The 'Doctor Who' Christmas Special has become somewhat of a tradition since the first hour long episode of its kind aired in 2005. The specials started with 10th Doctor, David Tennant, and there's been an annual episode on Christmas Day ever since. Whilst some episodes have been more eventful than others, we've had a few based on Christmastime classics, and others that have marked the 'Doctor Who' timeline for other reasons.
In this year's Christmas special, we're due to bid farewell to 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, who'll make way for Jodie Whittaker. The latter will portray the 13th and first ever female Doctor. It's certainly a welcome change, that follows the tradition of having the Doctor regenerate at Christmastime.
Here's a list of the Christmas specials we've seen so far:
2005
'The Christmas Invasion' was the first episode of its kind and aired as part of the second series. The special featured David Tennant's Doctor alongside companion Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. On Christmas Eve, whilst out shopping, a group of masked Santa Clauses open fire on Rose and Mickey (Noel Clarke). Back at home, Rose finds a decorated Christmas tree has mysteriously appeared in her living room, it soon lights up and begins attacking. With the combination of the trees and the Santa Clauses, it really is a Christmas invasion, "but who's controlling it?"
2006
The 2006 special, also featuring the 10th Doctor, saw Catherine Tate guest star as Donna Noble, the Doctor's companion for the episode. The latter goes missing on her wedding day, which also happens to be Christmas Eve, only to turn up unexpectedly on the TARDIS. Upon her return to Earth, Doctor in tow, masked Santa Clauses appear and begin to chase the two. After eventually turning up at her wedding, Donna and her guests are attacked by remote-controlled Christmas trees. Once more, the Doctor is tasked with figuring out what is causing the chaos at Christmastime in 'The Runaway Bride'.
2007
In 'Voyage of the Damned', the 2007 Christmas special, the Doctor is joined by Kylie Minogue as his companion, and the episode features a spaceship version of the Titanic. As the ship approaches Earth, a tannoy announces "welcome to Christmas". The ship's historian briefs some of the tourists about Earth, mentioning how the people there worship Santa Claus and his wife Mary. The people of the UK also supposedly go to war with and eat the people of Turkey every Christmas. Back on board the ship, the Doctor uncovers a secret plan to crash the Titanic into Earth effectively killing all of the passengers and inhabitants of the planet.
2008
The 2008 Christmas Special called 'The Next Doctor' features David Morrissey as a supposed future incarnation of the Doctor. The episode is different in that it is the first of the Christmas specials to take place in the past, and sees the Doctor face off against the Cybermen. Only after having defeated the threat posed by the Cybermen, does it becomes apparent that the events of the day took place on Christmas Eve.
2009
'The End of Time' aired in two parts, the first of the two episodes aired on Christmas Day 2009, whilst the second aired on New Year's Day 2010. The episode saw David Tennant's 10th Doctor regenerate to make way for Matt Smith's incarnation. In the first episode, the Master, an old Time Lord enemy of the Doctor's succeeds in controlling the minds of the human race, and the special ends with warning that the Time Lords would return. After defeating the Master and the Time Lords, the Doctor begins to regenerate.
2010
The 2010 special, entitled 'A Christmas Carol' is loosely based on Dickens' infamous novel. On Christmas Eve, Matt Smith becomes acquainted with a Scrooge like character, (Michael Gambon) who refuses to allow a troubled spaceship, with Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) onboard, to land on his planet. In order to get him to come around, the Doctor visits Kazran Sardick, Gambon's character, in the past and present, much like the ghosts in Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. In a final attempt to persuade Kazran, the Doctor shows a young Kazran from the past, the type of person he will turn into in the future. Upon seeing his present self, the young Kazran confuses himself with his father, and upon seeing the horror on his younger self's face, an older Kazran realises he has turned into his cold and uncaring father. A now kind Kazran then allows the spaceship to land, and as it begins to snow, the Doctor is reunited with Amy and Rory.
