Given the quality of the last season, and having enjoyed the short prelude to this story broadcast during Children in Need, my expectations for the Christmas Invasion were fairly high. Overall I was not disappointed. What was broadcast was a fairly entertaining story with something in it for everybody. For long term fans there were a couple of nods to the past – U.N.I.T and hints past Earth encounters with aliens. For more recent fans there were clear links to episodes from last season, particularly Aliens of London/World War Three (my favourite being the scaffolding around Big Ben). There were also some nice Christmassy elements combined with some emotional drama, light relief and a twist ending.

Other highlights included the performance of David Tennant. The Tenth Doctor is clearly an interesting character. He is very Doctorish, but was at the same time different from what has gone before. He seems to be more light-hearted than his immediate predecessor, yet at the same time he also seemed slightly more ruthless than any previous Doctor. His actions on the Sycorax and at the end against Harriet Jones show he will not tolerate any action he sees as wrong. This will make him a very dangerous opponent for his foes. Yet he also seems to have a far better relationship with humanity than the Ninth; enjoying Christmas dinner at Rose's house and being far more tolerant of Mickey and Jackie. Tennant captured this complicated character well and was clearly the ideal choice to replace Christopher Eccleston.

There were many other positive features. Billie Piper put in her usual excellent performance as Rose. Indeed none of the cast put in a bad performance in what was a very well acted piece. The visual and special effects were, for the most part, extremely good. The Sycorax and the Santa Robots were particularly well realised as were the scenes of their ship over London. The Sycorax were also quite an interesting race, although I would have liked to see more details of their culture and how the Doctor knew so much about it. Also the incidental music in this story was fairly enjoyable as was the different end theme arrangement.

However, this story had a few elements that disappointed me. Although the overall writing and direction was good, the first half contained too much silly comedy for my taste. Similarly, I felt the Doctor should have been introduced to the main action earlier. Lying in bed was a waste of the talents David Tenant and slowed the pace of the narrative. Additionally I thought the CGI space probe and the CGI TARDIS in the crash landing sequence were both too obviously computer generated. Certainly neither was up to the usual high standard of special effects the series has come to be noted for. I also found the idea of the Doctor challenging the Sycorax leader to combat too easy a resolution. That said the subsequent actions of Harriet Jones and the Doctor's response were brilliant; even if they were slightly reminiscent of Doctor Who and the Silurians.

Yet, these were really minor flaws and on the whole the story was a good Christmas romp.

"Of course not, Martians look completely different"

The Christmas Invasion was the one piece of TV programming that I was most looking forward to, albeit with a touch of trepidation with the talk of killer Christmas trees and a seasonal feel to the show. I needn't have worried.

I enjoyed the series with Chris Eccleston, but rarely felt that I was watching the Docotor I knew. David Tennant, even in the 5 minute sketch broadcast last month seemed to be already familiar to me. So I was not worried about his portrayal of the central character, but RTD's writing has not always convinced me. From my point of view I felt his episodes of the series were generally the weaker ones, with the over-reliance of 'deus ex machina' or companions saving the day.

Russel entirely redeemed himself with The Christmas Invasion. I imagine he had a good budget for this special episode, enabling the production team to use a full orchestra for the incidental music (and I am warming to Murray Gold's compositions), and to use some great sets.

I don't intend to dissect the plot, others do that admirably and most readers will be familiar with it. I will say that RTD has learned a classic Doctor Who tactic - frighten with everyday objects. The killer santas and Christmas tree were well realised (exepct the tree base which was poor CGI). I really liked the UNIT HQ, surely we will see UNIT again and hopefully in a greater capacity. I enjoyed David Lewellin's surprise that the PM and UNIT people knew of the existance of aliens, and Major Blake's line "Of course not, Martians look completely different".

"Surrender or they will die!"

