Favourite Festive Specials

What’s everyone’s favourite festive specials?

I’m limiting it to TV only (shocking I know, especially since its me) also 3 votes each, there’s been too many 1 vote polls lately its so hard :sob:

  • The Christmas Invasion
  • The Runaway Bride
  • Voyage of the Damned
  • The Next Doctor
  • The End of Time
  • A Christmas Carol
  • The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
  • The Snowmen
  • The Time of the Doctor
  • Last Christmas
  • The Husbands of River Song
  • The Return of Doctor Mysterio
  • Twice Upon a Time
  • Resolution
  • Revolution of the Daleks
  • Eve of the Daleks
  • The Church on Ruby Road
  • Joy to the World
0 voters
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Think I might just not be a big festive special person, hardly any of these are episodes I like

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Looking at this List… yeah I think I am in the same field as @sircarolyn

Honestly I make no secret of not liking many of the Christmas Specials, while I appreciate them existing (since well it’s another Doctor Who Episode), most of them sadly don’t do it for me.
That said… still voted for 3 Episodes with Husbands, Eve, and Time of the Doctor. If there were more Option, I’d doubt I would have voted for more than 3 others. (Gosh I feel like a grump saying it :sob:)

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Hey though, that means between the two of us there are five episodes we like here because Eve and Time aren’t in my top three by a long way :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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I’m going with husbands of river song and eve of the daleks, but I also have to say that while I like most of these specials, they aren’t really my favourites. most of them are just fine, which is nice in itself. except for husbands which is amazing

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I chose The Snowmen, Christmas Carol and Last Christmas.

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I love The Return of Doctor Mysterio, although 12 really doesn’t miss when it comes to Xmas Specials. The four of them are easily the strongest on this list, followed by A Christmas Carol

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I rewatched this one recently, and it’s actually really good.

I don’t remember much about this one, which might say something…

It’s not very good. It really annoyed me.

Remember nothing.

I really enjoy RTD finales (controversial, I know). There’s something epic about them that always makes me smile. But this one is just awful.

Yes it’s a good episode, but I never saw it as anything other than that. It’s just alright.

It’s definitely not as bad as people say, but ai don’t really remember it well.

I actually like this one quite a bit. It’s very much my cup of tea.

Trenzalore kind of gets on my nerves to be honest.

Ok this one’s really fun…

…but this is even funner!

:face_vomiting: I don’t want to talk about this one.

Meh. No strong feelings on this one.

A really good Daleks story.

Love this one.

One of my all-time favourites.

Actually really good.

BORING!!!

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A Christmas Carol: Worthy of top place, a good fun episode, very Christmas-y, A good Doctor Who spin on the actual A Christmas Carol, the twist that the spirit of Christmas’s future is actually Kazran himself is masterful.

Last Christmas: Every Christmas is Last Christmas and it was their last Christmas :sob:

Time of the Doctor: idk I just like this episode, good character interactions, funny humour, epic and grandiose scene which Moffat loves so much for 11, and easily my favourite regeneration speech.

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Well DontBlink commented on all of them, so here we go.

The Christmas Invasion - it’s a fine episode of Doctor Who, but I’m not the biggest fan of the introducing your new Doctor by taking him out of action for more than half of it. I didn’t like it in Castrovalva either, and Spearhead he’s in action after the first episode and active for 3/4 of the story, so that’s fine.

The Runaway Bride - I mainly find Donna annoying in this one, makes it rather hard to get into. I’m glad she was better in Series 4.

Voyage of the Damned - fun disaster movie episode, not without flaws, but entertaining at least.

The Next Doctor - Lake is a pretty good character, but you know he’s not the Doctor by about 5 minutes in, and they keep stringing you along trying to make you think he might be for at least 20. I like Mercy Hartigan as a character, but the Cybermen are rather unmemorable in it.

The End of Time - ugh, just ask Bill Filer

A Christmas Carol - a brilliant Doctor Who take on a classic story, a great twist with the ghost of Christmas yet to come being Kazran himself, and it’s a bit bittersweet at the end, knowing he’s still going to lose Abigail, which I prefer to making everything so happy happy happy at the end, damn near perfection as a Christmas special.

