@@brianl8481 Thats another thing that pisses me off.... all the previous lore is dead because pf Chris Chibnal and his retarded timeless child twist. Wilfred doesn't matter, same with Clara and all the other characters, because the doctor is immortal now.
I felt embarrassed for her....🤣🤣🤣🤣 Oh God, I miss the good old Doctor, the one who was able to make you uncomfortable, making you to feel embarrassed, surprised, scarier, happy, sad, angry, and more.
I think it was a bad decision to replace the Doctor Who Christmas specials with the New Years Specials because Christmas is when Doctor Who gets the best TV ratings plus everyone normally stays in at Christmas while they go out at New Years.
Maldon 365 Chibnell did it because he is far too politically correct. Can’t have a ‘Christmas’ special because it might offend people of other religions 🤦♀️
Chibnell didn't decide not to have a Doctor Who Christmas special - that is not his decision to make. It was put onto New Years Day by the BBC Scheduling Department so it's nothing to do with religion or being politically correct. Chibnell does NOT decide when the programme is aired or what day of the week it goes out on.
PikaCinema whilst they viewing figures are some of the highest in recent years, you can’t sit there and say that people have actually enjoyed it since chibnall took over, there have been a few good episodes but there have been some big big misses (looking at the pting here), and the amount of exposition dumped on us through dialogue because of budget constraints just comes across as chibnall not being bothered enough to write anything decent to hide this issue (which past show runners have been able to do, so why can’t chibnall? broadchurch is amazing writing for both series, so what’s happened where it hasn’t translated across to doctor who)
PikaCinema ignored the part where I said there have been a few good episodes (I actually meant the few examples you’ve chosen to name, kerblam was my particular favourite, even though it wasn’t note perfect) with regards to viewing figures, you can’t equate the numbers to people tuning in to enjoy it, I watched the whole series because I’ve been a fan since the revival and I wanted to watch doctor who, that doesn’t make it good writing. Of course this is all my own personal opinion, and I’m sure there are people that enjoyed this series, but I do think that the vast majority have seen it as a downgrade from previous show runners and doctors. I also hope I enjoy this next series next year more than the last one, I hope they’ve got into their stride a bit more now and can focus on good story telling. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays if you don’t celebrate it 😊
PikaCinema It May have not ended the lowest but the only reason the ratings were so high was because of the first few episodes, at which point they had started to go down to the averageish ratings
Okay but Matt Smith's spinning and goofiness was wonderful... I heard "borderline unwatchable" and felt a rage boil inside me that I've never felt before 😂😂
Yeah, Smith was an enjoyable Doctor, Capaldi's Doctor was too full of himself and sassy. 13 I still have mixed opinions, and 10, 10 had the best side characters. You say master? I think 10th doctor's master. Donna? Favorite.
I think it depends on how old you were when you started Dr. Who. I started in my mid-20's, and I can't stand Matt Smith's Doctor. Though maybe him under Russell T. Davies direction would have been perfectly serviceable, as 9 and 10 were my favourites.
@@PaxIesus who knows, I mean I was 12 when I first watched eleven and I HATED him in season 5. I thought I'd never like him. But then I did, and then I ended up loving him and now he's my favorite 😂 also my 46 year old dad loves him to bits haha. But I get what you mean. Eleven was written very differently and his first two seasons were very fairy tale. It definitely seems like his character was catering to a younger audience, but idk. Everybody's different, and everybody has their Doctor :) I personally love every Doctor in different ways and they're all wonderful but eleven will always be my favorite ♥️
"Twice Upon a Time" deserves a lot higher placement, if for no other reason than saying the most important thing ever said in a "Doctor Who" episode: the First Doctor asks what keeps evil from prevailing, and Bill ventures that perhaps there's a bloke just going around, setting things right where they go wrong. That not only summarizes what makes "Doctor Who" and the Doctor worth our while, there's also the tacit encouragement for each of us to be the bloke who does the right thing.
but they do bastardise the 1st doctor a bit. i mean rewatch the entire 1st doctor (or the ones that survive) run and he in no way seems to act like Moffat wrote him. i never felt that he looked down on any female companion he had. he never expected them to clean the tardis. never made jokes about the fairer sex. i mean up until 8 he literally never kissed anyone. (on screen that is. granted he has a granddaughter but who knows how time lord reproduction works) the smack bottom line was to his granddaughter. not some random woman he just met.
@@TheWeepingDalek I agree that they made him too much of a sexist jerk; that is a legitimate complaint. But the episode's other charms still make it very much worth watching, at least I think so.
I really don't agree about The Next Doctor. Sure, the Cybermen plot is not interesting, but the idea of the doctor as an heroic human with no advanced technology is great. It wasn't forgettable at all for me - actually it is one of the episodes I remember the most from the show.
Yeah, and he thought his adventures were all a dream, and when it came time when he was needed as that 'dream' self, they couldn't find the pocket watch because some kid had it. It was pretty interesting when they reincorporated that idea into The Master. Other than those two episodes and maybe The Bride/Pompeii, the only other older episodes I can think of are the nasty ones. The Slitheens farting each time they're in the skin of fat people, and that fat guy who sucks peoples faces into him through touch.
its true tho, to go from an amazing film like endgame and going to a mediocre piece of shit like far from home is a let down, the first hour is boring as fuck, it contradicts itself endlesssly, its a good film in the mcu but isnt as good as others make it out to be
KayKo i’ve always felt it made him feel more human. I’ve always really liked that line though. He didn’t need to go on forever. Just a simple ‘I don’t wanna go’
@KayKo interesting you say that... last week i watched a video with 3 takes of the "i dont wanna go" scene... one of the unused takes was removed because he was "too whinier than the Doctor should be" (on that take, the Doctor is almost crying and even gasping a little)
I love it. It's a close-run thing between Last Christmas and A Christmas Carol for my top spot. In the end I'd go for the latter, because it's a truly heartwarming story with one of Murray Gold's best scores with lovely performances from Matt Smith, Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins.
"The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe" is criminally underrated. It's "about" a few different things, but probably the main thing is how the Doctor finds it easier to throw himself into distractions than to honor his commitment to family. Madge indirectly helps him through that (you will notice that it's Madge who objects to the Doctor going peak wacky), even as he helps her more directly with the action of the story. I love that Madge has the right ingredients to be a companion, though her focus is on her family. The episode serves as a nice bookend to "Father's Day": where FD was about the power of fatherhood, TDtWatW is about the power of motherhood. And finally, this episode sets up its rules early and faithfully plays by them: Madge finds strays and helps them get home (first the Doctor, then the trees / her own kids, and finally Reggie), Reggie always follows Madge home (first in how they met and then in his plane), and Christmas is for being reunited with loved ones. A person's not obligated to liek the episode of course, but at least recognize what it's doing.
king, I agree, after reading several comments I was beginning to believe I was the only person to like "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe". I'm glade I'm not alone in this sentiment especially since it appears to be a minority opinion.
@@richardcramer1604 Based on this review and other discussions I've had, I really think most of the episode's critics miss what the episode is trying to do or how it fits into the Matt Smith storyline at that point. Prior to "Widow", Matt Smith had just faked his own death, and let the cosmos believe that the Doctor was gone (including Amy and Rory). We got the briefest of glimpses into what he was doing in his "dead" phase -- anonymously saving earth from invasions and other typical stuff (Jesus, those poor invading aliens at the beginning of the episode had the worst luck) -- but something had to be the catalyst for him to return to his family. This episode was that catalyst. And let's not forget the sweet little detail that Amy and Rory had been tipped off that the Doctor wasn't gone, and they'd even prepared what they would say to him when he finally showed up. It's not a detail crucial to the plot, but it's such a believable response that I'm very glad it was there.
The majority of what I dislike about that episode is how 'romantic' they thought Madge being followed home by her future husband was. Like wtf. That is absolutely terrifying.
