Doctor Who (TV Series) The Runaway Bride (2006) User Reviews

Groomed for Stardom...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 5 December 2021]

It is Christmas Eve and the Doctor is coming to terms with losing Rose (who can blame him) after the events at Canary Wharf and then...

A far from innocent (a little naïve though) bride, is snatched from her wedding to fly, round the highways (and river) of London, above and below them, as the Racnoss descends from the sky.

A tangled web of seasonal chaos ensues with plenty of arms and legs akimbo, and we get to meet Donna who, at the time, is a little unbearable (but what do we know!)

Oh Donna the Universe has been waiting for you

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 15 August 2015]

I can recall the feeling of utter joy knowing that the legendary, fabulous Catherine Tate was going to guest star in the Christmas Doctor Who. The Christmas Invasion had showed us that the Christmas specials were actually good viewing, not just hammed up fillers seeking viewing figures with cheap stunts and rubbish plots.

We'd had a glimpse of Donna in Doomsday, and I think from that cheeky clip we realised the Doctor wasn't going to have an easy time with the flame haired noisy one.

It wasn't the best by any means, the story is a bit limp, the Robot Santas have been re-used from last year (cheap and lazy!!) but who cares we've got Donna, I know we've only just said goodbye to Rose, and I love Rose, but Donna is possibly she show's best companion (PLEASE one day return.) Sarah Parish, a normally top notch British actress is given a pretty naff part, the Empress of the Racnoss, not the best Who villain of all time, and seems doomed to the one appearance.

How sad that Howard Attfield who played Donna's dad Geoff died not long after making this.

Lighter then the normal episodes, silly, bad and wonderful. The Runaway Bride was the perfect Christmas day romp, it's a fun 8/10, not to be taken too seriously, but praise it for giving us Donna.

Mixed.

[W011y4m5 · 7/10 · 3 April 2020]

The Runaway Bride struggles in its clearly audacious attempts to strike a strong balance between the multitudinous levels of world building featured within; continuing on from the sombre tone of "Doomsday", plotting the new trajectory for the Doctor's personal future now that his family's gone, additionally introducing us to a quirky future companion, setting foreshadowing in motion with "Saxon" in the S3 finale whilst also being a light hearted Christmas Special.

Hence, it's an episode which contains some genuinely brilliant smaller scale, quieter emotive character moments - but they somehow feel as though they don't quite fit together in a wholly satisfying way - lost in the melee of dramatic set pieces intertwined amongst impressive classic Who spectacle.

With the sheer amount of obstacles to jump, it's remarkable the narrative doesn't actually crumble under the weight of the pressure applied to the foundations of this installment - testament to Russell's sturdy writing - however, it does also undeniably leave the viewer wanting more, feeling as though we barely scratched the surface of the themes & arcs present throughout.

It's a good episode, undeniably - but it could've been so much more - had Davies been provided with the opportunity to flesh out the script with a blatantly necessary longer run time.

Christmas special 2006: Interesting but not wholly successful attempt to keep everyone happy (minor spoilers)

[bob the moo · 28 December 2006]

The Doctor barely has had time to get over Rose before he finds himself with another woman in his Tardis – this time a bride on her wedding day. The Doctor cannot figure out how she got there but a quick return to earth later reveals robots disguised as Santa who are after Donna and, whatever the reason, it probably isn't a good one. On the run from her would-be captors, the Doctor starts to piece together a reason for alien interest in his new (unwilling) companion involving a former Torchwood facility.

Everybody sat to watch this and I'm sure it will have been one of the biggest ratings winners across the Christmas period, which I imagine leaves the makers with the problem of trying to tailor the special to meet this diverse audience. With the normal series it can bring out certain aspects (the silliness, the darkness, the relationship etc) across different episodes and accept that some viewers will like some episodes but not others, but with these one-off things you only get one shot. Hence here then we a mix of comedy, special effects, action, monsters, dark character traits and hints at an inner pain in the Doctor. Needless to say no one aspect gets done really well but none gets left completely out – and it more of less manages to stay on the fine line between giving everyone something as opposed to annoying everyone!

