Doctor Who (TV Series) The Christmas Invasion (2005) User Reviews

Same man, new face

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 13 August 2015]

This instantly picks up where The Parting of the ways left us, Tennant is now the Doctor and suffering trauma from his regeneration. Rose heads for her mum's place to spend Christmas but is soon being chased by Robotic killer Santas and lethal Christmas trees. The Sycorax make their first and only appearance, positioning their ship above London and controlling people with A+ blood. PM Harriet Jones pleas for the Doctor's help, who is bed ridden. The Doctor recovers in the nick of time to save the day.

The humour once again belongs to Jackie and Mickey, there are some great lines throughout, my favourites being Jackie's 'I'm gona get killed by a Christmas tree,' and Harriet's 'did we ask about the Royal family, oh they're on the roof,' love it!! The concept of the killer Santas acting as pilot fish for something bigger is a clever one. Harriet Jones (love or hate I know) shines once again, she goes from scatty and lovable to cool, controlled and scared at the end where she destroys the Sycorax. The Sycorax themselves are extremely well designed. We only get about 16 true minutes of David Tennant, but what we get is brilliant. Moment of the episode must be the destruction of the Sycorax ship, and the Doctor's reaction to Harriet.

The imagery again is superb, it looks so good, its production values are extremely high, the scene of the mass of people walking onto the rooftops is a very powerful one.

I applaud the Christmas Invasion for its originality, it would become the format for the annual seasonal adventure. Had this one not worked it would never have recurred. The Christmas link is well devised, it doesn't feel forced. It's a great episode, with some real high points, it's hard really to pick fault with it.

What is the significance of the 6 words? was it paranoia that caused Harriet's demise?

I was a huge Eccleston fan, but it wasn't long before Tennant surpassed Eccleston in the role to become arguably the best Doctor to date. I can remember watching the Coming Soon trailer, and being utterly blown away by it.

9/10

A New Tennant in the TARDIS...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

A regenerating Doctor (with Rose) crashes back in London but struggles to overcome the process (he's sleeping), while the Sycorax take a fancy to Earth's inhabitants who they wish to own and possess. Soon a third are left in limbo, stood on ledges though it's Chrimbo and there's only Doctor Who knows what to do! As it transpires super-heated tea is the answer, turns the Doctor into a lancer (well knight or swordsman, although he does become Sir Doctor of TARDIS in the next but one episode) and the saviour of the planet (and everything else) is born again - on Christmas Day no less.

"This new hand, it's a FIGHTING HAND"

[Greyrat2 · 9/10 · 17 September 2021]

And just like that, David Tennant was accepted as the Doctor.

He put so much soul into his role, the music is mesmerizing, the dialogue is iconic, everything is tense. I will miss him 🤧

No longer "fantastic", more like "brilliant"...

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 16 October 2010]

The 2005 Doctor Who Christmas special was a gamble from the very beginning. Sure, Russell T. Davies had successfully resurrected Britain's most popular sci-fi show, with the aforementioned special and a second season getting confirmed after only one episode had aired, but a lot of that had to do with Christopher Eccleston's oddball but charming work as the Ninth Doctor. Therefore, the sight of him leaving the show after just one season meant whoever replaced him would have to do a brilliant job at the very least. Luckily, Scotsman David Tennant (Casanova in the eponymous Davies-written BBC miniseries) was up to the challenge, and The Christmas Invasion marks a terrific debut for his tenure as the Tenth Doctor.

So, here's the story: it's Christmas Eve 2005, and a mysterious spaceship is in orbit right above Earth for a change. Newly elected Prime Minister Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) wishes to take matters into her own hands (something about an organization called Torchwood), but it becomes pretty clear the planet is going to need a miracle. Of course, the TARDIS happens to have landed in London, but unfortunately the Doctor is suffering from regeneration side effects, slipping in and out of consciousness as time starts to run out, leaving it to Rose, Jackie and Mickey to deal with the alien threat.

With no time to mourn Eccleston, The Christmas Invasion jumps straight back into the action, delivering an exciting threat, good guest work (Wilton never disappoints) and the usual good team effort from Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri and Billie Piper, showing they may have lost their Doctor but not their passion and will to have fun with the material. And a lot of fun there is, mostly in relation to the new Doctor: in particular, Coduri has the privilege of getting away with a naughty joke about Time Lords having two hearts ("Anything else he's got two of?") and a fun "Doctor who?" gag when confronted with the Doc's new face.

