Christmas is Coming for London

When Doctor WhoThe longest running sci-fi franchise (at least in terms of sheer seasons), Doctor Who has seen cancelations, relaunches, and reboots, but the core of the series remains the same: a madman in a box traveling through time and space. returned after nearly twenty years without a regular series on the air (and only one TV movie attempt at a revival), it was cause for much celebration. The series was a landmark of British television, and there were those among the modern audience that still questioned why the series had ever been canceled (reportedly among those questioning that decision was the Queen herself). But the show was back, it was revived and fresh and better than ever. it was going absolutely nowhere and would see the 9th Doctor, played by Christopher Eccelston, have a long and successful career on the series for many, many season to- oh, right, he left after one year.

Normally, the loss of a lead actor (and, in this case, the title character's actor) would be a death blow for a series. We just got Doctor Who back and already it was struggling to keep the train on the tracks. But thankfully, with one casting move, the series was able to re-cement itself and truly show that it was here to stay. That casting move was, of course, bringing on David Tennant as the 10th Doctor. The producers just had to find a way to introduce him, and give him an adventure worth of this new regeneration, so that audiences could grow to know, and love, the new Doctor. And they found a way with "The Christmas Invasion".

This episode is incredibly well crafted, tackling the issue of losing a Doctor and getting a new one head on. While fans of the classic series were used to the Doctor regenerating every three to seven years (give or take per incarnation), there was a twenty year gap in between seasons of the show, and a whole new generation just getting used to the series. They weren't ready to let go of "their" Doctor, and they might not have even know what all of this regeneration stuff was all about. Now, thirteen seasons later (as of this writing), Doctor Who has once again gotten the changing of actors in the lead role to feel old hat and natural. But after only one season, back in 2006, that was quite a feat to pull off. And the episode does it with aplomb.

Tennant's Doctor takes the stage in the first scene, trying to explain to a very freaked out Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) that he's still the same guy, more or less. Same memories, same knowledge, same core personality that shines through in every incarnation. New face, same man deep down. But then his regeneration goes a little sideways, leaving him sick. The TARDIS crashes and Rose is forced to drag an unconscious Doctor out. Thankfully they were already headed for her home, so when they crash in London at Christmastime, Rose is able to enlist the help of her boyfriend, Mickey (Noel Clarke), and her mother, Jackie (Camille Coduri). They drag him into Jackie's apartment and fret over what to do with him.

While that's going on, an invasion threatens not just London but the entire world. First weird Christmas decorations come to life, attacking people around the city. Then a spaceship appears over the city, with the aliens demanding to speak to a representative of the planet. We see Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton), British Prime Minister, declare herself a representative and she's immediately beamed into the alien planet. The aliens threated to kill a substantial portion of the planet, and they prove their threat by mind-controlling a bunch of people to walk to the edges of buildings and await kill orders. Rose realizes someone has to go to the aliens and if the Doctor is down for the count (and she thinks him truly dead), then she'll just have to play the part. Can Rose save the day? Is the Doctor really dead? At Christmas?!

"The Christmas Invasion" is, aptly, the first of the new Doctor Who's Christmas specials, and event that has become something of a tradition since (and we'll end up talking about a lot of these as, damn, the series just loves celebrating Christmas). This first one keeps the holiday cheer (and Christmas inspiration) to a staid minimum, with only a few metal Santas and one berserk tree as the major signs of the holiday (at least until the end celebratory sequence). This is an episode far more concerned with introducing the new Doctor and giving him a threat worthy of his talents.

On the first front, this episode really is brilliant when it comes to introducing David Tennant's Doctor. While, yes, he's down for the count for most of the episode, putting the emphasis on Rose and her family, when the Doctor does get and and do stuff, we get a clear indication of who his is and just how different he'll be from Eccelston's 9th. Instead of the reserved performance from Eccelston, which worked for his version of the character, Tennant brings manic energy to the role. He's a fast talker, running circles, mentally, around his foes, distracting them while he goes off and does his own thing, foiling their plans in the process. But there's also a thread of darkness, a take no prisoners attitude, when the monsters fail to take his hints and go away. He's different enough for Eccelston to feel like a new person, but the series gives us a lot to love her in one short episode.

Plus, let's be honest, even here in the first episode, Tennant is brilliant as the Doctor. He's in the role immediately and take it over completely. One episode into his run and it's already hard for me to remember why I liked Eccelston as much. Tennant, for most, truly is the Doctor and you can see why, right here, in his charisma and his performance. There's a reason they keep bringing him back to the series to play the Doctor, in one form or another, again and again. He's the favorite, naturally.

But that's not to downplay how the series works with Rose, as well. This is a good episode for her, showing her to be more than just a girl on an adventurer with an impossible man. The series does lean into her chemistry, her budding love for the Doctor, across most of her episodes with him, but here at least we can see why she catches his attention. She steps up and tries to defend the Earth when she doesn't have the Doctor, or his gadgets, or his ship, to help her. That's the kind of bravery and spirit that makes you worthy of the Doctor.

Meanwhile, the villains of the story, the Sycorax, are just menacing enough to feel like a proper threat. They aren't the Daleks or the Cybermen or any of the other recurring villains that the old series beat to death, and then the new series has beaten to death as well. That gives them an air of mystery. Their threats seem credible, the danger they pose imminent, and none of their actions are all that goofy or silly. They contrast nicely with the normal tone of Doctor Who to be a solid danger as the first adventure for this new Doctor. They're excellently crafted for this scenario.

The thing that works best, though, is that at this point in the series show-runner Russell T. Davies hadn't yet completely gotten himself hooked on over-writing and bombast. Despite the Sycorax being a potential world-ending event, Davies keeps the adventure measured and under control. Everything is logical, it all works and makes sense, and the solution the Doctor settles on feels earned. It could easily have gone over the top, or gotten treacly, but it doesn't. It's, in fact, one of the better Davies written episodes, by far.

We'll lambaste plenty of the later Christmas episodes as they come along, as not all of them are winners, but this one certainly doesn't need anything other than praise. As the first holiday special, and the first adventure for Tennant's 10th Doctor, "The Christmas Invasion" is a real winner. A high point for the "New Who" run that, incredibly enough, comes right at the start of it's first major regeneration.