With David Tennant set to return to Doctor Who as the 14th Doctor in 2023, fans of the actor and his work on the famed sci-fi are taking the time to revisit his stint as the 10th Doctor. His run started with Doctor Who's first-ever Christmas special back in 2005 and concluded with a Christmas and New Year special in the form of "The End of Time" in 2010.
While Doctor Who hasn't aired any Christmas specials since 2017, fans are hopeful that the tradition will be picked up given David Tennant's return to the program. The episodes aired during this pristine television slot weren't always the greatest, but they've always fared well with diehards who are active on Letterboxd.
12 The Doctor, The Widow, And The Wardrobe - 3.0
The second Christmas special to feature Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" focuses on the Doctor's attempt to look after a recently widowed woman and her children during their holiday vacation in 1941.
While "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe" is full of whimsy and gorgeous imagery, the special is notably lacking in humor or stakes. It's a superfluous tale that doesn't add anything to the Doctor Who mythos and frequently cited by Whovians as the reason why the Christmas specials suck.
11 The Return Of Doctor Mysterio - 3.0
Though most Doctor Who Christmas specials are wrapped up in the spirit of the holiday, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" rarely indulges in the Christmas spirit. Instead, it acts as a spoof/celebration of superhero movies and sees the Doctor team up with a hero known as the Ghost to stop brain-swapping aliens from taking over New York.
While not the most beloved episode of Doctor Who, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" does boast a wicked sense of humor thanks to the light interactions between Nardole and the Doctor. The TARDIS duo are tight in their debut, and the former's wry observations make Nardole one of Doctor Who's funniest characters.
10 The Next Doctor - 3.2
The first of five Doctor Who specials aired between 2008 and 2010, "The Next Doctor" finds the Tenth Doctor attempting to thwart a Cyberman invasion of Victorian England. While there, he bumps into a man suffering from amnesia who claims to be the Doctor and works with him to save London.
"The Next Doctor" might be considered fan bait given the way it teases David Morrissey as David Tennant's successor, but the episode's emotional beats land perfectly. Tennant sells the pain and torture of traveling through time alone and plays off Morrissey's confusion skillfully.
9 Last Christmas - 3.3
Reuniting with his recently departed companion Clara, the Twelfth Doctor ends up at a research center at the North Pole to save the staff from "dream crabs" which kill people as they sleep. The TARDIS duo end up meeting Santa in their adventures as they discern what is real and what is fiction.
While "Last Christmas" isn't the most inventive episode of Doctor Who, the Inception and Alien influences help distinguish the episode from other yuletide specials. This horror element, along with the warm emotional moments between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, are what make the special such a strong outing for some.
8 The Snowmen - 3.4
The gap between Series 7A and 7B, "The Snowmen" finds a morose and retired Eleventh Doctor investigating an occurrence of sentient snowmen. Along the way, he befriends a Victorian governess named Clara Oswald and begins to question her existence.
Despite boasting a magical setting and cheeky comedy, "The Snowmen" is arguably one of Doctor Who's lesser specials due to the uninspired villains. The attempt to conjure up living, murderous snowmen is commendable, but the execution leaves much to be desired.
7 Voyage of the Damned - 3.5
"Voyage of the Damned" was the third Christmas special of the revived series and saw the Tenth Doctor paired with an air waitress (played by Kylie Minogue) as the two attempts to save the Titanic from crashing into Earth.
"Voyage of the Damned" is something of a contentious episode among the Doctor Who community. Its attempts to comment on the Doctor's status as a religious figure were seen as thought-provoking, while the humor was criticized as below the show's usual standards (despite how much Tenant attempts to hold everything together).
6 Twice Upon A Time - 3.6
The Twelfth Doctor's final outing, "Twice Upon A Time" sees Peter Capaldi paired with David Bradley's First Doctor as the two attempts to cope with regeneration. Amidst all this, they accidentally pick up a British Army Captain who is destined to die on the battlefield.
In many respects, "Twice Upon A Time" is an admirable story that uses the power of Christmas to give hope to the show's main character. It's a wonderful sentiment, though one that is mired by the cringe-inducing humor and attempts to portray the First Doctor as a sexist curmudgeon (something he wasn't in the classic series).
5 The Husbands of River Song - 3.6
"The Husbands of River Song" serves as a final sendoff for one of Doctor Who's fan-favorite characters, and sees the titular archeologist attempt to pull off a heist while the Doctor tags along as her aide. Comedic hijinks ensue.
Not all of the humor lands in "The Husbands of River Song," but Peter Capaldi and Alex Kingston play off each other magnificently. Their dynamic is almost a reversal of the one seen in River's debut story "Silence in the Libary/Forrest of the Dead," and it all helps to give the episode an appropriate emotional heft.
4 The Runaway Bride - 3.7
The introduction to Doctor Who's sassiest companion, Donna Noble, "The Runaway Bride" sees the Tenth Doctor accidentally abduct the woman on her wedding day. He attempts to return her, but soon ends up involved in a case to save her (and Earth) from the alien Racnoss Empress.
Though Catherine Tate's performance as Donna Noble can be a bit bombastic compared to her future appearances, her chemistry with David Tennant is electric. The way they bounce off each other is crucial to the success of the episode, and to proving that "The Christmas Invasion" wasn't a one-trick pony.
3 The Time of the Doctor - 3.7
Matt Smith's regeneration episode is controversial among fans. It attempts to wrap up the Eleventh Doctor's era in a neat bow as he attempts to protect the planet Trenzalore from his fiercest foes, yet also indulges like the Christmas season with the pantomime style humor.
Despite how much time is wasted during the beginning of the special, "The Time of the Doctor" delivers in rending emotion from the viewers. It successfully paints the Doctor's sacrifice as awe-inspiring and ensures that not a single eye is dry as Matt Smith delivers his final monologue.
2 The Christmas Invasion - 3.7
The first episode to star David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, "The Christmas Invasion" focuses on Rose and Mickey's attempts to protect the Earth from an alien invasion as the newly regenerated Doctor is in a state of slumber.
Though "The Christmas Invasion" doesn't give much time to the Tenth Doctor, the special skillfully uses his absence to its advantage. It makes what little time he has on screen that much more impactful, and allows David Tennant to prove himself as the best incarnation of the Doctor while leaving viewers wanting more.
1 A Christmas Carol - 3.7
A loose adaptation of the famed Charles Dickens story, "A Christmas Carol" finds the Eleventh Doctor manipulating time to save a ship from crashing onto a planet. His efforts to warm the heart of the curmudgeonly Kazran result in equal amounts of hilarity and sorrow.
While "A Christmas Carol" might be seen as disrespectful to the legacy of Dickens due to the inclusion of flying fish and sharks, the episode is the perfect marriage of Doctor Who with Christmas magic. The use of science fiction is used tastefully to give weight to the drama of the piece, and it all culminates in one of Doctor Who's most charming episodes.
Source:gamerant.com