The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe - there are fun things that I like, such as backwards helmet, the tour of the house, the “because they will be sad later” scene, and the reunion with the Ponds was nice. It falls apart once they get to “Narnia.” All the mom power stuff is laid on so thick, “I can drive this thing because my husband is a pilot,” the mother ship, the strong and weak, just blegh. And then cap it off with “your dad’s dead, but actually he’s not, because I could magically guide him home, by Christmas miracle,” and it ends so sickeningly saccharine. My least favorite Christmas special of the Moffat years.

The Snowmen - I like this one, seeing the aftermath of the Doctor losing his friends, and his rediscovery of what it means to be the Doctor. Maybe a little convenient that “Pond” is the word that Clara figured out, saw it coming a mile away, even if it doesn’t actually describe anything that Vastra was asking, aside from the location. Probably the best use of the GI of the Series 7 GI trilogy.

The Time of the Doctor - another that has a lot going for it, but it’s really brought down by how much they had to rush the conclusion of the Eleventh Doctor’s story in only a single 60 minute episode. It’s a story I like as a whole, but some of the remaining loose threads weren’t the most satisfyingly resolved. I hate destructive regeneration, and this one’s the most destructive of them all. The nudity bit was just a weird choice too.

Last Christmas - fantastic episode. The dreams within dreams was done very well. The Kantrofarri are such a cool idea, they can only see via the thoughts of those around them was a unique idea. Nick Frost was great as Santa and I liked how they used him as representative of their minds fighting back. Ties it into Christmas in a way that fits the story. And I liked the theme of how these people all seem to be seeing their dreams as an escape from something in their lives, and also how every Christmas is the last Christmas for something.

The Husbands of River Song - also very good. Very funny, Capaldi and Kingston bounce off each other very well, I really buy them as an old married couple in a way that I never properly did with Smith’s Doctor. And cap it off with tying up River’s storyline in a way that really works. Nardole wasn’t at his best yet though, probably the main mark against this one.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio - I don’t care what some around here say, it’s good and it’s a fun superhero story. I like Grant, I find him very endearing, in his awkward kind of way. I liked how it poked a lot of fun at Superman, how he’s rather a boring Superhero, but the way he lives a double life is far more interesting than his hero self, hence focusing more on Grant rather than the Ghost. The relationship comedy between Grant and Lucy works well, and I like the way Lucy is able to cut through the Doctor’s lies and make him actually kind of face what he’s feeling after losing River. Nardole is night and day so much better than his previous entry, funny without being whiny and actually seems to be keeping the Doctor in check. The Shoal of the Winter Harmony was a little basic as villains, but honestly they weren’t really the point, maybe a commentary on how superhero movie villains tend to be so one-note and boring at a stretch, but it’s not enough to detract from the story. Wow I waffled there, anyway.

Twice Upon a Time - honestly, a great sort of low-key coda to wind down the Capaldi years after such a monumental story before. The elephant in the room is of course the way the First Doctor was portrayed as a raging sexist in a way he never was in 1963-66, but at least that was only a few lines, actually less than I remembered when I last rewatched it. I really like the parallels they draw between the first Doctor of the first set and the first of the second, and how they both have some reservations about regenerating, and both work through that and come to understand the need to go on. I’ve come to really appreciate this one.

Resolution - great Dalek story, and the way they made the mutant itself without the casing as scary as it was is impressive. A bit of tonal whiplash going between the Dalek story and Ryan confronting his father, but I think the scene in the cafe where Ryan basically tells him off is probably Cole’s strongest performance in the role, and I liked the way they shot it just focusing on him, letting him speak, without cutting to his dad in between. Solid episode.

Revolution of the Daleks - uhh, hmm. It’s kind of just a lesser rip-off of Remembrance, and brings Jack back for absolutely no reason. “I’m Jack, I’m immortal” and then doing nothing to make that relevant to the story actually sums this one up pretty well. Jack’s talk with Yaz was pretty good though.