The Sycorax leader and their ship were suitably impressive, though the sword fight was perhaps slow. Overall this episode had just a little Christmas feeling (enough to justify its time slot) but genuinely felt like Doctor Who of old, something RTD's previous scripts often failed to do. The humour was toned down to acceptable levels, the plot was good and the Doctor himself saved the day - which I feel is important. I've nothing against the companions occasionally saving the Doctor's bacon but that happened all too often in the Eccleston series.

It was entirely appropriate for the Doctor to spare the life of the Sycorax champion. I always felt Eccleston standing there while Cassandra died was out of character, and put that down to the Doctor being a changed man after the destruction of Gallifrey (of which I hope we will learn a good deal more). It was also appropriate for the Doctor to allow the "big guy" to die when he was double crossed.

A word for Harriet Jones, Prime Minister. Although her last minute poor decision to destroy a retreating ship may rule her character out of future appearances, what with her premiership hanging in the balance, I hope she re-appears in the future. I also hope that the references to Torchwood are kept to a minimum. I realise the BBC want to plug their new spinoff series but we don't need a reference every episode.

If I had to give a rating I'd say 7 or 8 out of 10. A very accomplished story, could have done with being 10 minutes longer so we saw more of the Santas and had some more dialogue but it was a fine piece of Doctor Who.

And so to the teaser for next year's series. All I can say is that it's got me, and the wife, anxiously waiting for spring! The brief clips from future adventures are, of course, designed to have that effect but they genuinely look exciting. The new Cyberman retains the essence of the previous incarnations while developing the concept - as has been the case since 1966. To me, he looks frightening and sad which always seemed to be the point of the Cybermen so top marks to the design team. Having rebuilt the Daleks successfully, roll on the silver baddies!

Ok….the Doctor is back in The Christmas Invasion (herein referred to as TCI). Well for about five minutes and then he’s asleep the next forty minutes, only to rise again to save the Earth in the last twenty. It was fun, it was slick, it was even a bit scary at points – but was it really any good?

Well the answer is yes… and no! My initial response to it is it is quite good until the Doctor wakes up. I was quite involved in the plight of the human race and Harriet Jones desperately trying to keep their collective heads above water as the Sycorax descended upon them… but as for the Tyler family melodramas….oh dear.

TCI is much better than Russell T Davies’ similar outing from season one, namely Aliens of London/World War Three. It is executed in a much sharper manner. Suspense is built up at the right pace and there are no farting aliens – thank god! The Sycorax are a race you respect, the Slitheen were a poorly realised race wrapped up in the wrong story. With the Doctor out of action of the most of the story and Rose busy dribbling at every opportunity, one can’t help but divert attention to U.N.I.T. and the PM. The characters in this part of the story are well acted and supported by (for the most part) decent dialogue. Even despite the “Harriet Jones Prime Minister” gag being repeated at every opportunity!

However on the housing estate, Davies has reduced Rose and her family to an episode of East Enders. In past reviews I had noted that he had crafted dialogue for these characters very well. Now it has become clichйd. Jackie being the one who cops it the most with lines like “I’m going to be killed by a Christmas tree” (which totally diffuses the already hard to hold credibility of the killer Christmas tree). For me however, it is when Rose drops her bundle on Jackie’s shoulder, dribbling about the place that I began to get impatient. We got the kiss thing out of the way at the end of season one, but Rose continues to carry on like she has the wedding dress on stand by in the Tardis. Boring.

The Sycorax were great! Ok, not totally original but hey, they were nasty. The make-up very well realised and with the Doctor out for the count, having them speak their language made them all the more threatening. The wheels fell off however, when the Doctor emerges from the Tardis and it all becomes a little farcical. The duel which spills out onto the “wing” of the Sycorax ship was absurd. The editing also left a little to be desired at this point with much of Tennant’s reactions becoming fuzzy. Like Rose’s “look out!” as the leader swung his sword toward the Doctor. Tennant’s reaction was lost in a sloppy jump-cut back to him, his dialogue becoming almost totally inaudible in the process.