However depending on your point of view there will be parts that don't work. Personally I really enjoyed the hints at the darker nature of the Doctor (eg his single-mindedness in wiping out the creatures) and his feelings of loss regarding Rose and I would have liked more of that. However I knew this was never going to slow down and be about that so I accepted that we would have lots of Santa robots, exploding baubles and so on. This all works reasonably well and produces a solid enough piece of family entertainment that should please fans of the series even if everyone will have some reservations about some of the aspects of it. For me one of these things was the casting of Tate. I think towards the end she got better but for the first half her "Eastender's reject" act just grated on me and I didn't find it funny (which I think was the plan) and I thought she clashed heavily with some of the quiet moments attempted early on. Which was a shame because I though Tennant was best in these moments – moments where he was allowed to be a character rather than a panto-hero-come-action-figure. Of course he does the latter well enough as well but as usual I did wish that he didn't greet everything that happens with a big "oh, of COURSE" burst of recognition and instant understanding. Parish hams it up a bit too much as the Empress of the Rachnos; I didn't mind her accent so much but her "jokes" didn't fit her character and I would have liked her to have been more ambiguous (after all – if they did create the earth as a rock to "hibernate" then the humans are not really their fault). The writers do bring a touch of this out at the end but it is too little to really justify as anything. Gilet is solid enough in a minor role but nobody really steps up to adequately fill the hole left by Piper – for that we have a very fast pace that never really lets up for longer than a minute or two.

Overall then, a lively and enjoyable Christmas special that has lots of energy and something for everyone in the delivery. The lack of quiet moments and character exploration was a bit of a disappointment to me (particularly as they hinted at doing it) but it was still quite enjoyable. That said, the presence of Tate's mostly annoying performance did distract me but also made me realise what a job Agyeman has ahead of her in the new series because the "partner" role is an important one to get right.

A great start to the new Dr Who series!

[general-melchett · 8/10 · 26 December 2006]

Personally, I thought this was riveting. It looks like something out of Hollywood (with big-budget, barmy special effects and lots of gadgets) and it is full of action. None of it makes sense exactly, but when has that mattered? The killer Santas that replaced the Daleks as the new villains weren't exactly terrifying, but they were menacing and launched a beautifully-made attack on Donna's wedding party. But towards the end, the whole thing starts to feel like a pantomime - why did that stupid spider need so much screen time? Catherine Tate wasn't too bad - I despise her comedy show, but at least in this episode there wasn't any of this "Am I bothered?" rubbish coming from her - she's far better when she stays off the humour. David Tennant is once again a few sandwiches short of a picnic and slightly too jolly, but we can accept that. After all, Doctor Who is meant to be completely bonkers and unrealistic, and this Christmas special promises great things for the third series. A car chase featuring the Tardis and lots of Christmas-related villainy are amongst the best things you'll find in this episode - I'm sure that Series 3 will be absolutely spiffing. 8/10

Worth waiting for

[little_woman86 · 8/10 · 25 December 2006]

The run away bride as a Christmas special was fantastic, with all the sadness of eastenders Doctor who brought back that little piece of fun. Catherine Tate was superb and David Tennant was brilliant as always (and as tasty as always too) After doomsday I wasn't sure if I could laugh again knowing that Rose had gone and the doctor was grieving, however, I was chuckling all the way through and it was nice to see that even through all that chaos the doctor still had time to remember his now lost friend. The episode was full of wit and their transport devises had me in stitches and the spider monster was great I really have nothing bad to say about this episode.

I did notice and maybe others did too, but did anyone else notice how in that episode so many of the settings were similar to ones we've seen before. For example, when they are climbing that ladder (new earth) the whole underground layer (new earth) when Donna is walking around the outside of the tardis( first episode ever). There almost seem to be and under layer of episodes put together in a memory of Rose, but it was very subtle to see.