@@amaurapond You're not wrong about that -- yeah there was a happy ending and all, but you can tell that sequence was written by a guy, and a guy who grew up in the "persist until they realize they're in love with you" school. Man, that message was utterly hammered into people in my youth, and I'm glad we're collectively realizing how terrible it was. All they had to do to fix that scene, would have been to have Reggie ask "mind if I tag along?" and Claire agrees ... you would still have the theme of "Reggie follows Claire home" without it being so skeevy. Here, check out this ancient The Onion article: local.theonion.com/romantic-comedy-behavior-gets-real-life-man-arrested-1819565117
@@amaurapond ... oh! I just remembered another scene. Remember "Blink" and how Sally Sparrow's friend got sent back to early 1900s Hull? As soon as she landed there, a guy started following her, but there's nothing wrong with that because she eventually married him? What in the hell, Stephen Moffat. WHAT IN THE HELL.
I actually really like Twice Upon A Time. I thought it was funny, charming, and a nice ending for peter Capaldi because the doctor was able to see himself decide to regenerate and that helped him say goodbye to himself and Bill. Also the companion goodbye is a tradition. I think it should’ve been ranked higher.
Due to me being born in 2005, every year of my existence has had the doctor who special on christmas, its just a tradition in my family, so when i found out that there would be no more Christmas specials i literally cried
They could at least release them on Christmas and not call them Christmas specials (if they’re trying to be progressive). Or release them before Christmas (call them winter specials) and then have then rerun on Christmas.
@@vullord666 As a non Christian, there is nothing progressive in acting like Christmas isnt a thing. Its a holiday, no one is acting like other holidays dont exist, so why Christmas?
@@rudrasingh6354as a non-Christian, I’ve always been a bit mixed about Doctor Who Christmas specials. They do *usually* manage to straddle the line of being Christmas specials that don’t exclude people who don’t celebrate Christmas *too* much, but ultimately, I wasn’t too sad to see them go. Christmas specials, by their nature, leave a large portion of the viewing public who don’t celebrate Christmas out in the cold (no pun intended). The first few were decent, but many quickly escalated to show Christmas as some sort of universal, multiple-worlds-spanning entity that everyone celebrates - and sometimes, that those who don’t celebrate it are thus cold hearted (I’m looking at you, A Christmas Carol) - and does so in a way that really only Christianity can. My favorite Christmas special is probably Caillou’s Christmas, and that’s because it shows ways different cultures celebrate and that not everybody celebrates Christmas (and that that’s *okay).* Christmas specials all too often fall into the trap of waxing poetic about how amazing Christmas is and how people who don’t get to celebrate Christmas are missing out, which is at best blind to the fact that a large percentage of the population is perfectly fine not celebrating Christmas and at worst a pointed message at non-Christian kids telling them how much happier they’d be if they were Christian (don’t look at me like that; Christianity didn’t get to be one of the biggest religions on earth by being cool with others not being Christian). Doctor Who has not always avoided this trap, though I will say most likely in the former sense of Christian blindness and not Christian proselytization. As such, I’m actually glad that Chris Chibnall recognized that and changed it to a holiday that’s secular, and, I will argue, more true to Doctor Who than Christmas is. Doctor Who has always been about change, accepting the impermanence of things and moving on. The Doctor regenerates, companions exit, producers give way to the next, and things move on, never forgetting what came before but never letting it hold them back. Thus, I don’t believe any secular holiday embodies Doctor Who as much as the New Year, a time where we change from one year to the next, sometimes mourning its passing and sometimes saying good riddance. Imagine the symbolism you could do with having a Doctor regenerate on New Year’s Day. Many people will cry foul and mourn the loss of Christmas specials. And yes, I enjoyed many of them. However, I believe that the New Year’s Day specials are an over-maligned and under-appreciated choice on Chibnall’s part, and I hope that RTD will see that and allow them to stay.
@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_as a Jewish guy I disagree. It doesn't really leave anyone out? What if it was a hannykah special, would you feel like it isn't a good thing? Also, the new years specials weren't chosen because they'd get no Christian viewers, but because the show is doing terrible so they moved it for something else to be shown in its slot.
The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe is redeemed by the final scene, where the Doctor learns that Amy and Rory always set a place for him at the table for Christmas dinner anyway. Matt Smith's acting is perfect there, more in a subtle change of expression than half an hour of Tennant emoting.
Thank you for giving Voyage of the Damned the time and day. It’s my favourite Who Christmas special I don’t often hear it get talked about in high regards compared to other specials.
How is The Snowman higher than The End of Time which shows some of David’s best acting and Bernards great chemistry with him and The Runaway Bride with the introduction to one of the best companions being Donna and the first time you really see The Doctors pain from losing Rose
17:41 I think the new costume for this episode was fantastic. It fit perfectly with the Doctor’s state of mind, his isolating himself and choosing to blend into the world for a time.
I'll always love The Doctor, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for this line: "Because every time you see them happy, you remember how sad they're going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later."
@@robert47743 yeah but you seem intelligent. I had someone call me a sheeple the other day because I was wearing a mask while in a crowded store working, reaffirming to me that self preservation isn't everyone's cup of tea.
I think my favorite Christmas special is a tie between “A Christmas Carol” (Season 5) or “Time of The Doctor” (Season 7), with a close run for “Twice Upon A Time” (Season 10). I really love the Season 5 special because it was what “The Doctor, The Window, and The Wardrobe” tried to be. It doesn’t feel like a season finale to Doctor Who, it feels like a Sci-Fi Christmas movie. The Eleventh Doctor has always been my favorite Doctor so I may be a bit bias, but I always thought he worked best for Christmas, with the way he moves being similar to that of a small child experiencing there best Christmas to date. I also really enjoy watching his various mini-adventures with Young Kazran, and the defect it’s has on the modern Kazran as his timeline is slowly altered. The introduction of the Doctor is great aswell, with him plummeting out of a chimney and then having a full Sherlock Holmes moment when Kazran doesn’t slap a child, which is great for him because I think when talking about Matt Smith everyone forgets the Doctor’s intellect. As for the Season 7 special, this was does feel more like a finale than a Christmas special to me. But I think it’s an amazing finale, nonetheless. It ends the Eleventh Doctor, who believes himself to be the last one, in a satisfying way that brings in all his greatest enemies in one giant war for Christmas. I think Matt Smith’s finale speech is so emotional, and makes his Doctor feels just as aged as Peter Capuldi’s, Which I think makes a statement about the fact that the are one and the same. They are the same person, but they are that person changed. I also really like Doctor Mysterio, but it doesn’t shove into the three I mentioned. Woah this comment is long. Thanks for coming to my Doctor Who TEDtalk.
The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe is honestly probably my favourite, purely because of the final 5 or so minutes. The Doctor saying in the episode that tears of joy are stupid and "Oh so very human" to at the end shedding a tear of joy himself was fantastic and effective, albeit a bit on the nose. It also has the incredible Doctor quote about happiness and sadness. I haven't gotten through Capaldi's specials yet, but series 1-7, this one is definitely my favourite. Time of The Doctor being close 2nd, which I didn't enjoy nearly as much as a whole but Smitt's regeneration was terrific.
I'll be honest in saying I'm not a huge fan of Twice Upon a Time, it's another Moffat story whose plot, tension and energy just seems to give up towards the end. But the cinematography of the episode is utterly gorgeous, quite possibly the most beautiful episodes of TV I've ever seen. It also has my favorite title for any Doctor Who episode it's simple yet extremely enchanting.
It really does all of Moffat's worst problems: Buildup that goes nowhere, reusing the same few ideas (uploading the dead to a big computer, again?), bringing back dead characters, status quo changes that go nowhere (getting the memories of Clara back).
The husbands of River Song was the first Christmas special I managed to watch on Christmas day, much to the dismay and confusion of my family. I was fixated on watching it the entire time, and as me and my much older cousin cried due to us both knowing the meaning of the towers of Darillium. My family was befuddled, but I loved it and now watch it every Christmas morning. I was going to rage if it wasn't in the top five, and luckily enough you didn't say a bad word about it. Thank you. It was the last thing I watched with my now passed on Grandmother.