Which begs the question: what about Tennant taking over from Eccleston? Well, he pulls off the job with the expected mixture of quirkiness, giddiness and plain Britishness, ditching his own Scottish accent (and Eccleston's Northern tones) for a London voice that indicates he's not afraid to make the role his own. No more "fantastic" then (the scene explaining why he dropped the catchphrase was deleted from the TV broadcast, but is available on the DVD), but it's still, rather unmistakably, the Doctor. Not only is the character's chemistry with Rose intact, he also deserves kudos for not only saving the world while trying not to lapse into a coma, but also for spending 90% of the episode in his PJs and making it look cool in that unique Doctor Who way.

In a nutshell, The Christmas Invasion is proof that RTD's formula for the Doctor still works, and with Tennant on board, the possibilities appear endless. Quite fitting for a time-and-space-traveling alien, don't you think?

An absolutely perfect introduction to the Tenth Doctor

[pjgs200 · 10/10 · 15 July 2016]

The Christmas Invasion is a fantastic episode of Doctor Who. It's funny, mysterious, the Sycorax make for great villains, and the ending is phenomenal. Harriet Jones was once again an awesome character; Penelope Wilton is a really great actress. The scene where all of the people are being controlled by the Sycorax and are about to jump was executed very well by the directors- it was really tense and a dark turn for the episode. The spinning Christmas trees and the brass players were also memorable. The Christmas Invasion was a 7/10 for the first 30 or so minutes. The last half of the episode was where it got really, really good.

One of my favorite scenes of the episode was when David Tennant came out of the Tardis and challenged the Sycorax to a battle. I liked Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor (he was my introduction to Doctor Who), but Tennant just owns the role and relishes every moment on screen. From the moment he came out of the Tardis to the moment the episode ended I couldn't stop smiling. I love action and fight scenes in Doctor Who (which doesn't do much of them), so it was fantastic to see the Doctor duel with the Sycorax on top of the spaceship. I loved the ending, where the ship leaves and Harriet Jones, the Doctor, Mickey, Jackie and Rose all exchange hugs and boast about the defeat of the aliens. That scene was just so awesome; the characters are all so great, and the scene was a really feel-good ending to the episode. Harriet Jones calling in Torchwood to fire at the ship was a good scene; it was well acted and it develops her character by showing how willing she is to keep the world and Britain safe. Billie Piper and David Tennant have great chemistry as well, and the part when Harriet Jones calls the Tenth Doctor "My Doctor" was really nice.

The Christmas Invasion is pretty much everything I like about Doctor Who in 60 minutes: it has awesome action and fight sequences, hilarious moments, well rounded, memorable and recurring characters, great visuals, a feel-good ending, AND it's a fantastic and really fun way to introduce the new Doctor, with the perfect mix of camp and dramatic sequences. The Christmas Invasion isn't a perfect 10/10, but it gets pretty close!

A Surprise Christmas Treat!

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 28 November 2018]

When it was announced Christopher Eccleston was leaving Doctor Who I was disappointed, especially with the timing seeming to risk the newly returned series being able to continue. Then David Tennant was announced as his successor and, having never actually seen him in anything before at the time, I made a judgement Tennant was wrong for the role (from clips I had seen advertising a show he was in) and dreaded his arrival. How wrong I was! This debut completely changed my view and made me an instant fan of the 10th Doctor.

Exactly as with Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor this regeneration has the Doctor spending a lot of time unconscious but just like Pertwee's debut Spearhead From Space it is a terrific story which keeps the interest while the Doctor sleeps and then benefits from a fantastic performance and characterisation once he leaps into action.

The story is, in my opinion, clever, interesting, funny and exciting. It features aliens - the Sycorax - making contact and threatening the earth and a large amount of mankind being controlled via clever means. The brilliant Penelope Wilton returns as Harriet Jones (having appeared in Aliens in London), this time as Prime Minister, and Rose, Jackie and Mickey help with the transition providing fun and humour in between scenes of threat, action and alien contact.

The Sycorax are a great alien menace with an excellent design. The script is fabulous and whenever the Doctor has moments of activity he is funny, superbly acted and engaging. Once fully awake Tennant grabs the role by the scruff of the neck and establishes 10 as a thoroughly heroic, brave, witty, clever Doctor with a dark, serious edge beneath his endearing and humorous exterior.

The climactic confrontation is simply joyous with excitement, some real laughs and some proper drama.

