Doctor Who - Last Christmas Review

It is a week from today until Christmas and that means the 11th Doctor Who Christmas Special.  We take a look back at last years Christmas Special which was Peter Capaldi's first.

Doctor Who:
Last Christmas
By Steven Moffat 

“Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation.”

It’s Christmas and everyone is gathering together with friends and family to celebrate the festive holiday either for religious beliefs or not.  But most of all a huge number of people around the world celebrate Christmas with something altogether different in mind and that would be the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special.  In fact this was the 10th year in a row that Doctor Who fans will be watching a Doctor Who episode on Christmas day and this time will be treated to the first one with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor.   Last Christmas is also boasting a unique meet up between The Doctor and a certain resident of the North Pole.  But was it good as a Christmas pudding or will it be a Scrooge and give us a humbug.

Doctor Who - Last Christmas Review (Minor Spoilers)

Doctor Who:
Last Christmas
By Steven Moffat

“Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation.”

It’s Christmas and everyone is gathering together with friends and family to celebrate the festive holiday either for religious beliefs or not.  But most of all a huge number of people around the world celebrate Christmas with something altogether different in mind and that would be the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special.  In fact this is the 10th year in a row that Doctor Who fans will be watching a Doctor Who episode on Christmas day and this time will be treated to the first one with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor.   Last Christmas is also boasting a unique meet up between The Doctor and a certain resident of the North Pole.  But was it good as a Christmas pudding or will it be a Scrooge and give us a humbug.  

Doctor Who - Last Christmas

Review by Ken Parker

Despite what you might think after reading my reviews, I really want to like Doctor Who. Any other series I would have stopped watching the show because of inconsistency in quality and embarrassing silliness. Unless I was watching some strange David Lynch nightmare or an all out spoofy comedy, I would never in a million years think I would see an episode with an army of Slinkys marching into a polar base and certainly never in Doctor Who. But alas, here we are.

Doctor Who Extra - Last Christmas

Doctor Who - Last Christmas Return of Samuel Anderson

Doctor Who - Radio Times Poster For Last Christmas

Doctor Who Extra: Last Christmas Preview Clip

Michael Troughton is featured in this preview clip for the Doctor Who Extra: Last Christmas.

Doctor Who - Last Christmas Preview Clip

Doctor Who - Peter Capaldi on Last Christmas

The BBC Media Centre has released some interviews with the key people involved in this years Doctor Who Christmas Special.  Today is an interview with Peter Capaldi.

Peter Capaldi - Q&A

Everyone will be pleased to see the Doctor and Clara brought together again for this Christmas special. What does bring them together?

A terrifying festive dilemma forces the Doctor back to Earth to help Clara. Then a story unfolds which is quite unexpected – I can’t really say more than that.

How does filming the Christmas special differ from the series?

It’s all very festive and even though you’re shooting in October it does lull you into the festive spirit, because there are lots of Christmassy things around. There are snow machines all the time which is lovely but they’re noisy like lawnmowers or concrete mixers. We have Christmas lights, polystyrene icebergs - which is classic piece of set dressing on Doctor Who. There’s a roast dinner going on in Clara’s house and a big Christmas tree. There were also lots of tangerines!

What was your reaction to Nick Frost being cast as Santa? What sort of Santa does he play?

Doctor Who - Last Christmas Official TV Trailer

Doctor Who - Jenna Coleman on Last Christmas

The BBC Media Centre has released some interviews with the key people involved in this years Doctor Who Christmas Special.  Today is an interview with Jenna Coleman

Jenna Coleman - Q&A

What’s it like for Clara to be reunited with the Doctor in the Christmas Special?

She’s just really glad to be back with him. She’s dealing with the death of Danny Pink but happy to be back in the arms of the TARDIS again, and meeting Santa. A lot of the episode is about telling that adventure, and it’s about the Doctor and Clara resolving what they’ve just been through.

What was it like coming back to film the Christmas Special?

Doctor Who - Steven Moffat on Last Christmas

The BBC Media Centre has released some interviews with the key people involved in this years Doctor Who Christmas Special. Today is an interview with Steven Moffat.

Steven Moffat - Q&A

What can you tell us about the plot of this year’s Christmas special?

Well obviously as everyone knows from the end of Death In Heaven, it’s the ultimate meeting of Christmas heroes - Santa Claus meets Doctor Who. The buddy movie you’ve always wanted. In addition to that, it’s quite surprising - it won’t be what some people expect because it’s a thriller of an episode. The Christmas element is covered in the fairly notable form of Santa Claus and the elves and their sleigh. But the rest of it is very much Doctor Who – scary, in a polar ice cap base, scientists under threat. I keep describing it as Miracle On 34th Street meets Alien.

Viewers will be thrilled to see the Doctor and Clara brought together again - what can we expect from this and what can you say about what brings them together?

Doctor Who - Nick Frost on Last Christmas

The BBC Media Centre has released some interviews with the key people involved in this years Doctor Who Christmas Special.  Today is an interview with Nick Frost.

Nick Frost - Q&A

How much of a Doctor Who fan are you?

On a scale of one to ten I’m probably a seven, if I’m being honest. I suppose most actors would just say ten. I was a big Tom Baker fan and I liked Sylvester McCoy, and Peter Davison. Then I missed out on that Saturday evening TV for a long time. I lived abroad and I travelled and I worked most Saturdays, so it just drifted out of my consciousness. Matt Smith reignited my love of the show and my love for that special feeling you get on Saturday when you can put your feet up and watch. There’s so little original sci-fi on British television, and to get something like Doctor Who that’s prime time Saturday night is something really special I think, as a science fiction fan. When Matt left and Peter came in I thought ‘he’s perfect’. It’s like James Bond. If you love Connery more than Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan more than Timothy Dalton – they’re still James Bond. They just bring different things to it. I love what Peter’s doing with it – I think it’s great.

How did the part come about?

Doctor Who - Last Christmas Promo Pics

Doctor Who - The Doctor, Clara and Santa Radio Times Cover

It's another Doctor Who Radio Times cover and this time Peter Capaldi is sharing it with Jenna Coleman and Nick Frost as Santa Claus.  

Doctor Who - Last Christmas UK Start Time Announced

The BBC have confirmed that the Doctor Who Christmas Special will air on Christmas Day at 6:15PM.  No word on a US or Canada times yet.

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Last Christmas

The BBC have released a short synopsis for Last Christmas the 2014 Christmas Special. This special looks to me like its going to be a bit like The Thing the movie from the 80's not the 50's version.  Plus don't forget Santa will swoop in and save the day keeping the story festive.

“The Doctor and Clara face their Last Christmas. Trapped on an Arctic base, under attack from terrifying creatures, who are you going to call? Santa Claus!”

Doctor Who - Christmas Special Promo Pics and Title Revealed

The BBC have announced the title for this years Christmas Special and it is Last Christmas.  Now let the speculation begin.