Urgh screw you Chibnall. I miss the Christmas specials so much and after Moffat worked so hard to keep the slot for the show he just ruins it. Edit: the only scene I love in the dreadful The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe is where the Doctor turns up to the Ponds for christmas dinner. That scene brings a tear to my eye everytime
TARDIStraveller96 Same on the note of the Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe (though I would also argue there are some lines that are pretty good, not like a simple couple lines can save a whole episode)
Completely disagree. Absolutely wrong about putting The Snowmen ABOVE Runaway Bride. Ugh. Cloudburst (check out the website) did a top Xmas special list of Doctor who that makes wayy more sense
"Last Christmas" is at #12?! Oof, come on. The Danny/Clara epilogue was one sequence. It had a great arctic horror setting, and used the dreams-within-dreams concept to find a SciFi way to say, yes, Santa Claus is real. Just the idea of "Every Christmas is last Christmas" is a really lovely sentiment. Tonally, I think the best Christmas specials have a good dollop of mid-winter melancholy but are ultimately affirming and sentimental (A Christmas Carol, The Husbands of River Song). I don't think you have to literally have Killer-Christmas-Trees and Santa-Robots-with-Machine-Guns to telegraph that it's "Christmas." Having just griped all that... nice work, love your vids. :) Merry Christmas, Whovians!
My personal ranking of the Xmas Specials would probably go something like this: 1. A Christmas Carol 2. Twice Upon a Time (Yes, I loved it!) 3. The Return of Doctor Mysterio 4. The Husbands of River Song 5. Last Christmas 6. The Snowmen 7. The Christmas Invasion 8. The End of Time 9. The Time of the Doctor 10. Voyage of the Damned 11. The Next Doctor 12. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe 13. The Runaway Bride
A Christmas Carol is the best christmas special, and everyone who says otherwise is just lying to themselves. I think it’s even my favorite New Who Episode overall. Amazing work.
It's so fascinating how different some people's taste can be! Personally, I would put The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe near the top of my list, and Voyage of the Damned near the bottom!
That's crazy because I like the witch wardrobe one in a way, but it is such a flanderization of 11 and so cliche that I could never consider it anywhere near the top. Voyage of the damned deserves its spot and maybe even number one, why don't you like it?
I guess they cant rank what they cant see, and it doesnt visually exist any more, though you can listen to it! Another ranked the specials and DID include it, and I was a sobbing mess when I heard it
1. The Runaway Bride 2. The Time of the Doctor 3. The End of Time 4. Last Christmas 5. The Snowmen 6. Twice Upon a Time 7. Voyage of the Damned 8. A Christmas Carol 9. The Husbands of River Song 10. The Christmas Invasion 11. The Return of Doctor Mysterio 12. The Next Doctor 13. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
The Snowmen for reactions. You can just put it on, and even if someone doesn't know shit about the show, you can get them to watch it. And just, you'll be laughing throughout
Great list man. Although mine is very different.. 1. Last Christmas 2. The Christmas invasion 3. Twice upon a time 4. The voyage of the damned 5. The time of the doctor 6. The snowmen 7. The end of time 8. The runaway bride 9. The husbands of river song 10. A Christmas Carol 11. The next doctor 12. The return of doctor mysterio 13. The doctor the widow and the wardrobe
"Cream and beer! .. and pork and beef and fat ... and _great big_ chunks of _HOT_ *WET and RED!* ..." - The Master. "Good for you, Mate." - A Reasonable man who fled very soon after, like a reasonable man.
1. A Christmas Carol 2. Last Christmas 3. The Snowmen 4. Twice Upon A Time (the non-PC 1st Doctor is only done for comedic effect, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest) 5. The Runaway Bride 6. The Time of the Doctor 7. The Husbands of River Song 8. The Christmas Invasion (it'd be higher up my list if the splendid Tennant hadn't spent so much time in a coma) 9. The Return of Doctor Mysterio 10. The End of Time Part One (I _really_ don't like the magic powers the Master has suddenly acquired. Silly stuff.) 11. Voyage of the Damned 12. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (it has a certain festive charm, and Elton John is brilliant as the little lad) 13. The Next Doctor (not bad, but it's my least favourite of Tennant's farewell specials after Planet of the Dead)
@@braddsfx8921 Ah, but "Carol" scores higher in my estimation because it's Christmassy. "Voyage" could have been set at any time and it still would have worked.
I actually absolutely love that Donna told the doctor know at first and then became His companion after a whole year. I've never seen anything like that in who and I don't know if we'll ever get anything like that again. It's pretty unique and pretty cool.
And incidentally, a Happy Christmas to all of you at home! 1. The Christmas Invasion 2. The Runaway Bride 3. Last Christmas 4. The Time of the Doctor 5. A Christmas Carol 6. The Snowmen 7. The End of Time 8. The Husbands of River Song 9. The Return of Dr Mysterio 10. Voyage of the Damned 11. Twice upon a Time 12. The Next Doctor 13. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
My list is actually shockingly different to both of these and I dont think I realised how controversial these christmas episodes were👀 13. Voyage Of The Damned 12. The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe 11. The Next Doctor 10. The Return Of Doctor Mysterio 9. The Husbands Of River Song 8. Twice Apon a time 7. The christmas invasion 6. The Runaway Bride 5. The End Of Time 4. A Christmas Carol 3. Last Christmas 2. The Snowmen 1. Time of The Doctor
@@InfantGarlic How the hell could you put Voyage of the Damned as the worst?! It's such a fantastic episode! What could you possibly see as wrong with it?
@@puretoast5625 i think all the actual christmas stuff regarding Santa and all the other Christmas iconography was incredibly forced and stupid. But the inception like headcrab dream scenario is one of my favourite episode concepts ever. I wish it had been made as a normal episode and it would have been SO much better.
Well There was nardole But I agree It's ironic that they make a point that the current team is 'diverse' and yet on a space-time scale, they are far from that
Finally someone who likes voyage of the damned! It is a great episode. My list is really similar and we have the same top 3 in order. I agree with you on so many things and series 7 is definitely where doctor who started to go downhill and I think with Last Christmas the concept was really good but it failed to present it. Great video!
Number 1 for me will always be Voyage of the Damned. It was incredible from start to finish and felt like a proper Christmas blockbuster movie. It's golden age Doctor Who at its peak, and is so much fun for all to watch, I remember first watching it with my cousins, who weren't exactly die-hard Who fans but it didn't matter because the story was so great and we absolutely loved it. A time when the show was for everyone, not to please a distinct group of long-term fans or to appease woke Twitter trolls.
I get the point you are making about the doctor the widow and the wardrobe, however in our family it is one of our favourites. Encapsulating the fun of Matt Smith but also how understanding and sympathetic this incarnation of the doctor can be. It is a beautiful mess that show cases him at his best unfortunately sacrificing some other elements along the way.
i do appreciate a different perspective but i have to say. it's genuinely a surprise that voyage of the damned isn't last on this list LOL. like that episode was blasted by the last living survivor of the titanic when it aired.
I mean the survivors of the Titanic pretty much felt like that about every Titanic adaptation, which is fair enough, it was an extremely traumatic incident.
Oliver FP here’s an article www.digitalspy.com/tv/cult/a82185/dr-who-criticised-by-titanic-survivor/ really she just thinks it’s disrespectful to make entertainment based on a tragedy which if anything is a little ironic with how survivors praised the film ‘titanic’
While the Titanic was a tragedy I don't see why people would get offended whatsoever. What about all the films and shows set during World War 1 or 2? Voyage of the Damned is genuinely my favourite of the specials.
I love how Jackie and smith just saw this skinny stranger stumble out of the recently crashed tardis, wish them a happy Christmas and then promptly fall into a coma in front of them both only to have rose tell them this is the bloke that They’ve gotten to know us priceless.
I keep seeing the scene where the Doctor talking to Wilfred as a slap because the Doctor is acting like he’s going to die to someone who is close to death. Like seriously. That was also before we learned about John Hurt as the Doctor, or counting the regeneration on the stolen earth two parter. I kinda wish they had him regenerate to Smith, and cause havoc during his 13 hour long post regeneration invincibility. It would’ve been an interesting take on a regeneration story, plus no David Tennant farewell parade of death. Too bad it still wouldn’t get rid of fear her. Also Smith and Jones, really
Some interesting picks here. Personally, I'd rank The Runaway Bride far higher than The Husbands of River Song or The Christmas Invasion, but I wholeheartedly agree with A Christmas Carol's placement. Also Smith's second look is iconic and makes me wish he had worn it from the start...I said what I said.