This is, for my tastes, an awesome debut for an awesome Doctor.

My rating: 10/10.

Christmas special 2005: An enjoyable special despite the inevitable weaknesses due to the "bridging" nature of it (minor spoilers)

[bob the moo · 28 December 2006]

Fresh from a transformation, the Doctor and Rose return to Earth to spend Christmas with her family. However when trees and Santa's start playing up it is apparent that this is no ordinary Christmas and some sinister force is at work. Still in a weakened state, the Doctor loses consciousness and cannot be revived by Rose. Meanwhile a spaceship positions itself above London and uses some power to control a large section of the population and make them stand on high buildings, ready to jump. The Prime Minister is desperate but seems left with no option but to make a deal with the powerful Sycorax.

I watched this special again last week on UK Gold, away from the hype and worry that came with it the first time round. This was the bridge between the "first" "new" series and the second or, more importantly, the bridge between Eccleston being the Doctor and David Tennant taking over the reins. As such there was always going to be an element of making that leap and then also the emphasis on Tennant making the role his own so that the new series could just start with the majority of the fuss over and done with. The first half of the special keeps the Doctor tucked away and builds the plot while also using this as a way of emphasising his entrance when it comes. The story is a good one which does more or less manage to bring in all the elements that the family audience (and big audience at that time of the year) requires. Although it is obviously restricted by the child element of the audience, the tension is built well and the aliens have a genuine threat. The spinning trees etc were all a bit silly but I suppose that does seem to come with the territory now.

Of course the big thing in the special was Tennant and I have to say that this didn't win me over to him. As his seasons at the helm continue I have come to like him more but I suspect that has an element of me accepting him rather than him being brilliant. Here I felt he was too over-the-top and I wanted someone to tell him that just because it was Christmas it didn't mean he had to go over the top as if he was in panto at Blackpool. This is maybe a bit harsh but in the series he tends to get a mix of this and quieter stuff to work with to act as balance – for most of his short time here he does rather overplay it somewhat. Of course it works for the type of thing this special is aiming for but viewers who like their sci-fi to be a little darker will have been worried by his appearance in this manner – particularly coming after the slightly grittier turn from Eccleston. Piper continues to be as good as she was in her first season and it is to her credit that she does pick up well with her new co-star. Wilton Jones was good as the PM but Clarke's Mickey continues to grate somewhat.

Overall then an good special that does the two things it sets out to do (entertain the family and get the new Doctor in the door and settled before the new season starts) and does it in a reasonable good way even if no one part of it is done really well. Fits well with the tone of the season that followed it though.

Tennants Super Strength

[southdavid · 8/10 · 2 July 2020]

The moment that Doctor Who became a Christmas TV institution. David Tennant properly takes over as the Doctor in this fine episode that has a lot to do, but mostly pulls it off excellently.

It's Christmas, as the Tardis crashes back to London and the weak, still regenerating, Doctor (David Tennant) stumbles out into Mickey's (Noel Clarke) arms. Whilst he's recuperating at Jackie's (Camille Coduri) flat, Rose (Billie Piper) is attacked by someone tracking the immense power that the regeneration is giving off. Meanwhile a Mars probe in intercepted by the Sycorax, whose warship is heading to Earth, causing now Prime Minister Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) to consider drastic action.

As much as I enjoyed the Christopher Eccleston season, David Tennant is probably "my" Doctor, so despite him sitting out a lot of this episode, the moments at the end, when he appears to save the day, are thrilling (even if the "fighting hand" line is a little cringy). He looks strikingly young in this (still not quite young enough to be romancing Billie Piper, but closer than Eccleston was). There's enough carry over from Eccleston's performance to sell the idea that they're playing the same character, though one going through changes.

Having got off to a flying start, introducing the Tardis crashing and Tennants comedic timing, the episode actually drops off a bit. The scenes involving the spinning Christmas tree and the Santas both feel similar to the debut episode "Rose" and crowbarred in to make the episode more Christmassy. It's not until The Sycroax, including a heavily made up Sean Gilder make their appearance, and make their horrifying threat visible, that the show picks up again. There's another early role hidden here, with "Peaky Blinders" Arthur Shelby, Paul Anderson, in his first TV credit as one of the key characters to fall under the Sycorax spell.

It's quite a funny episode too, running gags about people knowing who Harriet Jones is now, play back into her previous episodes and work well and despite the fact it's got an awful lot to do, the episode pulls most of it off admirably.

