The Christmas Invasion

When it was announced Christopher Eccleston was leaving Doctor Who I was disappointed, especially with the timing seeming to risk the newly returned series being able to continue. Then David Tennant was announced as his successor and, having never actually seen him in anything before at the time, I made a judgement Tennant was wrong for the role (from clips I had seen advertising a show he was in) and dreaded his arrival. How wrong I was! This debut completely changed my view and made me an instant fan of the 10th Doctor.

Exactly as with Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor this regeneration has the Doctor spending a lot of time unconscious but just like Pertwee's debut Spearhead From Space it is a terrific story which keeps the interest while the Doctor sleeps and then benefits from a fantastic performance and characterisation once he leaps into action.

The story is, in my opinion, clever, interesting, funny and exciting. It features aliens - the Sycorax - making contact and threatening the earth and a large amount of mankind being controlled via clever means. The brilliant Penelope Wilton returns as Harriet Jones (having appeared in Aliens in London), this time as Prime Minister, and Rose, Jackie and Mickey help with the transition providing fun and humour in between scenes of threat, action and alien contact.

The Sycorax are a great alien menace with an excellent design. The script is fabulous and whenever the Doctor has moments of activity he is funny, superbly acted and engaging. Once fully awake Tennant grabs the role by the scruff of the neck and establishes 10 as a thoroughly heroic, brave, witty, clever Doctor with a dark, serious edge beneath his endearing and humorous exterior.

The climactic confrontation is simply joyous with excitement, some real laughs and some proper drama.

This is, for my tastes, an awesome debut for an awesome Doctor.

My rating: 10/10.

Not a great start to Tenant's time as the Doctor. Instead of forging their own sci-fi, they try and do things that they missed since the Doctor was on hiatus...which is why they seem to have sent the doctor to the Independence Day universe.

Also, whereas, the Eccleston year spent most of the time establishing emotional fronts to the new storyline; it seems that the only thing they seem to consentrate on is how England would have handled an alien invasion.

Besides Tennant's Doctor, whom I loved immediately, is this episode utterly uninteresting.

I find this Science Fiction Christmas Special is very Brilliant, Because of the Daring Adventures, Very Good Intergalactic Languages like Planet Earth English and Sycoraxes, Amazing Fight scenes, saving Christmas, and Awesome Heroism, The Main Protagonists are The Tenth Doctor, Who is portrayed by David Tennant, The Kind-Hearted Cockney Girl called Rose Tyler, Who is portrayed by Billie Piper, Her mother Jackie Tyler and Her On and Off Love Interest Mickey Smith, The Supportive character is Harriet Jones, and the Main Antagonists are The Sycorax, Who have speak in both languages are their native Sycoraxes and Planet Earth English, The Christmas song called Song For Ten is Heartwarming, But not as Heartwarming as Hello Father Christmas and Don't Let This Christmas End This Winter from Noddy's Toyland Adventures in Noddy and Father Christmas (1994), Light The Night from The Snowman and The Snowdog (2012), Thankful Heart from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Somewhere In My Memory from Home Alone (1990) and Christmas Star from Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992), I'm giving this Christmas Special a 10/10, and Merry Christmas.

A regenerating Doctor (with Rose) crashes back in London but struggles to overcome the process (he's sleeping), while the Sycorax take a fancy to Earth's inhabitants who they wish to own and possess. Soon a third are left in limbo, stood on ledges though it's Chrimbo and there's only Doctor Who knows what to do! As it transpires super-heated tea is the answer, turns the Doctor into a lancer (well knight or swordsman, although he does become Sir Doctor of TARDIS in the next but one episode) and the saviour of the planet (and everything else) is born again - on Christmas Day no less.