I always liked the idea that 12 was the first Doctor River met and fell in love with and one she spent most of her time with. It always felt weird that she kept acting like she was used to a super older Doctor and experienced many different incarnations, but in the show only met 10 and 11. Then again hindsight is 20/20. It’s kinda a miracle Moffat was able to introduce River with the 10th Doctor and wrap things up nearly a decade later with the 12th Doctor.
I just want to point out that in the end of time, the doctor and Wilfred work so well because they are so different yet work so well. The doctor can’t let go of the time war and is still haunted by the time he spent fighting and will do anything to stop it from repeating and fighting again when Wilfred is an ex soldier from a previous war and longs to be back in the fight, he misses it so much that he carry’s round his gun and isn’t afraid to run back into the fight.
I disagree on that. Yes he was a soldier, but do not forget he was also a soldier that didn't take a single life. And he was god damn proud of it! And I think that was the thing. They both participated in the greatest war of their species but Doctor is ashamed of his actions during the war while Wilfred is proud of them, having taken not even one life.
Hot Take: Last Christmas is definitely one of my favorite Doctor Who Christmas Specials. It's one of only two specials on this list (the other being The End of Time) that, upon hearing the name alone, immediately sent a flood of wonderful memories back to me.
Aaargh... I finally got Moffat's joke of making a Dickensian Christmas special... It's also a Philip K Dick'ensian A Christmas Carol. Having just listened to the whole unabridged version of Ubik, I can only see Glen Runsiter as Michael Gambon. I couldn't work that out for the first half hour of listening to it, but slowly I got Moffat's homage to both Dick and Dickens!
"If Chibnall can't be bothered, then neither can we." I don't get this sentiment - the production team put in the same amount of effort for Resolution as they would have put into a Christmas special, it just airs a week later... I'm bewildered.
Last Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas specials - it has a lot of poignant moments as well as some great uplifting ones (12 riding the sleigh is one of my fave 12 moments), like all good Christmas entertainment should. As for Twice Upon A Time, the people saying it "insults" the First Doctor are taking a gag far too seriously, I don't understand how you could describe his portrayal as anything over than loving, and it brilliant illustrates the theme of how far the Doctor (and the show) have come. And as for setting the ending at the Christmas Armistice - that's a guaranteed tear-jerker for me regardless of context but it's a fantastic sendoff for 12.
1. The End of Time 2. The Husbands of River Song 3. The Runaway Bride 4. Voyage of the Damned 5. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe 6. The Next Doctor 7. The Christmas Invasion 8. Twice Upon a Time 9. Last Christmas 10. A Christmas Carol 11. The Time of the Doctor 12. The Return of Doctor Mysterio 13. The Snowmen
On my personal opinion the Husbands of Riversong is the best, mainly because it's way more memorable. I see gifs of it to this day, while a Christmas Carol is barely mentioned.
9:38 over stuffed you say. Almost like a Turkey you might say
demon_hawkeye ' or like me on Xmas day
@@connor1577 yes that too
Well there is going to be a 2020 Christmas special
To be honest I loved the Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe
@@theodoredalton3355 So did a lot of people, me included.
The more I think about it, the more I realise that Wilfred Mott is my absolute favourite Doctor Who character.
Such a memorable old man!
I feel most of us Love him.
Is it because that if it weren't for him, Tennant wouldn't have regenerated? Cause that's a big reason for me to like him.
@@brianl8481 Thats another thing that pisses me off.... all the previous lore is dead because pf Chris Chibnal and his retarded timeless child twist. Wilfred doesn't matter, same with Clara and all the other characters, because the doctor is immortal now.
You aliens!
River recognising the doctor is such an amazing scene
I felt embarrassed for her....🤣🤣🤣🤣
Oh God, I miss the good old Doctor, the one who was able to make you uncomfortable, making you to feel embarrassed, surprised, scarier, happy, sad, angry, and more.
As is the 24 years revelation.
I cry every.single.time.
12 and River are at last an old married couple, and I love them like that
I think it was a bad decision to replace the Doctor Who Christmas specials with the New Years Specials because Christmas is when Doctor Who gets the best TV ratings plus everyone normally stays in at Christmas while they go out at New Years.
Maldon 365 Chibnell did it because he is far too politically correct. Can’t have a ‘Christmas’ special because it might offend people of other religions 🤦♀️
@@waterinmyotter6245, which isn't even the case. I personally am of another religion, and no one ever gets offended over Christmas specials.
Also because new year always has better tv than Christmas anyway so Christmas needs doctor who at least.
Otterinmywater that’s such fake fucking news
Chibnell didn't decide not to have a Doctor Who Christmas special - that is not his decision to make. It was put onto New Years Day by the BBC Scheduling Department so it's nothing to do with religion or being politically correct. Chibnell does NOT decide when the programme is aired or what day of the week it goes out on.
“if chibnall can’t be bothered, then neither can we” - mood of the country for the latest series tbh
PikaCinema whilst they viewing figures are some of the highest in recent years, you can’t sit there and say that people have actually enjoyed it since chibnall took over, there have been a few good episodes but there have been some big big misses (looking at the pting here), and the amount of exposition dumped on us through dialogue because of budget constraints just comes across as chibnall not being bothered enough to write anything decent to hide this issue (which past show runners have been able to do, so why can’t chibnall? broadchurch is amazing writing for both series, so what’s happened where it hasn’t translated across to doctor who)
PikaCinema ignored the part where I said there have been a few good episodes (I actually meant the few examples you’ve chosen to name, kerblam was my particular favourite, even though it wasn’t note perfect)
with regards to viewing figures, you can’t equate the numbers to people tuning in to enjoy it, I watched the whole series because I’ve been a fan since the revival and I wanted to watch doctor who, that doesn’t make it good writing. Of course this is all my own personal opinion, and I’m sure there are people that enjoyed this series, but I do think that the vast majority have seen it as a downgrade from previous show runners and doctors. I also hope I enjoy this next series next year more than the last one, I hope they’ve got into their stride a bit more now and can focus on good story telling. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays if you don’t celebrate it 😊
PikaCinema tbf most of its success came from huge amount of woman and girls watching it for the first time because of the female doctor
@PikaCinema NOP series 11 STARTED with the biggest numbers.. and until it ends it had the lowest..
facts.. go and check them!
PikaCinema It May have not ended the lowest but the only reason the ratings were so high was because of the first few episodes, at which point they had started to go down to the averageish ratings
I think setting up Donna as a companion an entire season before she becomes one is great and should be done more
They didn't intend for her to be a companion at that point.
I think they might have had early plans for that. Amy / Rory always struck me as very Sally Sparrow/Larry Nightingale - esque.
I think they were expecting Martha to be in two series, or they were running out of time for the next, and didn't think Tate would do a series.
@@TheSilencerr Adeola was Martha's cousin. After Army of Ghosts, they decided they wanted Freema back.
I mean river counts right
Okay but Matt Smith's spinning and goofiness was wonderful... I heard "borderline unwatchable" and felt a rage boil inside me that I've never felt before 😂😂
Yeah, Smith was an enjoyable Doctor, Capaldi's Doctor was too full of himself and sassy. 13 I still have mixed opinions, and 10, 10 had the best side characters. You say master? I think 10th doctor's master. Donna? Favorite.
I dont get why people hate series 7
I actually really liked that series a lot, especially with clara
I loved Matt smith but personally for me did not like Clara that much she was ok not my favourite though
I think it depends on how old you were when you started Dr. Who. I started in my mid-20's, and I can't stand Matt Smith's Doctor. Though maybe him under Russell T. Davies direction would have been perfectly serviceable, as 9 and 10 were my favourites.
