just the revival? Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring.