I recommend that people see this, if they haven't already.

Donna Kebab

[southdavid · 6/10 · 13 January 2021]

The second Christmas special of the "Nu Who" era again works as a transitional episode, this time with companions though, rather than the Doctor himself.

Bereft from the loss of Rose, the Doctor (David Tennant) is baffled to find a woman in a wedding dress stood in the Tardis. Pulled away whilst walking down the aisle, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) is equally lost and terrified to arrive in the Tardis. Whilst returning Donna to her wedding, the pair are attacked by robotic Santa's, but as last year, they are an exploratory force for a conniving evil, one whose plan has been billions of years in the making.

There's lots I don't like about this episode. Principally, I don't like Donna. I wasn't much of a fan of Catherine Tate's comedy at the time (though I did like some of her later acting roles) and her shouting here wore me down pretty quickly. I think I did warm to Donna during her season as the companion though. I didn't like the villain, or more specifically her plan, which makes no sense when you consider the plan B that she uses. I particularly don't like the idea of the Tardis actively travelling, rather than just materialising somewhere instantly. I understand it's needed for the plot of the episode, but it rather undermines the way the show works.

Overall though, despite those aspects I didn't like, it's not that bad. It's a knockabout episode with a bit of action, a few laughs, a decent character twist and an early reference to "Saxon" that would be a season three runner. The Doctor starts to work through the loss of Rose, which again would be a runner in the season to come.

Cheeky Christmas Special

[claire-353 · 9/10 · 8 January 2007]

First aired on Christmas Day 2006, I really enjoyed this episode.

Tennant plays the Doctor with his tongue so firmly in his cheek he's almost blowing raspberries at the "die hard" fans who cannot enjoy an episode unless they can find fault with it and prove their devoted fanaticism.

I wasn't sure about Catherine Tate as The Bride at first. However, once I got past the "Am I bovvered?" voice in my head I really enjoyed her performance as a sharp-tongued nice-but-dim Essex girl trying to make it to the alter on time.

Doctor Who is quite formulaeic (each episode is a variation of the same theme) - aliens attack, Earth is under threat, the Doctor saves the world, girl in tow to give him simpering look and viewers feel the air of melancholy as we all know the Doctor must remain a solitary being... This episode is no different (hope I haven't ruined the plot!!) but Tennant and Tate spark together very effectively - there are some laugh out loud moments in this episode, some great special effects and I felt the previous reviewers judgement was narrow-mindedly harsh. TV like this is made to entertain, and this episode certainly does!

a lot of angry people in this special

[marchumim · 6/10 · 30 January 2021]

Sometimes there are "good goofy" doctor who episodes, and sometimes there are "bad goofy" ones. This was one of the bad ones.

Don't get me wrong, i'm far from hating it. But just casually making earth the center of the spider-racnoss people's species is so...so strange.

I actually really liked donna, I enjoyed how she was intentionally annoying. Every companion in new doctor who (I haven't seen the original) has been young, wide-eyed individuals. So to have someone so opposed to the doctor's antics is really interesting. His charm just doesn't work on her, and I thought that new dynamic was really clever.

But an evil fiancé working with a spider lady, just because? That was real cheesy, and they just kinda fed all that exposition to us in one minute, not letting us digest (ew sorry) much before the next action scene.

Sad that donna didn't come with, i hope we see her another time. Overall, though, this is a pretty forgettable Christmas special.

Christmas '06

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 22 March 2021]

I think this was another great episode, it had much more of a Christmas feel than the last Christmas episode (but it still didn't feel completely Christmasy) we saw the return of the evil Santas and the Christmas Tree of Doom which was nice and this was in my view certainly a great episode.

Slightly disappointing Christmas special despite excellent TARDIS set-piece

[DVD_Connoisseur · 7/10 · 27 December 2006]

As the end credits rolled on Christmas Day, I was left feeling distinctly underwhelmed by "The Runaway Bride". Following the previous Christmas special ("The Christmas Invasion"), I had high expectations. Unfortunately, the 2006 special is something of a damp squib although it does have its moments.