@@PaxIesus who knows, I mean I was 12 when I first watched eleven and I HATED him in season 5. I thought I'd never like him. But then I did, and then I ended up loving him and now he's my favorite 😂 also my 46 year old dad loves him to bits haha. But I get what you mean. Eleven was written very differently and his first two seasons were very fairy tale. It definitely seems like his character was catering to a younger audience, but idk. Everybody's different, and everybody has their Doctor :) I personally love every Doctor in different ways and they're all wonderful but eleven will always be my favorite ♥️
"Twice Upon a Time" deserves a lot higher placement, if for no other reason than saying the most important thing ever said in a "Doctor Who" episode: the First Doctor asks what keeps evil from prevailing, and Bill ventures that perhaps there's a bloke just going around, setting things right where they go wrong. That not only summarizes what makes "Doctor Who" and the Doctor worth our while, there's also the tacit encouragement for each of us to be the bloke who does the right thing.
but they do bastardise the 1st doctor a bit. i mean rewatch the entire 1st doctor (or the ones that survive) run and he in no way seems to act like Moffat wrote him. i never felt that he looked down on any female companion he had. he never expected them to clean the tardis. never made jokes about the fairer sex. i mean up until 8 he literally never kissed anyone. (on screen that is. granted he has a granddaughter but who knows how time lord reproduction works) the smack bottom line was to his granddaughter. not some random woman he just met.
@@TheWeepingDalek I agree that they made him too much of a sexist jerk; that is a legitimate complaint. But the episode's other charms still make it very much worth watching, at least I think so.
@@kingbeauregard to be fair thats my only gripe. i otherwise love the episode.
Also I loved the "Oh, it's not an evil plan. I don't really know what to do when it isn't an evil plan." And the Christmas Truce scene made me cry.
Twice Upon A Time is an amazing Xmas special.
I really don't agree about The Next Doctor. Sure, the Cybermen plot is not interesting, but the idea of the doctor as an heroic human with no advanced technology is great. It wasn't forgettable at all for me - actually it is one of the episodes I remember the most from the show.
I think the doctor part worked and maybe that idea came first and the cybermen where tagged on to give the episode a monster
Yeah, and he thought his adventures were all a dream, and when it came time when he was needed as that 'dream' self, they couldn't find the pocket watch because some kid had it. It was pretty interesting when they reincorporated that idea into The Master. Other than those two episodes and maybe The Bride/Pompeii, the only other older episodes I can think of are the nasty ones. The Slitheens farting each time they're in the skin of fat people, and that fat guy who sucks peoples faces into him through touch.
I liked the cynermen in it
@@damian9303 The Doctor used the watch to hide from The Family of Blood, and the Master returned in series 3. Then the Doctor notices Jackson's watch.
One of my favourite parts is the Doctor heroically disintegrating the CyberKing.
Not happy with the disrespect for Spiderman: Far From Home. Delighted about the disrespect to Chris Chibnall.
elite power - couldn’t agree more 😂
its true tho, to go from an amazing film like endgame and going to a mediocre piece of shit like far from home is a let down, the first hour is boring as fuck, it contradicts itself endlesssly, its a good film in the mcu but isnt as good as others make it out to be
It was one of the worst spider man films though
Even though Far From Home is one of the best mcu, nay, one of the best superhero movies of all time, imo
@@brunopereira6789 you must have a weird taste then in films, bet you think thor 2 is good as well
"i don't want to go" one of the best lines of modern who
KayKo i’ve always felt it made him feel more human. I’ve always really liked that line though. He didn’t need to go on forever. Just a simple ‘I don’t wanna go’
@KayKo He thought twice to save a dying old man. Why? Because he doesn't want to go.
Samm Just Hated that line.
@KayKo That incarnation was only six years old, though...
@KayKo interesting you say that... last week i watched a video with 3 takes of the "i dont wanna go" scene... one of the unused takes was removed because he was "too whinier than the Doctor should be" (on that take, the Doctor is almost crying and even gasping a little)
Am I the only one who adores ‘last Christmas’? I found it rather emotionally resonant
definitely not the only one. I loved it, especially the emotional scenes between the Doctor, Clara and Danny
I love it. It's a close-run thing between Last Christmas and A Christmas Carol for my top spot. In the end I'd go for the latter, because it's a truly heartwarming story with one of Murray Gold's best scores with lovely performances from Matt Smith, Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins.
love it for the most part but found the old clara ending cringy to watch
Nope. It was the first Christmas special since The Next Doctor I actually liked.
@@only_sleeping7276 I find the "Old Clara" part rather moving. But each to their own :)
"The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe" is criminally underrated. It's "about" a few different things, but probably the main thing is how the Doctor finds it easier to throw himself into distractions than to honor his commitment to family. Madge indirectly helps him through that (you will notice that it's Madge who objects to the Doctor going peak wacky), even as he helps her more directly with the action of the story. I love that Madge has the right ingredients to be a companion, though her focus is on her family. The episode serves as a nice bookend to "Father's Day": where FD was about the power of fatherhood, TDtWatW is about the power of motherhood. And finally, this episode sets up its rules early and faithfully plays by them: Madge finds strays and helps them get home (first the Doctor, then the trees / her own kids, and finally Reggie), Reggie always follows Madge home (first in how they met and then in his plane), and Christmas is for being reunited with loved ones. A person's not obligated to liek the episode of course, but at least recognize what it's doing.
king, I agree, after reading several comments I was beginning to believe I was the only person to like "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe". I'm glade I'm not alone in this sentiment especially since it appears to be a minority opinion.
@@richardcramer1604 Based on this review and other discussions I've had, I really think most of the episode's critics miss what the episode is trying to do or how it fits into the Matt Smith storyline at that point. Prior to "Widow", Matt Smith had just faked his own death, and let the cosmos believe that the Doctor was gone (including Amy and Rory). We got the briefest of glimpses into what he was doing in his "dead" phase -- anonymously saving earth from invasions and other typical stuff (Jesus, those poor invading aliens at the beginning of the episode had the worst luck) -- but something had to be the catalyst for him to return to his family. This episode was that catalyst. And let's not forget the sweet little detail that Amy and Rory had been tipped off that the Doctor wasn't gone, and they'd even prepared what they would say to him when he finally showed up. It's not a detail crucial to the plot, but it's such a believable response that I'm very glad it was there.
The majority of what I dislike about that episode is how 'romantic' they thought Madge being followed home by her future husband was. Like wtf. That is absolutely terrifying.
@@amaurapond You're not wrong about that -- yeah there was a happy ending and all, but you can tell that sequence was written by a guy, and a guy who grew up in the "persist until they realize they're in love with you" school. Man, that message was utterly hammered into people in my youth, and I'm glad we're collectively realizing how terrible it was. All they had to do to fix that scene, would have been to have Reggie ask "mind if I tag along?" and Claire agrees ... you would still have the theme of "Reggie follows Claire home" without it being so skeevy. Here, check out this ancient The Onion article: local.theonion.com/romantic-comedy-behavior-gets-real-life-man-arrested-1819565117
@@amaurapond ... oh! I just remembered another scene. Remember "Blink" and how Sally Sparrow's friend got sent back to early 1900s Hull? As soon as she landed there, a guy started following her, but there's nothing wrong with that because she eventually married him? What in the hell, Stephen Moffat. WHAT IN THE HELL.
I actually really like Twice Upon A Time. I thought it was funny, charming, and a nice ending for peter Capaldi because the doctor was able to see himself decide to regenerate and that helped him say goodbye to himself and Bill. Also the companion goodbye is a tradition. I think it should’ve been ranked higher.
Yeah, watched it recently and it's one of my favourites
Due to me being born in 2005, every year of my existence has had the doctor who special on christmas, its just a tradition in my family, so when i found out that there would be no more Christmas specials i literally cried
Me 2
They could at least release them on Christmas and not call them Christmas specials (if they’re trying to be progressive). Or release them before Christmas (call them winter specials) and then have then rerun on Christmas.
@@vullord666 As a non Christian, there is nothing progressive in acting like Christmas isnt a thing. Its a holiday, no one is acting like other holidays dont exist, so why Christmas?
@@rudrasingh6354as a non-Christian, I’ve always been a bit mixed about Doctor Who Christmas specials. They do *usually* manage to straddle the line of being Christmas specials that don’t exclude people who don’t celebrate Christmas *too* much, but ultimately, I wasn’t too sad to see them go.
Christmas specials, by their nature, leave a large portion of the viewing public who don’t celebrate Christmas out in the cold (no pun intended). The first few were decent, but many quickly escalated to show Christmas as some sort of universal, multiple-worlds-spanning entity that everyone celebrates - and sometimes, that those who don’t celebrate it are thus cold hearted (I’m looking at you, A Christmas Carol) - and does so in a way that really only Christianity can.