Now onto Doctor number 10. When he is light, he is very light. Almost like McCoy in some respects. Having said that, I do believe Tennant is an extremely talented actor. McCoy was badly cast. Having seen Tennant do the heavy stuff in other shows I have no doubt he can do it. I think part of the problem lies in Davies’ indulgent writing. The Doctor’s dialogue after the steps out of the Tardis into the Sycorax ship is embarrassing (references to The Lion King???). Much of what he said could have been reduced to a few lines. The sword fight, as mentioned was tacky. As was the hand gimmick and that god awful line “it’s a fightin’ hand”. It became a silly camp spectacle.

Tennant, like Davison is just too young. I’m not for a second implying either of them are not good actors. Davison proved his worth on numerous occasions throughout his tenure. Tennant will definitely be believable and will carry off the job credibly. But how can a 34 yr old actor (and these thoughts come from someone who is only two years younger than him and who is an actor!) carry off being an alien who is over 900 years old, with all the battle scars and history that we know he has? It is a big ask. In the same way an actor of his age and life experience would struggle playing a fifty year old man who has lost his family or experienced a severe trauma. Only life experience can give you the raw materials which you can successfully mould and use as you need them in your performance.

Troughton, Baker (T), Pertwee and Eccleston (of whom I am a big supporter), all gave us performances with great depth. All of them older by at least 10 years. Going by Tennant’s performance in TCI, he lacked depth. The wisdom, intelligence and style of the previous Doctors were sacrificed for cheap gags and gimmicks. Hmm… perhaps what I wrote first is more on the money… let us hope it IS just RTD’s writing and things will improve.

So overall, despite this somewhat down beat review, I enjoyed TCI. As I have written in previous reviews, for the average family viewer it no doubt pressed all the right buttons. It looked great. The build-up to the arrival of the Sycorax was suspenseful. But it seemed a bit of a cop out at the end. Having said that, the season two trailer looked very good. Bring it on.

“No, wait… That’s The Lion King!”

The Christmas Invasion proudly presents audiences with their first significant viewing experience of The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). We’d previously seen glimpses of the new Time Lord in the closing moments of the epic Dalek-fest The Parting of the Ways, and the fleeting and unnamed Children in Need special (2005); the latter concerning Rose Tyler’s (Billie Piper) allergic reaction to The Doctor’s abrupt regeneration. Thusly, this hour-long special can be considered Tennant’s debut story. Is it any good? It’s OK. Does it compare with past new lead debut tales? It’s an improvement.

The plot is unsurprisingly wafer-thin and often cringe-inducing – Easily attributed to writer Russell T. Davies. The TARDIS crash-lands spectacularly in the London Powell estate, eliciting Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) and Jackie Tyler’s (Camille Coduri) – but curiously no-one else’s - attention. The Doctor springs out, bug-eyed, declaring “Happy Christmas!”, before collapsing in a form of post-regenerative coma. The next forty minutes concern a visiting homogenous alien race - the Sycorax - issuing newly-elected PM Harrier Jones (Penelope Wilton) an ultimatum: surrender Earth, or all persons possessing A+ blood will leap off the nearest edifice! Eventually, The Doctor re-awakes, and in moments, turns the seemingly hopeless situation into walk-in-the-park routine; scoffing at the Sycorax’s reliance on ye olde “blood control”. He swiftly dispatches the Sycorax leader in a blunt and uninspiring sword fight, utilizing a satsuma! The final scenes depict a demonstration of the mysterious Torchwood’s power in a morally-dubious sequence, Tennant donning his new civvies, and ‘Christmas lunch’ with the Tylers and Mick.