Eve of the Daleks - a very fun time loop story, but I do think Nick is a bit of a creep, and don’t think he and Sarah should have gotten together at the end. And I don’t think she should have been shown as the bad guy for pointing out that he’s a creep. Women have to deal with creepy guys all the time, and they should be called out as creepy, and hopefully work to improve, not just accepted.

The Church on Ruby Road - I don’t have a lot to say about this one, I don’t feel much about it one way or the other. Not a big fan of it, and certainly don’t care for how the storyline it sets up is resolved by the end of the season, but that’s not this episode’s fault. Don’t think I like the Goblins much and certainly don’t like the song. I just end up going “eh” about it.

Joy to the World - I like it, I just like Moffat’s style when it comes to Christmas specials most of the time. I think the main issue was that they made such a big deal of the guest star (pun intended) and sideline her for much of it. But the side story where the Doctor had to spend the year in that hotel room was actually a very nice sequence.

Planet of the Dead and Legend of the Sea Devils are also festive specials, the festivity just being Easter instead, but neither episode is worth writing much about. Anyway, wall of text over.

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I’m glad to see someone else who enjoys Doctor Mysterio, I found it to be a pretty fun episode

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I wanted to enjoy this so badly…

I went into it thinking I’d get a really fun superhero comic-book episode.

Because of that, it did not live up to my expectations sadly.

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Yeah, that’s fair, I do think the episode is over-hated by the fandom, but it is quite polarising

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I definitely think it’s overrated, I just have a lot of personal issues with it.

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Considering both DontBlink and TARDIS32 wrote their Opinions on each of the Specials, I might as well join!

The Christmas Invasion - I do like it a lot, similar to Series 1 I think it was a smart Move to focus on Rose, Piper plays it very well with her Emotions and of course the End Bit with 10 is great. For a first (second) Christmas Special it’s off to a pretty good Start I’d say.

The Runaway Bride - Seen it only once and didn’t felt strongly about it either way. Not the biggest Fan of Donna here, but I can see what they were going for.

Voyage of the Damned - I can see how one could claim it as one of their favorites. Personally, I haven’t been big on any kind of Disaster Film, so it probably doesn’t work for me as much on that basis alone. There are also just some Bits which I don’t like at all.

The Next Doctor - Actually pretty fun! The Cybermen here feel a bit too much like generic Robots at Time, especially with the ending, but I do like it honestly. Even if I wish there were one or two changes.

The End of Time - In this 16 Pages Essay, I shall explain what I don’t like about this Finale… Nah, honestly, it’s probably the strongest case of ‘love it or hate it’ in this whole List. You can probably guess where i land with this one.

A Christmas Carol - It’s good, but never clicked with me as much as with others. I can see what it has going for it, but I just don’t really seem to fully be on board with it as much as others are.

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe - Great scenes at times, for the Rest ehh… it has Things going for it, but I am not that bothered about Narnia in general, so I am sure it falls a bit flat for me. Not the worst one, but one that just really don’t work all that much for me.

The Snowmen - Used to rate it in the middle, nowadays, I like it much more. Victorian Clara is great!

The Time of the Doctor - The Opening Bit is just really akward and a weird Choice. Yes this is a bit messy of a Plot, but I do really love it, easily my personally favorite Special of the Smith Era (if we talk festive ones)

Last Christmas - fantastic Episode, already talked about it quite enough. I do really like it!

The Husbands of River Song - 12 and River are so much fun. They make this Story work so well, probably one of the rare festive Specials which I rate really highly. So much to love here!

The Return of Doctor Mysterio - It pays some nice Homage to Donner’s Superman, which I like and overall I enjoyed it, I must say. It has quite a few Things going for it, which are all enjoyable. Fun little time really!

Twice Upon a Time - Some really brilliant Bits and some of the most annoying Bits. There is a lot for me to unpack with this Story. I like it as a Coda for the Capaldi Era, but it really doesn’t get better for me after a rewatch, sadly, more the Opposite. I think I will leave it at that for now.