My favorite Christmas special is probably Caillou’s Christmas, and that’s because it shows ways different cultures celebrate and that not everybody celebrates Christmas (and that that’s *okay).* Christmas specials all too often fall into the trap of waxing poetic about how amazing Christmas is and how people who don’t get to celebrate Christmas are missing out, which is at best blind to the fact that a large percentage of the population is perfectly fine not celebrating Christmas and at worst a pointed message at non-Christian kids telling them how much happier they’d be if they were Christian (don’t look at me like that; Christianity didn’t get to be one of the biggest religions on earth by being cool with others not being Christian).
Doctor Who has not always avoided this trap, though I will say most likely in the former sense of Christian blindness and not Christian proselytization. As such, I’m actually glad that Chris Chibnall recognized that and changed it to a holiday that’s secular, and, I will argue, more true to Doctor Who than Christmas is.
Doctor Who has always been about change, accepting the impermanence of things and moving on. The Doctor regenerates, companions exit, producers give way to the next, and things move on, never forgetting what came before but never letting it hold them back. Thus, I don’t believe any secular holiday embodies Doctor Who as much as the New Year, a time where we change from one year to the next, sometimes mourning its passing and sometimes saying good riddance. Imagine the symbolism you could do with having a Doctor regenerate on New Year’s Day.
Many people will cry foul and mourn the loss of Christmas specials. And yes, I enjoyed many of them. However, I believe that the New Year’s Day specials are an over-maligned and under-appreciated choice on Chibnall’s part, and I hope that RTD will see that and allow them to stay.
@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_as a Jewish guy I disagree. It doesn't really leave anyone out? What if it was a hannykah special, would you feel like it isn't a good thing? Also, the new years specials weren't chosen because they'd get no Christian viewers, but because the show is doing terrible so they moved it for something else to be shown in its slot.
The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe is redeemed by the final scene, where the Doctor learns that Amy and Rory always set a place for him at the table for Christmas dinner anyway. Matt Smith's acting is perfect there, more in a subtle change of expression than half an hour of Tennant emoting.
it's good chibbs doesn't do Christmas specials because I want to enjoy Christmas.
Moffat didn’t have any good Christmas specials too
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 a A Christmas Carol was the only Good one. And the last 10 minutes of Time of the Doctor.
Christopher Calcutt no it was dreadful people hated it
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 it's all gold compared to series 11
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 Hey, the locust once more !! Trolling again ?...
You can insult the time of the doctor but NEVER EVER DISRESPECT HANDLES!!!
Agreed. Our boi Handles is an absolute King.
Thank you for giving Voyage of the Damned the time and day. It’s my favourite Who Christmas special I don’t often hear it get talked about in high regards compared to other specials.
That one is my FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!
How is The Snowman higher than The End of Time which shows some of David’s best acting and Bernards great chemistry with him and The Runaway Bride with the introduction to one of the best companions being Donna and the first time you really see The Doctors pain from losing Rose
The end of time had some good ideas but a lot of it was annoying
The End of time should be number one
Because it's his opinion
Some good acting that even David Tennant thought was mostly out of character lmao
AmauraPond and his opinion is shit
I had to watch that ending of The End Of Time again, visiting every memorable character from Davies' run just gets me every time.
17:41 I think the new costume for this episode was fantastic. It fit perfectly with the Doctor’s state of mind, his isolating himself and choosing to blend into the world for a time.
Miss the 12th doctor
Haha imagine thinking that the Doctor being given another regeneration cycle was "meddlesome retcon" 😬
Oof
I'll always love The Doctor, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for this line: "Because every time you see them happy, you remember how sad they're going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later."
"I don't want to go" still gets me every time
Just realised the Doctor probably killed someone in Christmas Invasion given that the guy with the sword falles over a London street not the river.
He would be dead even if he hit the river!
@@JeekayTenn I'm talking about a random civilian not the sword dude
@@novaiscool1 Oohhh hahaha
Thedoctor133 if there was a giant alien ship hovering above my city I would either go to a different city or stay in my house the entire time
@@robert47743 yeah but you seem intelligent. I had someone call me a sheeple the other day because I was wearing a mask while in a crowded store working, reaffirming to me that self preservation isn't everyone's cup of tea.
Handles death was the only time I ever cried whilst watching doctor who
I wish I was kidding, I found it so emotional and broke down.
I think my favorite Christmas special is a tie between “A Christmas Carol” (Season 5) or “Time of The Doctor” (Season 7), with a close run for “Twice Upon A Time” (Season 10).
I really love the Season 5 special because it was what “The Doctor, The Window, and The Wardrobe” tried to be. It doesn’t feel like a season finale to Doctor Who, it feels like a Sci-Fi Christmas movie. The Eleventh Doctor has always been my favorite Doctor so I may be a bit bias, but I always thought he worked best for Christmas, with the way he moves being similar to that of a small child experiencing there best Christmas to date. I also really enjoy watching his various mini-adventures with Young Kazran, and the defect it’s has on the modern Kazran as his timeline is slowly altered. The introduction of the Doctor is great aswell, with him plummeting out of a chimney and then having a full Sherlock Holmes moment when Kazran doesn’t slap a child, which is great for him because I think when talking about Matt Smith everyone forgets the Doctor’s intellect.
As for the Season 7 special, this was does feel more like a finale than a Christmas special to me. But I think it’s an amazing finale, nonetheless. It ends the Eleventh Doctor, who believes himself to be the last one, in a satisfying way that brings in all his greatest enemies in one giant war for Christmas. I think Matt Smith’s finale speech is so emotional, and makes his Doctor feels just as aged as Peter Capuldi’s, Which I think makes a statement about the fact that the are one and the same. They are the same person, but they are that person changed.
I also really like Doctor Mysterio, but it doesn’t shove into the three I mentioned.
Woah this comment is long. Thanks for coming to my Doctor Who TEDtalk.
The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe is honestly probably my favourite, purely because of the final 5 or so minutes. The Doctor saying in the episode that tears of joy are stupid and "Oh so very human" to at the end shedding a tear of joy himself was fantastic and effective, albeit a bit on the nose. It also has the incredible Doctor quote about happiness and sadness. I haven't gotten through Capaldi's specials yet, but series 1-7, this one is definitely my favourite. Time of The Doctor being close 2nd, which I didn't enjoy nearly as much as a whole but Smitt's regeneration was terrific.
Personnally, I LOVED The Time of the Doctor! The story is well written and beautiful.
I'll be honest in saying I'm not a huge fan of Twice Upon a Time, it's another Moffat story whose plot, tension and energy just seems to give up towards the end. But the cinematography of the episode is utterly gorgeous, quite possibly the most beautiful episodes of TV I've ever seen. It also has my favorite title for any Doctor Who episode it's simple yet extremely enchanting.
It also has the most beautiful cor anglais solo from the incomparable Murray Gold.
I also absolutely love Capaldi’s send off. His speech is wonderful.
It really does all of Moffat's worst problems: Buildup that goes nowhere, reusing the same few ideas (uploading the dead to a big computer, again?), bringing back dead characters, status quo changes that go nowhere (getting the memories of Clara back).
The husbands of River Song was the first Christmas special I managed to watch on Christmas day, much to the dismay and confusion of my family. I was fixated on watching it the entire time, and as me and my much older cousin cried due to us both knowing the meaning of the towers of Darillium. My family was befuddled, but I loved it and now watch it every Christmas morning. I was going to rage if it wasn't in the top five, and luckily enough you didn't say a bad word about it. Thank you. It was the last thing I watched with my now passed on Grandmother.
Urgh screw you Chibnall. I miss the Christmas specials so much and after Moffat worked so hard to keep the slot for the show he just ruins it.
Edit: the only scene I love in the dreadful The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe is where the Doctor turns up to the Ponds for christmas dinner. That scene brings a tear to my eye everytime
TARDIStraveller96 Same on the note of the Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe (though I would also argue there are some lines that are pretty good, not like a simple couple lines can save a whole episode)
Steven Bailey That is the EXACT line I was thinking of when I made my reply comment :D [EDIT] And yes, I agree
See it as a good thing, now he can't ruin Christmas
"The Husbands of River Song" as low as #4? Shame on you.
