The Christmas Invasion

Like last season’s ‘The End of the World’, Russell T. Davis has delved into the Douglas Adams ideas box and reshaped the Vogon destruction of Earth into ‘The Christmas Invasion’ complete with a new Doctor in the guise of Arthur Dent. So far, so familiar.

Since this episode is being broadcast as the Big Christmas Hit, it is carefully – if not cynically - constructed to engage an audience who might not necessarily be watching. The first twenty minutes or so concentrate on Rose Tyler’s (Billie Piper) hapless family as they battle with their mundane Christmas and a host of festive horrors. The new Doctor sensibly stays in bed. We wouldn’t want to alienate the audience too soon. Stick with the folks we can relate to.

The next twenty minutes or so are culled straight from ‘Quatermass’ and are delivered with thrilling special effects and a dramatic score. After that, it’s Christmas pantomime time as David Tennant – revived by a cup of tea - strides out of the TARDIS (“He’s behind you!”) to confront the kind of highly camp, over-blown and two-dimensional villan that so typified ‘Doctor Who’ of old. To write the Doctor as Earth’s legendary saviour demands a powerful performance. This wasn’t it.

There’s a big plastic button that mustn’t be pressed, a gallant swordfight that we’ve seen in many adventure yarns normally scheduled for this time of year, and a big explosion. Oh, and there’s lots of London landmarks and union flags just to remind us all that the Doctor is British. Please!

As for the new Doctor, I kept yearning for the gravitas of previous incumbent, Christopher Eccleston. Tennant’s performance was overly enthusiastic and steeped in comedy (saving the day by throwing a satsuma). I never thought I’d see an episode of the current ‘Doctor Who’ which would remind me of Colin Baker’s overblown and clownish debut in ‘The Twin Dilemma’ – right down to the hackneyed scene of Tennant in the TARDIS wardrobe with a scarf around his neck.

Now that ‘Only Fools and Horses’ has shuffled off to the TV archives, I imagine we can look forward to annual festive adventures of the Tyler family. However, just what the production team will do, when Billie Piper finally departs (as indeed, she must) is anyone’s guess. Sending ‘Doctor Who’ away from the council estate and back into space seems highly unlikely.