The Christmas Invasion

One of my own personal reservations about the Aliens of London / World War Three two-parter when it aired earlier this year was that, for an alien invasion happening slap-bang in the middle of London – even one subsequently denied away as a hoax – it didn’t feel nearly epic enough. It seemed to want to be an alien invasion version of Davies’s excellent ITV return-of-Christ drama The Second Coming but couldn’t quite hack it.

This time, however, an epic feel is given to proceedings by the excellent direction of James Hawes, the man who so successfully helped the poll-winning The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances two-parter last year. He brings a cinematic touch to proceedings while at the same time never allowing the visuals to come at the expense of Davies’ witty and well-structured script, which is also a vast improvement over his previous alien invasion effort, and one of the best stories he has so far turned in for the series he has so successfully masterminded the revival of.

The major success of Davies’s scripting of The Christmas Invasion comes in the balance of the dark and the humorous, a balance he strikes just about perfectly here. It’s not a completely lightweight romp, but it has more than enough humour and lighter material for both the timeslot and the transmission date – slap bang in the middle of Christmas Day prime time – but also enough of a dark and sinister side to give it that good old-fashioned menacing Doctor Who feel. The Sycorax really feel like a credible threat, albeit somewhat in the tried and tested old-fashioned Doctor Who mould – a race of aliens who all look the same with one evil leader who speaks for them all. Mind you, when the leader is being played with as much relish as Sean Gilder seizes the part with, it’s pretty difficult to complain about that!

The style of the aliens is not, of course, the only kiss to the pass included here. There are all sorts of loving touches – the return of UNIT once more, who look like a credible organisation with a bit of budget behind them, just for a change; the brief appearance of a season eighteen-style Fourth Doctor scarf near the end, and even nods to The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and – one admittedly appreciated fully only via the website, you can’t see the logo on screen doubtless for fear of giving poor old Nigel Kneale a heart attack – the British Rocket Group.

More importantly for the current incarnation of the series, however, familiar elements from the previous season are on hand to reassure viewers that despite the change of lead actor this is still the same programme. Rose, of course, struggling to accept that this is the same man before finally joyously realising that this really is her friend – “No argument from me!” Mickey and Jackie, who continue to improve and become more familiar and friendly as characters, with Jackie in particular looking as if she gets on far better with the Tenth Doctor than she did with the Ninth. And of course Harriet Jones.

Jones was one of the hits of Aliens of London / World War Three, no doubt almost entirely because of the performance of the actress the part was specifically written for, Penelope Wilton. Wilton is excellent again here, as the audience is taken on a somewhat surprising journey, being made at the end of the programme someone we’re supposed to dislike. It’s actually fairly heartbreaking in a way, Jones having been such a likeable and friendly character – I’m always reminded of Shaun Lyon’s memorable line about wanting to go home and eat cake with her when I think of her. Yet here she is destroying a retreating alien vessel and finding herself the target of the new Doctor’s venom.

Ah yes, the new Doctor. What kind of a man is he? Well, if The Christmas Invasion is anything to go by, a pretty amazing one. It’s a surprise looking back to find just how much of the hour he is absent from, as when he does appear on the scene fully-working and raring to go, he absolutely steals the show. Christopher Eccleston is one of my favourite actors and has been for years, but I have to say that even in just the time he had here, David Tennant shows the makings of a far more memorable incarnation of the Doctor. Witty, charismatic and charming, he also has the slightly sinister edge many of the truly great Doctors have had, the desire to do what is right and proper and a firm sense of morality. Tennant is excellent at both sides to the character, when delivering funny lines – “can’t get the staff!” – or when dressing down Harriet Jones or doing the “no second chances” bit.

There’s a wonderfully uplifting sense to the character as well – the idea of a new beginning, a new man and someone you really want to be with at that. His costume selection in the TARDIS wardrobe – another new room at last! – accompanied by that happy song is a great bit, as is the somewhat surreal sight of the Doctor sitting down to Christmas dinner, complete with crackers and silly paper hat. The Ninth Doctor very firmly didn’t “do domestic”, but the Tenth seems to be rather more amenable about fitting in with local customs.

And then we even get snow! Undercut in typical Doctor Who fashion with the dark revelation of what the substance falling from the sky actually is. The ‘snow’ looks fantastic anyway, but that probably doesn’t need saying as the entire episode looks absolutely wonderful. So many triumphs from the director, the designers and The Mill – the Sycorax ship, the use of the Tower of London as the UNIT headquarters, and destruction of the Gherkin… It all looks superb, suitably epic and brings a real feeling of glossiness and expense to the show.

Murray Gold’s music is also turned up a notch in quality, or at least given a different feeling and texture by the use of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for a fully-orchestrated incidental score and a new rendition of the closing theme. It sounds wonderful, and fully justifies the expense. You have the feeling – as happened so often with the last season – that everyone has come together to put in their all and bring to the screen the very best episode of Doctor Who they could possibly make.

And what’s even better is that this is just the start of the Tenth Doctor’s era! There’s so much more to come, and I doubt I was alone in wanting to follow the Doctor and Rose’s journey to those stars they were pointing up at right away. Instead we have to wait until the spring, but kindly the BBC did at least allow us a sneaky glance at the future adventures in store with the “Coming Soon!” trailer at the end of the show. And didn’t that look absolutely marvellous? The Face of Boe! Sarah Jane Smith! K9! Queen Victoria! Cybermen! Oh my giddy aunt!

I absolutely cannot wait for the second season, but before that we’ve been given a truly spectacular Christmas gift in The Christmas Invasion. This is a truly wonderful episode, perfectly judged for the festive season and fully deserving of its pride of place in the BBC schedules.

And we even know already we’re getting another Christmas special next year! Hurrah! Roll on 2006 – it’s going to be amazing.