"A Christmas Carol" at #1? Okay no more eggnog for you.
Yeah THORS is my favourite special
A Christmas Carol is the best, hand down
No it’s shit
@@anakinskywalker596 oof did you just choose the high ground
My brain: wait that's illegal
Lewis D fun fact: the actor for Anakin was in a show called Higher Ground
@@anakinskywalker596 oof only if he could against obi
It just feels more Christmassy than any other special.
A Christmas Carol is so iconic that it’s become required Christmas watching for my family. Peak Doctor Who, don’t think anything can beat it.
It’s terrible and boring
JustSomeRandomGuy Online haha just like you are
I think the end of time two parter is an AMAZING episode. Just isn't a great "Christmas" episode
Erm what? Return of doctor mysterious was better than the time of the doctor? Are you okay? Like do you need help? Is someone making you say this?
where is the lie
@KayKo that my good friend is what you call heracy
It’s just an opinion.
@@liansmith4038 so is communism is a solid foundation for society, which is wrong
ben vs gaming Was this discussion supposed to be about politics? No.
Completely disagree. Absolutely wrong about putting The Snowmen ABOVE Runaway Bride. Ugh. Cloudburst (check out the website) did a top Xmas special list of Doctor who that makes wayy more sense
I agree that 'Runaway Bridge' outdoes 'The Snowmen', but hey, each person's view and all that, there is no "right" and "wrong". :)
Roma Ardell ...in your opinion.
Wrong, Xmas Carol is the best
@@anakinskywalker596 says....?
11:20 I actually thought that was clever because they counted the war doctor as a regeneration and a clock has 12 hours
Twice upon a Time is amazing. I think fans take the bit about the first Doctor being “old-school” too seriously
''I dont wanna go...''
That line will never fail to make me tear up, Tennent was a fantastic Doctor.
That “I don’t want to go” will always induce tears, no matter what
"Last Christmas" is at #12?! Oof, come on. The Danny/Clara epilogue was one sequence. It had a great arctic horror setting, and used the dreams-within-dreams concept to find a SciFi way to say, yes, Santa Claus is real. Just the idea of "Every Christmas is last Christmas" is a really lovely sentiment. Tonally, I think the best Christmas specials have a good dollop of mid-winter melancholy but are ultimately affirming and sentimental (A Christmas Carol, The Husbands of River Song). I don't think you have to literally have Killer-Christmas-Trees and Santa-Robots-with-Machine-Guns to telegraph that it's "Christmas." Having just griped all that... nice work, love your vids. :) Merry Christmas, Whovians!
My personal ranking of the Xmas Specials would probably go something like this:
1. A Christmas Carol
2. Twice Upon a Time
(Yes, I loved it!)
3. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
4. The Husbands of River Song
5. Last Christmas
6. The Snowmen
7. The Christmas Invasion
8. The End of Time
9. The Time of the Doctor
10. Voyage of the Damned
11. The Next Doctor
12. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
13. The Runaway Bride
I loved Twice Upon a Time as well!
A Christmas Carol is the best christmas special, and everyone who says otherwise is just lying to themselves.
I think it’s even my favorite New Who Episode overall. Amazing work.
Nothing beats the Star Wars Holiday Special
Yep, I'd rather watch nothing than that, every time.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a Christmas Special (if they ever do em again) set in the Christmas Truce of WW1.
They did one in 2017 my friend! It's Twice Upon A Time which is featured in this video! :)
@@FullFatVideos Yet another travesty of that episode
James Burgess ......-_- Are you implying it’s bad?
Regrettable costume changes. Excuse me, the purple frock coat is beautiful!
Thank youuuuu !!!
It's so fascinating how different some people's taste can be! Personally, I would put The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe near the top of my list, and Voyage of the Damned near the bottom!
That's crazy because I like the witch wardrobe one in a way, but it is such a flanderization of 11 and so cliche that I could never consider it anywhere near the top. Voyage of the damned deserves its spot and maybe even number one, why don't you like it?
Honestly this is just reminding me how many episodes I forgot existed in the recent series..
Description: "We rank every Doctor Who Christmas episode"
The Feast of Steven: "Am I a joke to you?
I guess they cant rank what they cant see, and it doesnt visually exist any more, though you can listen to it! Another ranked the specials and DID include it, and I was a sobbing mess when I heard it
1. The Runaway Bride
2. The Time of the Doctor
3. The End of Time
4. Last Christmas
5. The Snowmen
6. Twice Upon a Time
7. Voyage of the Damned
8. A Christmas Carol
9. The Husbands of River Song
10. The Christmas Invasion
11. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
12. The Next Doctor
13. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
Gutted there's no Christmas special again this year!
The Snowmen for reactions. You can just put it on, and even if someone doesn't know shit about the show, you can get them to watch it. And just, you'll be laughing throughout
Great list man. Although mine is very different..
1. Last Christmas
2. The Christmas invasion
3. Twice upon a time
4. The voyage of the damned
5. The time of the doctor
6. The snowmen
7. The end of time
8. The runaway bride
9. The husbands of river song
10. A Christmas Carol
11. The next doctor
12. The return of doctor mysterio
13. The doctor the widow and the wardrobe
If time of the doctor was a two parter I think it would be great. Just needs some script revisions
it was supposed to be a series long arc, you can see the breaks for at least 4 stories, not sure where the other two are
He hated Last Christmas. My God. I absolutely adore it. The concept, the good righting, Capaldi's cinicysm. Absolutely loved it. Easy 9/10 to me.
"Cream and beer! .. and pork and beef and fat ... and _great big_ chunks of _HOT_ *WET and RED!* ..."
- The Master.
"Good for you, Mate."
- A Reasonable man who fled very soon after, like a reasonable man.
The End of Time is my personal favourite tbf, still makes me teary
this was some fkn nostalgia damn
1. A Christmas Carol
2. Last Christmas
3. The Snowmen
4. Twice Upon A Time (the non-PC 1st Doctor is only done for comedic effect, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest)
5. The Runaway Bride
6. The Time of the Doctor
7. The Husbands of River Song
8. The Christmas Invasion (it'd be higher up my list if the splendid Tennant hadn't spent so much time in a coma)
9. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
10. The End of Time Part One (I _really_ don't like the magic powers the Master has suddenly acquired. Silly stuff.)
11. Voyage of the Damned
12. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (it has a certain festive charm, and Elton John is brilliant as the little lad)
13. The Next Doctor (not bad, but it's my least favourite of Tennant's farewell specials after Planet of the Dead)
I agree but I’d swap voyage and carol, simply my opinion but I just found carol boring as hell
@@braddsfx8921 Ah, but "Carol" scores higher in my estimation because it's Christmassy. "Voyage" could have been set at any time and it still would have worked.
ftumschk honestly I agree with most of this, 1 and 2 I completely agree with, they are the best ☺️
@@EmpireEmployeeRick Thank you!
that last christmas joke was pretty good
I actually absolutely love that Donna told the doctor know at first and then became His companion after a whole year. I've never seen anything like that in who and I don't know if we'll ever get anything like that again. It's pretty unique and pretty cool.
Bruh you wrong about Last Chrimble
But bruh you be right about a Christmas Carol. Tis be a very underrated one in my opinion.
Do something on day of the doctor please
Trae Sebastian ++
Just remember, they had three series and the same amount of years worth of stories and unresolved plot lines to wrap up in Time of the Doctor.
And incidentally, a Happy Christmas to all of you at home!
1. The Christmas Invasion
2. The Runaway Bride
3. Last Christmas
4. The Time of the Doctor
5. A Christmas Carol
6. The Snowmen
7. The End of Time
8. The Husbands of River Song
9. The Return of Dr Mysterio
10. Voyage of the Damned
11. Twice upon a Time
12. The Next Doctor
13. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
My list is actually shockingly different to both of these and I dont think I realised how controversial these christmas episodes were👀
13. Voyage Of The Damned
12. The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe
11. The Next Doctor
10. The Return Of Doctor Mysterio
9. The Husbands Of River Song
8. Twice Apon a time
7. The christmas invasion
6. The Runaway Bride
5. The End Of Time
4. A Christmas Carol
3. Last Christmas
2. The Snowmen
1. Time of The Doctor
@@InfantGarlic How the hell could you put Voyage of the Damned as the worst?! It's such a fantastic episode! What could you possibly see as wrong with it?
