Live Review: Christmas 2016 - The Return Of Doctor Mysterio

The cinemas have been awash with superhero/comic-book movies for several years, of which I am not a fan. Even television has cashed in on the act. I was somewhat disappointed then, to learn that this year's Christmas special was jumping on the band wagon as well. Now, this being Doctor Who, there had to be some scientific reason behind the superhero even if it turned out to be rather speculative and fanciful. The point is, gaining spider traits after being bitten by a radioactive spider wouldn't cut it. Still, it was with much trepidation that I looked forward to the now staple Christmas Day broadcast. My judgement was somewhat coloured by expectation and while I did enjoy the episode, I couldn't shake of the feeling that it was a bit too copy-cat.

Live Review: Christmas 2015 - The Husbands Of River Song

In case you weren't aware, this was the Christmas episode for 2015. You can tell this by the sweeping shot that opens the episode, flying through falling snow with a splash of red (a crashed flying-saucer style space craft) and a variant of "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" playing over the top of it (a little fast to be sweet and comfortable, but pleasant nonetheless). Helpful captions tell us this is Mendorax Dellora, a human colony and it is indeed Christmas but the year is 5343. The shot finally settles to the ground and the familiar blue box of the TARDIS slides into shot with a sign on the door that reads "Carol singers will be criticised!"

To further confirm the setting, when the Doctor opens the door he is wearing novelty antlers, though he says they are holographic and blames the TARDIS! And that's it for the Christmas theme. The playful light comedy continues with Matt Lucas playing Nardole who has come to collect a surgeon and assuming the Doctor must be the man he is after - a classic case of mistaken identity that is confirmed after they leave the scene and the actual surgeon is seen asking for directions. They arrive at the crashed ship and as a hooded figure strolls down the exit ramp it is clear to anyone who has seen the trailers or read the title who this is but of course the Doctor has done neither. "You don't look much like your pictures" she says from beneath her deep-set fur lined hood "Well that's an ongoing problem for me..." replies the Doctor before asking "Do I know you?". Then, just as the hood flips down and you expect her to say "Hello Sweety!" River sternly announces "You most certainly do not!" and proceeds to tell him that her husband is dying... The last we hear, she married the Doctor, didn't she...?... Roll titles (adorned by snowflakes and baubles!

Live Review: Christmas 2014 - Last Christmas

The 2014 series had been a bit patchy, even if the two part finale smoothed over some of the annoyances. It even had the audacity to end with a heart stopping kick in the gut as a moping Doctor is told exactly what the viewers are thinking "You know it can't end like that. She's not OK and neither are you..." by none other than the ephemeral Santa Claus! The line between fantasy and fiction can be hard to define but is something Doctor Who occasionally flirts with and has an unwritten understanding of haw far it can go. Indeed, this series had already seen the legend of Robin Hood given a reasonable explanation but doing the same for Santa was surely pushing it too far...

The opening scene of Last Christmas seemed to reinforce the premise as Clara is woken by the sound of Santa's sleigh crashing on her roof and elves arguing amongst themselves! The Doctor arrives in the TARDIS and tells her to not say anything and just get in... and so the adventure begins. Clara can hardly believe that she is back in the TARDIS but she's loving it already so when the Doctor asks her if she really believes in Santa, as if her life depended on it, she gleefully says "You know what? Yeah. Right now, yeah, I think I do"... Roll opening titles complete with extra snow storm for the TARDIS to fly through (no jingle bells in the music though!)...It looks like it's going to be a regrettable, silly Christmasy episode.

Live Review: Christmas 2013 - The Time Of The Doctor

They say that event TV is dead and the days of friends and family all watching a show as it is broadcast (either together or individually) are over... Try telling that to the Doctor! Twice in one year, barely a month apart he has dominated the TV ratings (OK, so maybe not the most viewers of the day but certainly the most viewers in its time slot) Hot on the heals of The Day Of The Doctor, this year's Christmas Special (for it has become a tradition that feels like it's been around forever) promised to be a cracking end to the anniversary year. The Doctor was arriving at Trenzalore to face his last days, Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels would be there and we knew, some how, despite the limits set in place during The Deadly Assassin we were going to meet a new Doctor as Matt Smith was due to regenerate into Peter Capaldi.

I had made two predictions ahead of the anniversary special. Whilst watching the prequel The Night Of The Doctor, which included the regeneration of Paul McGann into John Hurt, I predicted that the gap would finally be closed and we would also see John Hurt regenerate into Christopher Ecclestone in The Day Of The Doctor. My second prediction and hope was that Steven Moffat would do something a little different and not leave Capaldi's arrival until the end but instead have the Doctor regenerate two thirds of the way through and let the new Doctor finish things off... My first prediction was correct (though we didn't see the full regeneration sequence) so how would I fair on the second...