The usually horrendously annoying Catherine Tate appears as The Doctor's temporary companion following the loss of Rose Tyler at the end of the last season. I've never understood the appeal of Ms. Tate and this production has done little to shed any light on this mystery. Her early scenes are ham-fisted and poorly executed. However, by the end of this story, Tate has partially redeemed herself as she does bring moments of comedy to the proceedings.

There are some saving graces for this production. Firstly, David Tennant is as entertaining as always. Long may his travels in the TARDIS continue - he's going to be a very tough act to follow. Tennant reveals a little more of what makes his Doctor tick in "The Runaway Bride". I have no doubts that the best is yet to come.

Secondly, there is the excellent and genuinely exciting TARDIS chase scene. I won't say anymore but this was a spectacular set-piece and it showed just how far the production values have improved.

Although my initial reaction to this special is one of disappointment, it's far from being a total disaster. For a Christmas episode, though, this lacked festive sparkle and left me feeling more than a tad disappointed. However, this is a Doctor caught in the midst of change and the tone reflects this. Even Russell T. Davies' script seemed without its usual magic and zest, although there are a few sizzling one-liners. Previous (brief) Xmas enemies were shoe-horned into the production without really adding anything to plot-development. The script seemed a little dull and director Euros Lyn fails to set proceedings truly alight although there are some memorable scenes.

The usually easy-on-the-eye Sarah Parish is practically unrecognisable as the evil Empress Of Rachnos. 10 out of 10 for the effects guys, they've done a sterling job in creating this new spider-monster. Parish herself is a lot of fun and fills her screen time with an over-the-top but successful and likable performance. It's a shame her appearance is limited - she's a very watchable villain with a wicked sense of humour.

The delightfully pretty Krystal Archer appears briefly as Tate's nemesis, Nerys and makes the most of her small role. Don Gilet is also amusing as "The Runaway Bride"'s fiancée, Lance.

As a stop-gap between series, "The Runaway Bride" serves its purpose. I imagine, though, that Tennant's Doctor will weep with relief that his next long-term companion isn't Catherine Tate.

As a teaser, the episode finishes with a tantalising glimpse of the next series. Although a fleeting compilation of scenes can be deceptive, the next series looks simply amazing and promises the return of some familiar characters.

Bravo!

[wetmars · 10/10 · 10 August 2020]

This episode is somewhat kinda underrated, I really liked it. Donna was a great character, great chemistry with the Doctor, man, she's my most favorite companion out of all of them, she's funny, she had a hilarious introduction, a brilliant companion, and smart.

Tennant also did a good job! Loved the scene where the Doctor was staying with the Empress when they were gonna drown to the center of Earth, the dark side of the Doctor...

Good Episode

[Loops2112 · 7/10 · 12 October 2008]

I really enjoyed this episode, despite the technical TARDIS errors such as detailed by a few other people who've commented. I think we have to accept that this kind of programme is never going to be completely flawless and get on with it otherwise we just ruin our enjoyment - there's just too much history over the decades for it to be absolutely perfect.

This episode saw the end of Rose and a brief interlude with Donna, the dippy yet feisty bride, picked up in error by the Doctor. Personally I found her to be quite good fun. I always found Rose to be a bit drippy and Donna certainly wasn't that. I know I'm in a minority here, but that's tough, I quite liked Donna - this could be because I haven't been living in the UK for a few years and as such haven't been subjected to a Catherine Tate overload like the rest of the population!

The only problem I had with this episode was that it was supposed to be Christmas and was quite clearly shot in the middle of summer! But there you go, like I say, you can't have everything.