Welcome to number ten

[studioAT · 6/10 · 3 December 2019]

Having been so taken with Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of 'The Doctor' I remember being apprehensive about David Tennant taking over the TARDIS as I sat down to watch this special on Christmas Day 2005.

I shouldn't have been worried - Tennant went on to be one of the best Doctor's ever, and was at the helm during probably the peak of the revival series run to date.

'The Christmas Invasion' is an episode that rewards patience, as The Doctor is in a post regeneration state for much of it, but this at least allows us to see what he means to the world, and most importantly to Rose.

Once awake though Tennant sparkles in the role, and shows us how fab he was, setting things up nicely for series 2 of the revival.

It was nice looking back at this episode.

"Absolutely The Same Man!"

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 28 September 2008]

It is hard to believe now but there was a time when, if you were a 'Dr.Who' fan, you kept quiet about it. Mention its name in the pub on a Saturday night and you would be certain to attract laughter. All that changed in 2005. Thanks to Russell T.Davies, Julie Gardner and Mal Young, the long-dead show became a pop culture phenomenon all over again.

Following the departure of the 'fantastic' Christopher Eccleston, a replacement had to be found. Luckily the producers did not have to look too far. Davies had just written the B.B.C. series 'Casanova', starring a charismatic young Scottish actor by the name of David Tennant. He made his debut as the Time Lord in the closing moments of 'The Parting Of The Ways', then appeared in a short sketch for 'Children In Need' in November, but his first full episode was this special, the first Christmas 'Who' since 1965's 'The Feast Of Steven' with William Hartnell.

'The Christmas Invasion' begins with the Tardis executing a rough landing on the Powell housing estate in London. As Jackie ( Camille Coduri ) and Mickey ( Noel Clarke ) look on in bafflement, a stranger wearing the Doctor's clothes steps out, wishes them a Merry Christmas, and collapses. While the new Doctor lies in a coma in Rose's bed, out in space the British probe 'Guinevere' is taken aboard an alien craft that resembles a huge chunk of coal. The warlike Sycorax use the information aboard to locate Earth, with the intention of taking over.

Rose and Mickey are out Christmas shopping when a brass band wearing Santa Claus suits suddenly goes berserk, attacking the crowd with weaponry disguised as musical instruments. Back at the Tyler flat, a Christmas tree comes to life, spinning madly like a carousel.

Using mind control, the Sycorax have forced entire families onto rooftops the world over. Only the Doctor can put things right, but he is still out cold...

Tennant spends most of the programme asleep, but as soon as he wakes up, assumes control of the situation. It is a masterful performance, switching from funny to angry and back again in the blink of an eye. Not only does he defeat the Sycorax leader in a well-staged sword fight, but also brings down a British Prime Minister ( Penelope Wilton ) who has had the aliens killed as they retreated from Earth ( an effective if none-too subtle dig at Margaret Thatcher's sinking of the Belgrano in the Falklands War ). The Doctor is furious, and undermines her authority with a mere six words - "Do you think she looks tired?". If only he had been here in the '80's when we needed him! At the end, when he selects his new clothes and sits down to turkey dinner with the Tylers, its as if he had always been there. No-one is in any doubt that this is the Doctor.

With him incapacitated for most of the action, Billie Tyler's 'Rose' gets to dominate the proceedings, and does so splendidly. 'Torchwood', the mysterious organisation set up to conquer alien threats using alien technology, is mentioned here for the first time. The Sycorax, while hardly the most terrifying aliens to ever appear in the show, make for a suitable opponent, certainly more so than the Slitheen and the Adipose.

Over the years, comedians have tried to guy the show, but come away looking rather foolish because they made the mistake of sending up what they think the show is. Witness Ricky Gervais' blinkered and astonishingly narrow-minded 'spoof' in 2007's 'Extras' Christmas special. "I do not want to appear in 'Dr.Who'!", he stormed. I do not want you in it, mate! Talking slugs out to rule the cosmos went out with Colin Baker. Not even the presence of Tennant could convince me I was watching even a vague approximation of the real thing. Russell T.Davies has attracted odium from some of the more obsessive fans, mainly of his penchant for subversive humour which seems to suggest he does not take 'Dr.Who' seriously as they would wish him to. It will be interesting to see in 2010 whether Steven Moffat, his successor, can come up with anything as remotely entertaining as this. It proved so popular that two more Christmas shows were made, and a new one - 'The Next Doctor' - is lined up for this year.

