The Christmas Invasion

Monday, 26 December 2005 - Reviewed by Ed Martin

The Christmas Invasion is an important episode of Doctor Who, not least because it introduces a new Doctor. It is the first Christmas special for forty years (to the day); it is the first Christmas special to exist in the BBC's archives, and it is the first Christmas special to exist independently of a wider story. The fact that it is written by Russell T. Davies carries negative connotations for many (myself included) but I was in a forgiving mood for this one: a Christmas special is intrinsically campier and less serious than a regular episode and so I am prepared to let quite a lot go. However, I did watch this with my cousins who are not fans and hadn't seen the new series; hence, for this episode only I present the cousin-o-meter, the little barometer with which fannish elements that people can't be expected to get without having seen the series can be judged.

The first scene is one of Jackie laying out a present sadly; this is not her first Christmas without Rose (her daughter having been away for twelve months between Rose and Aliens Of London), so the last time must have seen her hammering on the walls. At least she knows where she is (give or take a galaxy) this time round. The TARDIS landing is quite spectacular, even if it doesn't quite convince as the model is moving much more slowly than the CGI version. Tennant is playing the Doctor as a complete lunatic from the word go here, but no more so than Tom Baker did in Robot, and he does have a charisma that Christopher Eccleston lacked.

Jackie's line of "anything else he's got two of?" upon learning of his hearts is something I really can't let go, as it sees Davies indulging in his usual predilection for smut; the simple fact that children won't get it isn't a good reason to be so lowbrow in a show that, if it was genuinely true to its roots, should remain intelligent. Another big flaw in the episode comes from the moment we first see Harriet Jones: if you haven't seen World War Three then large portions of this episode seem very poorly plotted as my cousins demonstrated. Also of note is the fact that people only question the Doctor's identity very briefly, before largely accepting him. Then again the episode is only an hour long so I must ask myself what I was expecting.

The probe Guinevere One getting sucked into the Sycorax ship is very dramatic for the simple reason that what's actually happened hasn't been revealed; this story has been justifiably compared to Independence Day, and my favourite part of that distinctly average film is right up until stuff starts to happen, as the anticipation and mystery really sell the story.

The killer Santas are quite good and creepy (I don't think I'm the first to see a link to Terror Of The Autons), but much less is made of them than the episode's marketing led me to believe. The Christmas tree scene is even wackier but also good, with the jaunty music giving an edge of creepiness; for the first time Davies gets the balance between humour and scares just right (unlike, say, that interminable space pig). However, Mickey's attempt at waving a chair in front of it is very flatly done: James Hawes, who did an amazing job with The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, seems to have a bit of a weak spot for action scenes. The explanation of "pilot fish" is a very thin veil over a simple plot device to get a bit of action into the first half of the story; arguably it would have worked better if they had been excised altogether, which would have allowed for more time to introduce the Sycorax ship and to iron out some of the plot holes. That said, it is an interesting concept and raises the question of whether these things are actually part of the Sycorax (they have the same teleporter technology) or whether they are a separate race that just tags along. Another big feature is that they show up how Christmas doesn't affect the episode on more than a surface level, unlike for example Ghost Light where the plot and setting are linked so strongly that its themes of human evolution wouldn't work in any other context.

Jackie's incredibly shrill "what do you need" verbal explosion takes a year off my life every time I see it and stands as one of the new series's most annoying moments, putting me in mind of a pneumatic drill that's slipped away from its user and is now skidding around uncontrollably. The Doctor finding an apple in his dressing gown is a funny moment, but takes on a slightly sadder edge when you realise that it sets up the ending.

The Sycorax's first appearance on the television is an amazingly dramatic moment, one of the episode's best, and sees Hawes atoning for his work on the actions scenes of the episode. What is interesting is that the American newsreader from World War Three makes an appearance; she was named "Mal Loup" in those scripts, technically making it a bad wolf reference. It is great to see UNIT back in action, and even better not to see them being rubbed in our faces. Penelope Wilton is a classy actress, and shows up the pretty but wooden Anita Breim as Sally.

Access to UNIT's web site is a poor moment for not being explained, as it is assumed that the viewer has seen World War Three; my cousins (who hadn't) didn't take to this scene at all well, drowning out the next five minutes with jokes. In any case, you'd think that after their site was hacked into and a missile launched at Downing Street UNIT would have changed their password. The Sycorax's speech is great though, a combination of effective sound modulation, superb acting from Sean Gilder as the leader and a convincing-sounding alien language.