I’ve come to watch Davies’ outings expecting to cringe, and, inevitably, cringing. He’s a poor writer. The pre-title sequence closes with reliance on the classic/infamous (substitute as appropriate) Doctor Who joke, screeched by the cardboard cut-out representing Rose’s mother. Later, the same two-dimensional character squeals: – just to clarify her situation – “I’m going to get killed by a Christmas tree!”. Other dialogue triumphs include “Sycorax rock” and “You just can’t get the staff”. As Davies’ aim is to get the audience to accept and like the new Doctor as The Doctor, we’re provided ample allusions to past “new” adventures, a la Children in Need: Rose mentions the Slitheen – yet again – but oddly relegates the far more deadly and memorable Daleks to the end of the list. Fortunately, in addition to these inherent shortcomings, many deep and meaningful double entendres and themes are subtly expressed (again: sarcasm). “He’s not my boss, and certainly not turning this into a war”, declares Jones, of the US President. Very contemporary (and if only).

There are several triumphs in the dialogue area, like Tennant’s line regarding free radicals and tannins revitalizing him – In particular, this line is typically Davies’ Deus ex machina-style, but it’s also very Doctor Who. The Doctor can get away with such!

Davies also harbours a tendency to posit moral dilemmas without questioning them deeply – Not necessarily a bad thing, but it, too, reeks of superficiality. Jones’ decision in the finale harks back to the Jon Pertwee serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970). Who do we sympathize with: Jones or the quietly-irate Doctor?

So, in this context, is Tennant any good? Yes! Unlike his immediate predecessor (Christopher Eccleston), his performance is ‘effortless’, not ‘effortful’. I’ll miss #9’s more human and dark interpretation, but welcome Tennant’s quirkier and genuinely eccentric direction. Still clad in his PJs aboard the alien spacecraft, he addresses the mini-world of Sycorax war-lords with a romantic, idealistic, but generic speech concerning humanity’s potential and place in the universe. Or something. After a little thought, he acknowledges his plagiarism and corrects: “No, wait… That’s The Lion King!”. He’s a chatty character who verbalizes internal dialogue (“Who am I?”), is quietly (“That struck a chord…”) and loudly comical (“It’s a fightin’ hannnd!”); but maintains a slightly dubious side (“No second chances.”). I can relate to this incarnation more and am immensely enthusiastic about the second series. My only noteworthy complaint is that Tennant’s sometimes high-pitched voice irritates; but overall: Thumbs up! It’s well worth the forty minute wait.

Piper has less to do once Tennant emerges. Throughout the first half, she acts basically as a stand-in, although she doesn’t possess the ability or experience to persuade a horde of alien invaders to pull a prompt U-turn. Mickey isn’t particularly memorable, but not a caricature as previously depicted. I care more for Penelope Wilton’s performance this time around – Haircut, perhaps? The Sycorax, led by Sean Glider, are an ‘acceptable’ addition to the rogue’s gallery. Danny Llewellyn (Daniel Evans) is somewhat emotionally-bipolar: Initially he’s profoundly enthusiastic about the Guinevere Martian probe, yet is later equally worrisome about the yuletide invasion. He also serves as a reminder that Doctor Who’s gone Welsh! Chu Omambala plays Major Blake, boasting a UNIT insignia. Oh, and Lachele Carl reprises her American newsreader role from World War Three (2005).

It’s all fun overall, if feeling like a usual episode stretched into an hour-long one; and the hype doesn’t do it justice. The closing credits offers us an orchestral reworking of the main theme, re-integrating the (in)famous ‘middle eight’. Sadly, the whole piece is flat and unmemorable. The teaser for series two peppers our retinas with distinctly unimpressive aliens, Anthony Stewart head looking clinically insane and Hannibal Lecter-esque, Tennant kissing Piper (Not again! Why, oh why?!), K-9 and Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen), and… A weighty-sounding Cyberman. I’ve no doubt Davies’ll continue to disappoint me, but the new Doctor, Rose, a fast-paced series and promise of the Cybermen and K-9 will maintain my curiosity and enjoyment. [***.5/5]