I’m shocked that there are people that exist that think Last Christmas was anything other than pure garbage.
@@puretoast5625 i think all the actual christmas stuff regarding Santa and all the other Christmas iconography was incredibly forced and stupid. But the inception like headcrab dream scenario is one of my favourite episode concepts ever. I wish it had been made as a normal episode and it would have been SO much better.
3: The Husbands of River Song
2: Voyage of the Damned
1: The Time of the Doctor
Hazux was about to make this exact comment
"Finally its my go" _Explains 4D physics in one of the most iconic scenes of the doctor who companions_
Matt Smiths end monologue was amazing
The victoria clara should've been the companion. We have only ever had human companions from the present in new who and its Sooo limiting.
Well
There was nardole
But I agree
It's ironic that they make a point that the current team is 'diverse' and yet on a space-time scale, they are far from that
You guys did The End of Time dirty.
"Not starting with the Titanic one as the worst? He must skipping that one entirely as it was so bad."
"Second?"
I wish I could've given this 12 likes just for _Last Christmas._
Finally someone who likes voyage of the damned! It is a great episode. My list is really similar and we have the same top 3 in order. I agree with you on so many things and series 7 is definitely where doctor who started to go downhill and I think with Last Christmas the concept was really good but it failed to present it. Great video!
Voyage of the damned it sooo good I love that line. As he announces himself I can just remember how I shook
Number 1 for me will always be Voyage of the Damned. It was incredible from start to finish and felt like a proper Christmas blockbuster movie. It's golden age Doctor Who at its peak, and is so much fun for all to watch, I remember first watching it with my cousins, who weren't exactly die-hard Who fans but it didn't matter because the story was so great and we absolutely loved it. A time when the show was for everyone, not to please a distinct group of long-term fans or to appease woke Twitter trolls.
I get the point you are making about the doctor the widow and the wardrobe, however in our family it is one of our favourites. Encapsulating the fun of Matt Smith but also how understanding and sympathetic this incarnation of the doctor can be. It is a beautiful mess that show cases him at his best unfortunately sacrificing some other elements along the way.
i do appreciate a different perspective but i have to say. it's genuinely a surprise that voyage of the damned isn't last on this list LOL. like that episode was blasted by the last living survivor of the titanic when it aired.
Mara M really what did they say?? Also why people hate voyage of the damned sm? Idgi, personally it’s one of my fave specials
I mean the survivors of the Titanic pretty much felt like that about every Titanic adaptation, which is fair enough, it was an extremely traumatic incident.
Oliver FP here’s an article www.digitalspy.com/tv/cult/a82185/dr-who-criticised-by-titanic-survivor/ really she just thinks it’s disrespectful to make entertainment based on a tragedy which if anything is a little ironic with how survivors praised the film ‘titanic’
While the Titanic was a tragedy I don't see why people would get offended whatsoever. What about all the films and shows set during World War 1 or 2?
Voyage of the Damned is genuinely my favourite of the specials.
Anybody notice that he said that VotD was like the Poseidon adventure in space? I can think of one ship that would fit the description better
I love how Jackie and smith just saw this skinny stranger stumble out of the recently crashed tardis, wish them a happy Christmas and then promptly fall into a coma in front of them both only to have rose tell them this is the bloke that They’ve gotten to know us priceless.
I keep seeing the scene where the Doctor talking to Wilfred as a slap because the Doctor is acting like he’s going to die to someone who is close to death. Like seriously. That was also before we learned about John Hurt as the Doctor, or counting the regeneration on the stolen earth two parter. I kinda wish they had him regenerate to Smith, and cause havoc during his 13 hour long post regeneration invincibility. It would’ve been an interesting take on a regeneration story, plus no David Tennant farewell parade of death.
Too bad it still wouldn’t get rid of fear her. Also Smith and Jones, really
Has anyone else noticed that in the time of the doctor the item 11 gives Clara that sends her back home becomes 12's sonic screwdriver.
Some interesting picks here. Personally, I'd rank The Runaway Bride far higher than The Husbands of River Song or The Christmas Invasion, but I wholeheartedly agree with A Christmas Carol's placement.
Also Smith's second look is iconic and makes me wish he had worn it from the start...I said what I said.
River has way more chemistry with 12 than she did with 11.
Definitely agree I wouldn’t have minded another episode featuring them both, maybe about their time on darillium
I always liked the idea that 12 was the first Doctor River met and fell in love with and one she spent most of her time with. It always felt weird that she kept acting like she was used to a super older Doctor and experienced many different incarnations, but in the show only met 10 and 11. Then again hindsight is 20/20. It’s kinda a miracle Moffat was able to introduce River with the 10th Doctor and wrap things up nearly a decade later with the 12th Doctor.
I genuinely laughed when you were talking about the Movie Last Christmas instead of the episode 😂😂
I just want to point out that in the end of time, the doctor and Wilfred work so well because they are so different yet work so well. The doctor can’t let go of the time war and is still haunted by the time he spent fighting and will do anything to stop it from repeating and fighting again when Wilfred is an ex soldier from a previous war and longs to be back in the fight, he misses it so much that he carry’s round his gun and isn’t afraid to run back into the fight.
I disagree on that. Yes he was a soldier, but do not forget he was also a soldier that didn't take a single life. And he was god damn proud of it! And I think that was the thing. They both participated in the greatest war of their species but Doctor is ashamed of his actions during the war while Wilfred is proud of them, having taken not even one life.
I've gotta disagree about Last Christmas- it's my favourite, and I like the way it caps off Clara and Danny's relationship
I do like last Christmas, but I apserloutely loathe danny pink.
“Oh they’re not good enough for Christmas anymore” - Matt Smith 2021
I actually really like the doctor, the widow and the wardrobe... it’s so cute and really makes me emotional 💞
Hot Take: Last Christmas is definitely one of my favorite Doctor Who Christmas Specials. It's one of only two specials on this list (the other being The End of Time) that, upon hearing the name alone, immediately sent a flood of wonderful memories back to me.
Time of the Doctor would have been so much better if it had a longer a run time
I have to agree that A Chritmas Carol is a wonderful romp.
Aaargh... I finally got Moffat's joke of making a Dickensian Christmas special...
It's also a Philip K Dick'ensian A Christmas Carol.
Having just listened to the whole unabridged version of Ubik, I can only see Glen Runsiter as Michael Gambon.
I couldn't work that out for the first half hour of listening to it, but slowly I got Moffat's homage to both Dick and Dickens!
"If Chibnall can't be bothered, then neither can we."
I don't get this sentiment - the production team put in the same amount of effort for Resolution as they would have put into a Christmas special, it just airs a week later... I'm bewildered.
Because he can't be bothered to try writing a story around a festive theme, thats why
@@jessicaable5095 neither could moffat or rtd most of the time
They just wrote episodes that were shown on Christmas
Last Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas specials - it has a lot of poignant moments as well as some great uplifting ones (12 riding the sleigh is one of my fave 12 moments), like all good Christmas entertainment should. As for Twice Upon A Time, the people saying it "insults" the First Doctor are taking a gag far too seriously, I don't understand how you could describe his portrayal as anything over than loving, and it brilliant illustrates the theme of how far the Doctor (and the show) have come. And as for setting the ending at the Christmas Armistice - that's a guaranteed tear-jerker for me regardless of context but it's a fantastic sendoff for 12.
1. The End of Time
2. The Husbands of River Song
3. The Runaway Bride
4. Voyage of the Damned
5. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
6. The Next Doctor
7. The Christmas Invasion
8. Twice Upon a Time
9. Last Christmas
10. A Christmas Carol
11. The Time of the Doctor
12. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
13. The Snowmen
On my personal opinion the Husbands of Riversong is the best, mainly because it's way more memorable. I see gifs of it to this day, while a Christmas Carol is barely mentioned.
I watch the A Christmas Carol one on Christmas. I love it so much
Flying fish!!