The hilarious image of the Royal Family teetering on the brink of the roof of Buckingham Palace made Christmas Day 2005 a particularly joyous one for me!

The Imagery Makes It Work

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 29 April 2008]

I know many , many people were looking forward to seeing this . The British TV audience had just been treated to a story featuring Christopher Eccleston regenerating into David Tennant at the end of Parting Of The Ways , one of the most beautiful , heart touching scenes the programme has ever or will ever succeeded in doing . Would Russell T Davies be able to keep up the momentum ? Yes is the answer but I shouldqualify this by saying The Christmas Invasion is wonderful in someplaces and rather mediocre in other places

Without doubt RTD knows what makes the show work - imagery . If you're my age you'll remember peers discussing the show with phrases like " I remember the one with the giant maggots ...the giant spiders ...the monsters that came out of the sea " In years to come this story will be remembered as " The one where the Christmas tree comes to life and tries to kill Rose , Jackie and Mickey " . This is a great and amusing scene and as Jackie screams " I'm gonna be killed by a Christmas tree " you'll be totally amused . Almost as good is the scene where Rose and Mickey dodge the killer Santas with their ray guns . If you find all this bizarre and far fetched then I'm afraid you just don't understand the spell DOCTOR WHO has cast over generations of audiences for decades and I pity you

There are problems and like the successes they're down to RTD . Why is it he has to give a ridiculous name for an alien race ? In this case it's the Sycorax who come across as bad pantomime pirates . Another point is the continuity where the Doctor gets his hand sliced off but is able to grow a new one because several hours after a regeneration a time lord can do this which sounds like cheating and I don't believe for a moment RTD envisaged the severed hand as a plot point for season three of the show . Tennant spends most of his debut in bed which in hind sight is something I'd wished he'd do in all of his stories . I certainly didn't take to him as he falls out of the TARDIS bellowing " I dunnit " in his irritating mockney geezer accent but while being better in latter stories he is often quite worse so The Christmas Invasion deserves at least seven out of ten

Brilliant!

[Otter_ · 9/10 · 21 November 2018]

What a great episode. Prior to rewatching this in 2018, I remember thinking "first episodes are always a bit shaky" when thinking of Smith, Capaldi, and Whittaker. Now I think... nah, that was just a trend started by Smith/Moffat.

What a great episode this was! It's inevitably a bit silly at times (it's a Christmas episode after all), and it does one of those little things that always bothers me... the Doctor says something in Sycorax language. But how are we hearing it in Sycorax language, when we usually hear everything in English? Such a tiny thing but it never fails to bother me.

Still, David Tennant does an amazing job here, he plays the Doctor finding himself so well. I also love how Rose can't warm up to him to start with, no doubt mirroring so much of the audience. But like the vast majority of the audience, including myself, she does end up falling in love with him.

So entertaining. Makes me miss the old Christmas episodes! They aren't what they once were, to the point where I'm not even that bothered there won't be one this year.

The Otter gives this: 9/10.

It works quite well

[warlordartos · 7/10 · 9 March 2021]

Not a brilliant episode but pretty good for an introductory to the 10th Doctor. I like what they did, Giving a shout out to Pertwee's Doctors first episode with the needing to sleep while regenerating and more importantly not being able to die in the 1st 24 hours of the regeneration cycle and therefore growing back a limb is a beautiful shout back to that. You just don't see the same detail in future regenerations. The detail has gone more towards making it violent

Tennant!

[Gelaos · 4/10 · 2 March 2019]

Besides Tennant's Doctor, whom I loved immediately, is this episode utterly uninteresting.

Beyond Good

[dragondeathlord · 10/10 · 2 July 2007]

One of the best Shows on television and One of the best episodes EVER! The new doctor is Witty as he is Hyper active! The Doctor fresh from regeneration is helpless as earth is invaded! But Rose is in the center stage as the aliens invade! She finds her self facing down the alien leader. And has to over come her fears and doubts as the man she come to love has been reborn as a total stranger! This episode more than any other establishes the future of the show!Lots of references in future episodes will come back to this show even up to current 3/13! So do not miss it! Or you will be wondering about the hand! Not to mention how vengeful a Time Lord can be with 7 WORDS!

"Did you miss me?"