2011
'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe' was the 2011 special that took it's name from the famous book entitled 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'. The Doctor meets Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner) and her 2 children, Lily and Cyril, whilst their father is away fighting in World War II. Detecting the children's sadness over their father's absence, the Doctor plans to surprise them on Christmas Day with a visit to another planet. On Christmas Eve, Cyril discovers a portal under the Christmas tree and travels through it, the Doctor and the rest of the family in tow. They all find themselves surrounded by beautiful Christmas trees on a snowy planet. Eventually, the Doctor returns the family back home, where the children's father has returned home from war. The family invite the Doctor for Christmas dinner, but he refuses, instead choosing to spend Christmas with Amy and Rory in the present.
2012
The 2012 Christmas special took place in Victorian England and centred around Walter Simeon and his army of walking, talking snowmen. The beginning of the episode focuses on a young Walter who is building a snowman on his own, and we're all left shocked when the snow begins talking to him. The Doctor meets his next companion, Clara Oswald played by Jenna Coleman in this episode. As well as the animated snowmen, the Doctor also faces an ice governess controlled by the Greater Intelligence. It is revealed the snow became animated as a result of the Walter's negative thoughts.
2013
In 'The Time of the Doctor' we bid farewell to Matt Smith and welcomed Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor at the end of the episode. It's Christmas Day when the Doctor arrives to whisk Clara away on one last adventure together. They end up in a festive town called Christmas on a planet called Trenzalore. The 2013 special saw the Doctor grow older and almost die from age before regenerating. The Doctor faced the return of many of his enemies over time and even risked the return of the Time Lords. Having used all of his 12 regenerations, it at first seemed likely that the Doctor would die, however, after a conversation with Clara, the Time Lords gift the Doctor with a new regeneration cycle.
2014
Nick Frost plays Santa Claus in 'Last Christmas', the 2014 special. Clara travels with the Doctor to the North Pole where they encounter a group of scientists. It becomes apparent that everyone there is under the influence of dream crabs who eat the brains of their sleeping victims. Clara and the Doctor soon fall victim to the crabs' influence and begin dreaming. With the Doctor out of action, it's up to Santa Claus to save the day. Eventually, everyone begins waking up and in doing so they free themselves of the crabs' control. Once awake and back to normal, the Doctor and Clara set off again on another adventure.
2015
Alex Kingston returned in the 2015 Christmas special to reprise her role as River Song. In 'The Husbands of River Song', on Christmas Day, the Doctor is enlisted to save River's spouse, despite believing himself to be her only husband. River has never met the 12th incarnation, so throughout the episode she remains oblivious to the fact that her companion is in fact the Doctor. In the special, the Doctor and River have one last adventure together before it is revealed that River will die. The two spend a 24 year long night together, and the episode ends with "they lived happily".
2016
In 'The Return of Doctor Mysterio', Nardole (Matt Lucas), who played River's companion in the 2015 Christmas special, returned in last year's episode. On Christmas Eve sometime during the 1990s, as per his wishes, the Doctor accidentally turns a little boy into a superhero. The episode takes place in New York where the Doctor uncovers a plot to replace human brains with alien ones. Together with the help of Nardole and Ghost, the superhero, he must put an end to the chaos. At the end of the special, it is revealed the Doctor is still very much grieving the loss of River, and Nardole mentions he will be this way for sometime. From this episode onwards, Nardole became the Doctor's new companion.
This year's special
The 'Doctor Who' Christmas special tradition has been going on for 12 years now, and has featured 3 different incarnations of the Doctor. Whilst the majority of the plot for this years' episode has been kept under wraps, we do know that Peter Capaldi will be leaving the show, only to be replaced by the 13th incarnation, played by Jodie Whittaker. The new Doctor will be introduced to the show in the hour long episode. Also starring in the special will be actor David Bradley, who'll play the first ever Doctor and Pearl Mackie who will return to reprise her role as companion, Bill.
Catch 'Twice Upon a Time' on BBC 1 on Christmas Day!