Resolution - Pretty underrated, honestly. A Great Showcase for the Daleks, I like it a lot! Love also how it delves more into the Horror Aspect of them again! That’s a nice choice for sure!

Revolution of the Daleks - Okay :+1:

Eve of the Daleks - Honestly @TARDIS32 summarized my Issues up very well with the Episode. I do still like it, but I think this is a glaring Issue with this Entry, which stops it from being great, instead of ‘really good’, for me at least.

The Church on Ruby Road - I like it :+1: but that’s it really

Joy to the World - Haven’t really rewatched that one, but going off from my first viewing, it did really click with me, even if it can be a bit messy at times.

And yes, to what @TARDIS32 said about both Eastern Specials. No further comments about those from me!

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I’d have to go with The Runaway Bride, A Christmas Carol and The Husbands of River Song.

Donna’s introduction in The Runaway Bride is just genuinely such a fun time and wrapped up in a very touching way. I really enjoy the comedic moments of this episode. It does a good job establishing her as a companion long before she truly takes on the role.

To me, A Christmas Carol epitomizes the fairytale vibe that Eleven had for most of his era. It’s a cozy rewatch every time the holiday season comes around. Not to mention Michael Gambon is in it and absolutely kills it.

And I adore River song, so of course she had to make the list. I think The Husbands of River Song is one of her best episodes. Her chemistry with Twelve is absolutely insane and the two work very well together.

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I have the most mainstream taste here :sweat_smile: Christmas Carol is my #1, then Husbands of River Song, then Last Christmas

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The Christmas Invasion because it was the first.

Voyage of the Damned because I love a disaster movie.

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe because it’s hugely misunderstood and underrated and this thread gives me an excuse to post a link to my review of it again so everyone can understand why they are unequivocally wrong:

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The Husbands of River Song is perfect, and my other favourites are The Snowmen, Last Christmas, and Eve of the Daleks. I’m obsessed with the character work in THORS, and the plots of LC and EOTD are incredibly engaging. Can’t really give an obvious reason why I love TS, it’s just a real comfort story.

The Time of the Doctor, A Christmas Carol, Resolution, Revolution of the Daleks, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, and The Runaway Bride are all enjoyable.

Twice Upon a Time would be great if it didn’t horribly mischaracterise 1. I don’t just mean the caricatured misogyny, but also he’s just weirdly grumpy?? I haven’t watched every 1st Doctor serial yet, but from the ones I have seen, he’s so unserious and chaotic and I love him, and TUAT does no justice to that. The Doctor the Widow and the Wardrobe would be ok if not for that atrocious bit of bioessentialism, which makes it unwatchable for me.

All the rest (basically almost all the RTD1&2 specials) range from boring to bad.

Overall I’m not really one for festive specials, except for the minority of excellent ones. It may be nice to have an extra dw episode to watch on Christmas, but I’d much rather just have one more regular episode in each series than a festive one – having Christian elements shoehorned in gets kind of irritating when it happens each year, so I appreciate the Chibnall era new years ones a lot; at least they offered some variation. And yeah I know you don’t have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas – I’m an atheist as are my family and we still celebrate it – but it’s impossible to deny that Christianity is an inherent aspect of the festival and its history, and it just seems improbable that an alien who can visit any place in the universe would regularly encounter this faith so much more than any other one.

Oh, and The Chimes of Midnight is literally the best thing connected to Christmas in existence.

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Tbh, for the most part I’ve felt that Doctor Who’s Christmas specials seem to revolve around secular Christmas. You know, Christmas trees, gifts, family, hope, and being “halfway out of the dark,” not Jesus and stuff. There’s only a small handful that touch upon the religious part of it. Voyage having angel robots especially when they lift the Doctor to the bridge, End of Time having Wilf go to church at the beginning, and Joy to the World doing the Star of Bethlehem are the only times I can think of where they actually got a bit religious with it, and the episodes don’t really feel like they’re being all that Christian, aside from tangentially because Christmas just has some ties to it. This is from a fellow atheist too.

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