The little baby steps into the world of satire fall flat (again), and the idea that UNIT can translate an alien language in five hours is also daft and scored high on the cousin-o-meter. I know that UNIT have a lot of technology, but the plot device of allowing them and Torchwood to be able to do pretty much anything starts to wear thin long before the episode closes.

The blood-control scene is truly brilliantly done, with Hawes really shining; what he lacks in action scenes he makes up for in those of pure atmosphere. The scene is creepier for not being excessively showy, but the image of thousands of people perched on rooftops is one that most Hollywood blockbusters would kill for. The explanation of A+ blood is a nice one, although the fact that they draw that conclusion from three examples out of two billion shows up the time limitations of the new series – and isn't it funny how none of the major characters have A+ blood? However, I should say that Anita Breim is much better suited to playing a zombie.

Billie Piper's upset acting is some of her bet for the series, and by drawing the viewer's attention it makes the sonic explosion more of a shock. The sonic wave effect is a well thought-out plot point (unusual for Davies) and a good effect, although I do have two criticisms: firstly, thousands of people should be wandering round London with burst and bleeding eardrums, and aren't; secondly, the exposition could be better done than to have Llewellyn leap up and yell out what's just happened in a single line. The Sycorax ship in all its glory looks truly magnificent even though the idea of a stone spaceship is straight out of Ghost Light. A good idea, however, is a good idea. I notice that Big Ben, although it's difficult to see, seems to be set at 7:40am which should mean that it's pitch black in late December (maybe Earth's in a miniscope). The teleporter effect is great, as is the interior of the Sycorax ship; the Sycorax are such well designed and thought-out monsters that it's hard to believe that they come from the same man who invented the dismal Slitheen. My only question is why there are no references to The Tempest after Davies decided to name the monsters after Caliban's mother. Anyone who tells me that it's too much to bring in Shakespeare into a family show will be hunted down for sport, especially since there was a time where the Doctor would quote from the bard at once a season. Llewellyn's death looks absolutely great, although another cousin-o-meter moment occurs when the Major responds by invoking the Geneva Convention.

We now see the TARDIS interior for the first time, and it's much better lit; in the first series it was so garish and bright that it almost induced nausea, but now the lighting is much more natural and flat and works much better. The Doctor's revival with tea is an extremely silly moment that I'm prepared to overlook (just keep telling yourself that it's a Christmas special), but the reveal with him stepping through the doors is corny in the extreme – however, Gilder slipping into English highlights his performance further. He feels like an original series villain; one thing that the first of the new series had lacked was an authentic ranter. The Doctor's conversation with Rose shows Davies indulging himself a bit too much (again), and the Doctor says "literally" twice in two minutes, leading to a desperate hope that this isn't going to be his catchphrase.

The sword-fight is controversial – is it different to the Doctor holding a gun? However, it must be noted that the Doctor does not intend to kill the leader. Again though the action isn't brilliantly directed; the shots set against the ground as seen from the wing of the ship look fake, and there isn't a lot of wind (but plenty of oxygen) at several thousand feet. The Doctor growing his hand back is a nice touch but I'm really not convinced about the fifteen hours: the TARDIS lands during daylight on Christmas Eve and this scene is set on Christmas Morning, meaning that more like sixteen or seventeen hours must have passed since the regeneration – and that's a conservative guess. However, the death of the Sycorax leader is silly, not just because it's done with a Satsuma but because of the gigantic contrivance of having a button for collapsing the part of the wing that the leader is standing on. It is over too abruptly, and his fall is another unconvincing effect. The real reason this is unsatisfying is that it uses a comedy moment to resolve the plot, undermining the viewer's capacity to take it or the monster seriously and consequently taking a bit of edge out of the final twist. It is, however, important to know that the Sycorax break their promises.

The last scenes see Spearhead From Space and Doctor Who And The Silurians references almost back to back; the final twist of having London turn into a Death Star is an interesting one although the Doctor's reaction is overstated – it worked better in The Silurians when the episode ended with a shot of the Doctor's wordless, disgusted face. However, the wardrobe scene is a fun fan moment, and the end scene is nicely heart-warming in a bittersweet way.

Many of the criticisms I have made I am prepared to forget about simply because this is a Christmas special. That said there are many wonderful moments, not least of which being the superb monsters. As it is The Christmas Invasion is daft and campy flimflam that just so happens to be hugely enjoyable.





FILTER: - Specials - Tenth Doctor - Television