A Christmas Carol

"Nine-hundred years of space and time and I've never met anybody who wasn't important."

Writer: Steven Moffat
Format: TV
Broadcast: 25th December 2010
Series: 2010 Christmas Special

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Amy Pond and Rory Williams are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way the Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul a lonely old miser. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?

Verdict

A Christmas Carol was a terrific episode and a great Christmas Special! This has got me right into the Christmas spirit and as I type this on a brand new laptop (an early Christmas present), my anticipation for the big day increases. I can't wait for the brand new episode but for now, I complete my blogging of Matt Smith's run as the Eleventh Doctor with his first festive episode. He was superb and just reminded me once again why he is my favourite incarnation of our heroic Time Lord. He was on top form here and his reaction to Kazran's initial reaction of just letting 4,003 people die was wonderful. He just couldn't comprehend it and I think that initially showed how contrasting of a personality he was compared to the Doctor. The planet was a wonderful setting and although we didn't get a name, I absolutely loved how this felt like history in space. Having watched The Man Who Invented Christmas in the cinema with my girlfriend recently, I was very much looking forward to seeing Doctor Who's take on the famed Christmas tale after seeing how it was created. It was a lovely story and I think Moffat did a stellar job in adapting it for the Whoniverse. The Doctor's realisation of what he had to do to Kazran when he shouted "a Christmas carol" was brilliant. I loved the way the Doctor entered the episode and his changing of Kazran's past was magical. The moment he went to his childhood and changed the past was great and I liked how that set the tone for the rest of the episode. We got to see him grow up and the story with Abigail was beautiful. I mean, Katherine Jenkins, the woman who played her, looked spectacular but despite her Welshness I still think Karen Gillan as Amy stole the show in the looks department despite a limited appearance here. I liked how year by year of each Christmas Eve we saw Kazran age and it was inevitable that before long he would feel differently about Abigail. We saw that relationship blossom and the Doctor showed them the sights across space and time. It then came as a bitter pill to swallow when Kazran announced that he wanted to stop the annual tradition. The Doctor's reaction to that was emotional and I loved how that saw the theme of A Christmas Carol really hit off. The use of the Ghosts of Christmas was outstanding, particularly the Ghost of Christmas Future. Just when the older Kazran thought he would see his future, it turned out that he was the future being seen by his younger self. That really was excellent. That sparked the older Kazran into action with him realising that he didn't need to let 4,003 people die but his isomorphic controls had faltered as the Doctor had changed too much of the past. The use of the singing by Abigail to clear the path was lovely and I think I should also mention the flying fish! They were great. I loved the scene where the Doctor and Kazran nearly got eaten by a shark and the former lost half of his sonic screwdriver. The elder Kazran concluding the story by spending the last day he could with Abigail was a fitting end to a great Christmas Special! Overall, a lovely adventure.

Rating: 9/10