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 17 March 2021]

This was a great first episode for Tennant, absolutely it was, but I must say it wasn't particularly Christmasy, it was at the beginning granted with the evil Santas and the spinning Christmas tree but they didn't last long at all. The only thing that makes this a Christmas Special was the fact it happened to be set on Christmas day (or released on Christmas Day if you prefer). But I can't fault it for that, this was a great episode, and as another reviewer said "An absolutely perfect introduction to the Tenth Doctor".

Excellent Science Fiction Christmas Special from the Year 2005

[rebeccaajclarke · 10/10 · 8 December 2022]

I find this Science Fiction Christmas Special is very Brilliant, Because of the Daring Adventures, Very Good Intergalactic Languages like Planet Earth English and Sycoraxes, Amazing Fight scenes, saving Christmas, and Awesome Heroism, The Main Protagonists are The Tenth Doctor, Who is portrayed by David Tennant, The Kind-Hearted Cockney Girl called Rose Tyler, Who is portrayed by Billie Piper, Her mother Jackie Tyler and Her On and Off Love Interest Mickey Smith, The Supportive character is Harriet Jones, and the Main Antagonists are The Sycorax, Who have speak in both languages are their native Sycoraxes and Planet Earth English, The Christmas song called Song For Ten is Heartwarming, But not as Heartwarming as Hello Father Christmas and Don't Let This Christmas End This Winter from Noddy's Toyland Adventures in Noddy and Father Christmas (1994), Light The Night from The Snowman and The Snowdog (2012), Thankful Heart from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Somewhere In My Memory from Home Alone (1990) and Christmas Star from Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992), I'm giving this Christmas Special a 10/10, and Merry Christmas.

An entertaining introduction to the next Doctor

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 30 January 2019]

This episode is a fun alien invasion story combined with some humor to help us get to know the new Doctor in the context of the characters we already know from season one. And for the most part is quite successful. We also are treated to a reintroduction to Harriet Jones, now as the prime minister, with a hint of torchwood too. The aliens are rather menacing but in the end feel a little overhyped as they are defeated rather easily by the Doctor and utterly obliterated by Torchwood.

My only other real complaint is how little we actually get to see the Doctor in action in this episode, but when he does act it is quite awesome and I remember already thinking I might like David Tennant as the Doctor more than Christopher Eccleston. But a lot of his screen time is "let's act heroic while I figure myself out" sort of thing and we don't really get to know too much about his character yet. Although the "6 words" thing was quite awesome and cemented how much power the Doctor has. This episode did not feel overly amazing in itself but did give the impression of great things to come, which still made it rather solid. 8/10

Good

[ianweech · 7/10 · 18 January 2021]

David Tennant is great as the doctor. The Sycorax were interesting. The doctor sword fighting against the Sycorax was amazing. The doctor is back!

I love it

[alissende · 10/10 · 25 November 2006]

I love this episode. It's one of my favorites. Here we see David Tennant for the first time as the tenth doctor( excluding the thirty seconds at the end of the parting of the ways). And he is brilliant. He is totally natural. The rest of the cast are very good as well. Billie Piper is also very natural as the doctor companion. The script is good, with some brilliant lines (see quotes page). The pass of the episode is good, with a good lot of action ( the crash landing tardis, the attack of the father Christmases and the Christmas tree, the sword fight..) but not too much, and there is no excessive violence. In fact there is practically no violence, in less you include the sword fight, and even there everything is kept proper: no blood. We also hear what I think are is the first reference to Torchwood. The episode keeps up until the very end To sum it up, i say go and watch this episode as soon as you can.

names used in this episode.

[trekkstr · 1 October 2006]

I wonder if the character of Danny Llewellyn is in reference to Robert Llewellyn who played the android "Kryten" on "Red Dwarf"? And major Blake of U.N.I.T. reference to "Blake" from 'Blake's Seven"? Just a thought. I will look for other references as time goes on.

I really liked this episode. One it brought back U.N.I.T. and mentioned the spin off show, Capt Jack will be part of "Torchwood". I hope U.N.I.T. will be part of the show more often as they were with the second and fourth doctors. It will be good to see Capt Jack back as part of his own spin-off show. A very different character type that you don't see in any "Dr. Who" episodes. Trekkstr

A Festive Regeneration

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 3 April 2024]

The Christmas Invasion isn't just a Christmas adventure; it's a significant turning point for Doctor Who. David Tennant steps into the TARDIS for the first time, bringing a whole new energy to the Doctor. The episode succeeds in introducing the Tenth Doctor while offering a classic alien invasion story with a Christmas twist.