Hardly A Special Story

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 25 June 2008]

After Catherine Tate appeared in the final episode of Doomsday fandom went in to meltdown as to her casting and led to the first murmurings that Russell T Davies should step down as executive producer . These rumblings were ridiculous and I was going to wait until after I saw her in the role of Donna Noble before passing judgment . After seeing her I thought Tate was okay in the role but The Runaway Bride was slightly less than an okay story

One weakness is the rather univolving plot . It's one of those stories in which there's a lot of running around but not much else . There's also bits that didn't seem thought through very well such as the return of the killer santas ( Were they included just to show that it was a Christmas special ? ) or having the villain washed down a plug hole . As for the villain herself Sarah Parish was absolutely terrible and her performance ranks alongside those seen in the Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy eras . Why do normally capable thespians snarl and cackle like some pantomime dames in these type of roles ?

Hopefully the little ones enjoyed this story than more critical adult fans of the show

Half decent Episode...

[Dr_Yang · 6 August 2011]

Lets start with what this episode did well...

Firstly, The TARDIS chasing the London cab being driven by a robot down the motorway. Brilliant! Some brilliant dialogue and some brilliant acting (from Tennant at least) and a genuinely tense scene, even though I'm fairly certain we all new she was going to jump. Kudos to the effects team though, it looked excellent!

Secondly, it did well to bridge the gap between series 2 and 3. We saw The Doctor trying to get over the loss of Rose, and although this wan't played on too much when it was done it was done well and I'm pleased these scenes took up some of the time in this episode rather than any from the next series

Finally this episode showed a darker side to The Doctor. A side that would kill off an entire species. This is something that's been missing from a lot of NuWho and I'm pleased they brought it into this episode.

Now onto what they didn't do too well (Basically two of the actors)

Firstly Catherine Tate. While she improved as the episode went on, and she certainly improved when she was made a full time companion, for the majority of this episode she just seems to get by on shrieking her lines and it gets a bit tedious after about a minute.

However Catherine Tate loses out on the worst performance award to Sarah Parish as the Empress. I realise this was probably down to the direction rather than Parish herself but the way she delivers her lines is just plain annoying. To me anyway.

So, overall a good episode that could have been great if Tate and Parish hadn't been cast (or at least directed in a different way)

Runaway Success

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 9/10 · 14 January 2019]

Christmas Special introducing Donna Noble for a one off adventure before she returned as the regular companion for the Doctor in Series 4.

Stroppy bride Donna is mysteriously transported from her wedding to the TARDIS and the Doctor finds that she is linked inadvertently to an alien plot. The Doctor and Donna end up facing the Racnoss and trying to stop them destroying the world.

Donna worried me as I felt comedian Catherine Tate would be too broad and caricatured in her portrayal to suit the show but I was wrong. Tate is funny and whilst being comedic and 'larger than life' in some ways it works brilliantly because she is so skilled in making it real enough and showing more depth beneath the brash exterior. Her chemistry with Tennant's Doctor is superb and this leads to Donna becoming one of my favourite companions when she returns for a full time role later. In this special episode Donna is great fun and provides a lot of laughs as well as some good drama.

The story itself is fun and has some exciting action including a great chase involving the TARDIS as well as a very dramatic conclusion. It may have a few minor flaws and less impressive aspects but nothing drastic and the script and performances lift it to higher standards. Overall it is an excellent entertaining adventure. 9/10.

There Goes The Bride!

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 26 December 2006]

With 'The Christmas Invasion' in 2005, 'Dr.Who' effectively displaced 'Only Fools & Horses' as the 'must-see' B.B.C. Christmas Day programme. The king is dead, long live the king. With Billie Piper gone, 'The Runaway Bride' needed to be good - fortunately, it was. Very good indeed.

Beginning with secretary Donna Noble being spirited away from her wedding and dumped aboard the Tardis ( thereby removing the need for a lengthy reprise of Rose's tearful departure from 'Doomsday' ), the show was a tour de force of witty one-liners, great S.F.X. and nifty performances. Had it been twenty-five minutes longer it could have passed for a decent feature film. The Tardis chasing the taxi was worth tuning in for alone. I laughed out loud when the children in the car mouthed 'Jump!'.

