"Oh, this is Christmas!" The Doctor, Time Lord from Gallifrey and titular character of Doctor Who, has some mixed feelings about the holidays, but does occasionally show some appreciation for it. The BBC science fiction program has been coming out with holiday-themed episodes since "The Feast of Steven" in 1965 and continues to bring cheer and the occasional terror to viewers across the world to this day. There are many episodes to choose from, so it needs to be narrowed down a bit. Here are three recommended episodes from "New Who" as we wait for this year's "Joy to the World."
"Last Christmas"
There were times when Clara Oswald and the Twelfth Doctor were frustratingly at odds with each other and this set the tone for 2014's Christmas special. Each character was hiding a painful truth from the other and damaging their friendship by doing so.
In this episode, the Doctor interrupts a emeting with Santa and his elves to take Clara away from home. They save four scientists at the North Pole who are in a dream state while Dream Crabs devour their brains. The Doctor and Clara both eventually are attacked themselves - the Doctor willingly to help - and they find a way to reconcile. It's an emotional thing for Clara to openly grieve her lost love and the Doctor to admit that he was unable to find his way back to Gallifrey.
It transpires that the hallucination of Santa is a sign of every person trying to fight their way back and of course, getting Santa to bring them "home" for Christmas is instrumental in saving their lives. And at the end, Clara accepts the Doctor's invitation to continue her adventure.
"The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe"
I was eight years old when I first read a chronicle of Narnia, but the idea of children wandering into an unknown world captivated me from the start. It got even better when it turned out that the children were equal to the challenge of saving the day in the end.
This episode is wonderful in the way that it unapologetically borrows from C.S. Lewis at times. Years after a mother helps the Doctor find his TARDIS, her family arrives at a home for the Christmas holiday. Madge, the mother, is doing her best to raise the two children alone in the midst of World War II and things aren't helped by the telegram that the patriarch of the family is missing in action. When they evacuate to Dorset, Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor is the house's caretaker and has made the place every child's dream come true. Madge is distraught that the children don't know about their father's disappearance, but the Doctor understands her distress and does what he can. When the younger child explores a Christmas present and discovers a snowy forest inside, the family finds themselves attempting to save a world and the souls of the trees.
The story is heartbreakingly beautiful and I won't spoil the ending, but keep an eye out for Alexander Armstrong. The voice of Mr. Smith, the supercomputer from Doctor Who spin-off series The Sarah-Jane Adventures plays the father, Reg.
"The Runaway Bride"
I can't finish a Doctor Who list without invoking Catherine Tate and I'll finish this recommendation with some absured humor and heart. The well-known British comedienne appeared in the TARDIS quite suddenly just after The Doctor said goodbye to Rose after a traumatic separation. The last thing he needed was for a ginger in a wedding dress to slap him around for being too "Martian."
The episode begins with Donna Noble being accidentally whisked away from her wedding on Christmas. Enraged that a Martian has kidnapped her, probably with the help of her frenemy Nerys, she harangues The Doctor until he brings her back to Earth to get rid of her as fast as he can. Unfortunately, aliens are actually after Donna and he has to get involved again. They're able to discover what's tying it all together and why Donna's wedding is doomed to failure and that part is fairly miserable, even though they triumph in the end.
On the surface, the story isn't a happy one and Donna refuses to join The Doctor as his companion in the end, but it's absolutely hilarious at other parts. Donna overcomes her trauma to seek out her endangered family, only to find them having a wedding reception without her and the jilted groom dancing with Nerys. Donna is abducted by robot Santas and is rescued in a daring chase down the motorway as children in a nearby car cheer them on. Catherine Tate's natural comedic stylings steal the show and we genuinely wish we could see her again. (Just wait until Series 4.)
Happy December and "Joy to the World," starring Nicola Coughlin, is due to release on Christmas Day to bring us more Whovian cheer. We look forward to seeing what's next.