Tennant is undeniably charming, even with limited screentime. His Doctor is quicker witted and more outwardly friendly than his predecessor. We see glimpses of the Doctor's heroism and resourcefulness, but also a hint of the darkness to come. The supporting cast shines too, with Rose Tyler grounding the story and familiar faces like Mickey and Harriet Jones adding continuity.

The Sycorax themselves are a bit generic as villains, but they function well enough as a Christmas Day threat. The episode throws in plenty of action and spectacle, with highlights being the harpooning of the Sycorax ship and the epic (if very slightly goofy) rooftop showdown.

The Christmas Invasion isn't without flaws. The Doctor's absence for a large portion feels like a missed opportunity, and the resolution leans a bit simplistic. However, the episode does a fantastic job of capturing the Christmas spirit - a time for family, hope, and even a sprinkle of alien invasion.

This Christmas cracker of an episode is a fun reintroduction to Doctor Who and a strong introduction to David Tennant's era. While it might not be the most groundbreaking story, it's a thoroughly entertaining adventure that earns a solid 8 out of 10.

A Weak "Independence Day"

[create · 4/10 · 4 May 2022]

Not a great start to Tenant's time as the Doctor. Instead of forging their own sci-fi, they try and do things that they missed since the Doctor was on hiatus...which is why they seem to have sent the doctor to the Independence Day universe.

Also, whereas, the Eccleston year spent most of the time establishing emotional fronts to the new storyline; it seems that the only thing they seem to consentrate on is how England would have handled an alien invasion.

Thrilling Christmas adventure....

[stevenjlowe82 · 8/10 · 11 November 2023]

So David Tenants debut as the Doctor was an excellent slow burn episode where he really didn't feature much in overall.

It was nice to see Rose step up to the plate as she scrambled to make sense of what was happening to the Doctor whilst trying to protect her mum and the rest of the planet. Tenant really excelled when he was on screen bring a vibrant energy and bundles of charm to this incarnation of the Doctor. It was also nice to see Jackie and Mickey despite the still apparent awkwardness in their relationship.

A couple of things didn't work for me overall, one being the ongoing Harriet Jones joke of her introducing herself in full got real old real quick. Also the clumsily choreographed fight scene at the end was a bit lame as was Tenants "no seconds chances, I'm that kind of man" line fell very flat. I get it was supposed to be this kick ass isn't he awesome moments but it felt clunky and awkward.

I have mixed feelings on the Doctors moral stance at the end and his pretty savage take down of Harriet Jones. She made several valid points I felt.

Overall an excellent debut from David Tenant and although there's a few clunky moments it's still an excellent Christmas adventure for the Doctor and co.

Fun new energy

[xbatgirl-30029 · 8/10 · 17 January 2022]

I watched this (part of a rewatch actually) directly after watching the two part finale. This episode was such an improvement. I know people seem to love the S1 finale but it really didn't work for me on many levels, including that I found it dull and unengaging. I thought maybe it was partly my mood, but this episode pulled me right in and had me smiling by the end. Especially once you get past the attack of the killer tree, everything is really fun and full of both action and bits of comedy.

Unlike in the previous couple episodes, there was suspense, even though you know the aliens of course will not win. I still wanted to see what would happen next. I remembered how much I loved the character of Harriet Jones. I found myself caring when people came to bad ends, even if they only had a few lines. The Doctor's lines when fighting the aliens had an emotional punch. All this was missing from the finale.

I have to remove points because was a little too much of the dynamic between just Jackie, Rose, and Mickey in the beginning. Overall in the series, I have affection for Jackie. But this episode, I wanted to tell her to shut up a lot, just like The Doctor does. Mickey has completely worn out his welcome. He had his chance to go with Rose and The Doctor in the beginning but he was too scared. Now all he's done is sulk and get jealous. It's enough. There needs to be a change. And I know this is sacrilege but I don't think Billie Piper is a great actress. She definitely charismatic and likable plus very attractive. But in all these episodes, whenever she's crying about what might happen to The Doctor or in distress, I feel nothing. It's great that others love Rose. She never feels like a real person to me.

So I can't give this episode a 10/10 but still a high score for interesting aliens, more of the PM, references to Torchwood, the chilling line "don't you think she looks tired" (especially seeing the damage that does in real life politics the past several years) - so harsh. This has me excited for David Tennent episodes to come.