Before last Christmas, we wondered how David Tennant would shape up as the Doctor. Well, now we know - he is excellent. He handled with aplomb the humorous aspects of 'Bride', particularly his exchanges with Donna and later, the Empress of The Rachnoss. But his heartbreak at losing Rose had not dissipated - he saw her at the wedding reception. I hope his departure from the role is a long way off. I have to admit to not being a fan of Catherine Tate's T.V. show, but here she made a good contrast with Rose, being older, louder, brasher and - dare I say it - common as muck, but becoming gradually more sympathetic as the story progressed. When Lance stuck the knife in, you were on her side. As for Sarah Parish as the Empress, what a performance! That make-up job must have been hell! Nice that we didn't see her actual death. A return appearance would be welcome.

The plot may have been thin, but 'Bride' pushed all the right buttons; it had action, comedy, tragedy and, above all, spectacle. The finale in the Empress' underground lair was literally stupendous. If you watched 'Emmerdale' instead - more fool you! Three cheers to B.B.C. Wales for producing yet another seasonal treat!

Funny but a little underwhelming

[dkiliane · 7/10 · 18 February 2019]

Right off the heels of the melodrama that was the season two finale this fun and humorous romp was a welcome change of pace for me. Although since it starts exactly where the season two finale left off it does undercut just a little the emotional poignancy of the events that took place just minutes before but oh well.

Catherine Tate is very entertaining as the headstrong yet deceptively vulnerable Donna Noble. I enjoyed the dynamic between her and the Doctor, the clashing banter between the two giving way to a charming friendship as the special progressed was a breath of fresh air and I was glad to get away from the awkward sexual tension that developed between the Doctor and Rose. The humor was very entertaining with the chemistry generated by David Tennant and Catherine Tate being spot on in their roles.

The story unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired with a lackluster villain - - the spider-like Racnoss queen that is both irritating and in the end easily defeated. An alien spaceship blown up by human tank technology? Seemed like a rather lazy and convenient conclusion to me. And the makeup effects were not great either. Seems like they just told the actress to stand their and snarl a lot; very campy.

But even though it definitely somewhat loses in the final act, overall it was a fun special. On to season three! :) 7.5/10

Much better than a lot of folks say

[23skidoo-4 · 9/10 · 19 June 2007]

Although by definition a Christmas special should be standalones, The Runaway Bride includes a lot of set-up for season 3, as well as some genuinely chilling moments.

True, the action tends to get a bit comical at times, and Catherine Tate is extremely annoying for the first 1/3 of the episode, until she gets a chance to calm down; her final scenes are wonderful. Since Donna was never intended to be a permanent companion, it's hard to judge whether she would have passed muster. Maybe when the time comes for Martha Jones to leave the TARDIS, Donna Noble and Catherine Tate might be given another go.

What got me about this episode was how it went from comical to action-packed to pitch black in tone within the space of minutes. The use of one name -- the Doctor's home planet, mentioned by name for the first time since the 1996 TV movie -- turned the episode into one of the darkest episodes of the new Doctor Who, while the use of another name gave it one of the new series' most poignant moments.

On first viewing, The Runaway Bride is somewhat off-putting. Watch it a couple of times, though, and the layers begin to reveal themselves.

Hilarious episode with a great comedic duo

[lisafordeay · 7/10 · 25 January 2023]

The Runaway Bride is a 2006 Christmas episode on Season 2 starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

After the climax of Season 2 Ep 13 with the Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose Tyler(Billie Piper) parting ways during the void in Torchwood,the Doctor meets a mysterious woman named Donna Noble wearing a wedding dress(Catherine Tate) standing in his Tardis. So it's up to the Doctor to find out how she got here and to bring her back to her wedding. Question is how did she get transported to the Doctors Tardis and why?.

Overall I found this episode to be hilarious. The comedic timing of both David and Catherine was really good.

It was nice seeing Catherine Tate joining David Tennant in this one off special and to team up with him again in Season 4 with Freeya Freeman(who plays Martha Jones).

