Who cares about opening presents or carving the proverbial turkey? Today, I know where I’ll be: on the sofa, remote in hand, ready to switch the TV on for the Doctor Who festive special.
If that sounds less appealing than chowing down on a whole plate of Brussels sprouts, then fine. I will admit that Doctor Who has a distinctly nerdy appeal to it. Since 2005, the show’s fortunes have risen (David Tennant, who made it cool), risen still further (Matt Smith) then struggled (Peter Capaldi) and crashed (Jodie Whittaker). These days, it sits somewhere between Countdown and Star Trek on the trend-setting scale.
Yes, you could stick on Love, Actually, but where would the fun be in that? Much like any football fan, one simply does not switch allegiances and abandon the show through the rough patches. I was introduced to Doctor Who by dint of my father (a lifelong fan) when it was rebooted by the Beeb in 2005. I subsequently spent many of my formative years hiding behind the sofa, watching through my fingers as the Doctor battled Daleks, Cybermen and a whole host of other, distinctly un-child friendly enemies on screen (anybody else remember the gas-mask zombies?).
And yet, the highlight of my year was almost always the Christmas special. Honestly, what’s not to love? My childhood was spent watching David Tennant wear his Converse out racing across various London streets in the pursuit of saving the day for one and all. The festive special can be told in a neat hour, it ends happily — and regardless of how the show itself is faring, the special itself is almost always good fun.
The vworp vworp sound is sweeter than any festive bell
When the vworp vworp sounds, it’s sweeter than any festive bell. Doctor Who at Christmas is a world where fish can fly through Victorian London, the Doctor can save the day with a satsuma or Kylie Minogue can pop up in a Victorian maid’s serving uniform (don’t ask too many questions, it’s easier to go with it) as a waitress on the spaceship Titanic (go with it...). It’s a part of the UK’s social fabric – a festive season without a Tardis just feels wrong, somehow.
And if the show has failed to reach quite those heady heights in recent years, there is hope, in the form of returning showrunner Russell T Davies, and brand-new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa. For the first time in a while, Doctor Who has a buzz around it again, which probably has less to do with the little green space goblins that have been heavily trailed in the run-up to the big day and more to do with the exciting talent on and off-screen.
Plus, it’s not just about adventure: the beauty of Who is the way it’s always changing. There’s a lovely blend of tradition and innovation at work here. There always has been. Yes, the Doctor can be a middle-aged white bloke, but he can also be a woman, or a Scottish-Rwandan prodigy best known for his role in Netflix’s Sex Education. The way the show celebrates difference, bravery and the brain-over-brawn approach is a lesson that bears repeating for both the young and the young at heart.
So fans new and old, consider this a rallying cry to sit back and add one more show to your TV list during the last week of December. Christmas is just one day, but the Who festive special is forever: it’s time to spread the nerdy joy.
