With The Doctor (David Tennant) in a coma after a difficult regeneration, Rose (Billie Piper) returns to Earth in the TARDIS at Christmastime. Unfortunately, the alien Sycorax have also arrived, with plans to conquer the planet. With The Doctor sidelined, and lesser aliens after his body, Rose is helpless and afraid, and the new Prime Minister, Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton), is left to deal with the invaders.
Some Christmas episodes of television series can be enjoyed by anyone without previous knowledge of the show. This isn’t one of those. Far too much information is needed. Who is The Doctor and what’s this regeneration thing about? Who is Rose and why is she upset? Who is Harriet Jones and how does she know The Doctor? These are all questions that the viewer needs to know the answers to in order to enjoy The Christmas Invasion.
So, is this for Doctor Who fans only? Yes and no. Yes because you’ll need to be a fan, and no, because you don’t need to be one already; just pick up the previous season of the show, and then you will be a fan.
For anyone not familiar with this long-running British series, it started in 1963 and followed the adventures of an elderly time traveler. When the star stepped down, the appearance of the new actor was explained by making The Doctor capable of regeneration (into an entirely new person) when needed. Hey, he’s an alien “Time Lord,” so why not? The Doctor ended up regenerating six times before the show was cancelled in 1989. In 1996, The Doctor returned with his seventh face in a U.S./Brit co-produced TV movie. This eventually spawned a new series that began in 2005 with yet another actor in the lead. And that brings us to the Christmas special that bridges seasons one and two of the new show and gives us yet another Doctor. It isn’t necessary to go back to the ’63 episodes to get caught up. The new series is relatively self-contained.
The original series was always a mixed bag. Some of the Doctors (his character and the actors who played him) were superb while others were merely competent. The supporting cast and guests varied as well, but tended to be weaker. The scripts could be witty and thoughtful, but more often were thin and filled with holes. The production values were poor, with primitive sets (walls would sway) and aliens that were either a guy in a bad mask or a cheap wad of Styrofoam. It always had the feeling of a kid’s puppet show. The reborn show vanquished almost all of the old problems. It is a slick science fiction show with effects that features could be proud of and cross-the-board quality acting. The scripts are even better.
The Christmas Invasion continues the first season’s quality (first season of the new series that is), effortlessly mixing comedy and drama. Billie Piper, the U.K. beauty and ex-pop singer is a delight and always believable. Tennant makes a wide-eyed and wild Doctor, mixing the best of the past with a level of hip intensity. As for the Christmas elements, there are Santas with flamethrowers, some rather creepy snow, and a mysteriously mobile Christmas tree that creates a scene that is both fall-over-funny and likely to please the genre crowd looking for some cool effects.
It does get a bit slow in the middle. The life of the show is in The Doctor, and with him unconscious for three quarters of the running time, the energy lags. Sure, it builds tension with the world in peril as he naps, but I’d have been satisfied with a bit less anxiety and a bit more of The Doctor. However, there’s plenty here to make it a merry sci-fi Christmas.