A Festive Romp with a Dash of Darkness

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 4 April 2024]

The Runaway Bride is a Christmas special bursting with fun, but carries an unexpected depth. It's a spirited introduction for the unforgettable Donna Noble and offers a glimpse of the darkness that haunts the Tenth Doctor. It's a solid 8 out of 10, a bit uneven but highly enjoyable.

Catherine Tate explodes onto the scene as Donna. Loud, brash, and overflowing with attitude, she's a perfect foil to Tennant's charming Doctor. Their chemistry is hilarious, and their dynamic fuels much of the episode's energy. The plot itself, involving a giant spider under London, is a classic Doctor Who setup - silly, a bit scary, and perfect for the holiday season.

What elevates "The Runaway Bride" is David Tennant's performance. This isn't just a light Christmas romp; the Doctor carries a hint of sadness and a hidden anger that makes him more compelling. It's a subtle performance, but crucial to the episode's lingering impact.

Where the episode falters slightly is in the supporting characters and some pacing hiccups. Donna's family is largely caricatures, and the resolution relies a bit too heavily on technobabble. However, these don't take away from the sheer fun of the core adventure.

The Runaway Bride is a delicious mix of humor, action, and a touch of darkness. It's a strong debut for Donna Noble, and offers a satisfying stand-alone story alongside hints at deeper issues for the Doctor. It's a festive treat, well-suited to newcomers and dedicated fans alike.

Obviously a hard act to follow

[warlordartos · 7/10 · 10 March 2021]

This episode as a whole is probably more of a 6/10. I didn't enjoy the episode at all really, The arachnid antagonist is only okay as far as Who villains go. What gets this to a 7/10 is seeing the doctor go dark, watching as he kills, all because he's grieving over the loss of Rose, and then seeing him be pulled out of it by Donna and realizing he's taking out his anger in a bad way and for the wrong reasons.

Charming

[zuyuu · 8/10 · 8 October 2023]

The Runaway Bride is a good mix of chaos, perfect for the damaged Doctor coming from the tragedy that was Doomsday. Catherine Tate is amazing in her first episode, so good that she comes back again in season 4. Her and the Doctor mesh so well and are just so funny. The comedic value sort of makes up for the odd pacing and plot. My main gripe with the episode is that it's just not very christmas-y. For a christmas special, I expect green and red and presents and stuff, not just a wedding and a big red spider. I think with just a bit more tweaking, it could have been way better, but, honestly, it's fine as is. Not perfect, but charming nonetheless: 7.8/10.

bridging the gap

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 25 January 2007]

Catherine Tate showed up in the last few moments of the second series finale of Doctor Who as a woman on her wedding day who inexplicably pops up in the TARDIS, much to the perplexment of the Doctor. Which served to carry on into the Christmas special where we learn her name, Donna, and back story. Perhaps this is because the character of Rose was such an integral part of Doctor Who since the latest incarnation, perhaps it's because I found Donna to be quite annoying for the first 20 or so minutes of this special, perhaps because the first half seemed to be a bit of fun, but insubstantial fluff. In all probability a combination of the three aforementioned gripes, but I couldn't help but feel that this wasn't as good as last year's special. Not to say it was bad at all, on the contrary it DID pick up steam greatly after the first 20 minutes and I ended up enjoying it overall. Still I'm glad that Tate isn't going to be the next companion. I can't wait for the new series!!

My Grade: B-

Am I Bothered?

[lukepic123 · 2/10 · 3 March 2007]

I was waiting the whole episode for that line form Catherine Tate. Now casting her as a doctor who assistant was a bit of an error on the director of casting. After watching that series of Catherine Tate show i just could not take her seriously. The Tardis going down the motorway was also a bit daft! I hope the rest of the series will be better than this, story was stupid too. Its been through the good old throw in a bad joke and you get some ratings thing. Another major disappointment was seeing the stupid Santa clause robots, we have seen them once I wanted something new! Oh well, better luck next time doctor. Looking forward to series 3.