What to make of the Dr Who Christmas special last night on the ABC? Well firstly, wouldn’t be nice to watch a Christmas special actually at Christmas?! – instead of in June. The resonances with the references to christmas just weren’t the same I’m afraid. David Tennant was the usually intensely batty Dr with some witty lines combined with baffling scientific explanations for saving the day. The relationship between the Dr and Kylie was all a little forced and contrived – although it was nice they didn’t live happily ever after. This would have been just too twee altogether. There were moments however when it seemed that the scriptwriters struggled to get the tone just right – like when the Dr assured Kylie (“Astrid”) that he would definitely save her. We strayed into jarring Bold and the Beautiful territory here. Also, having sat through the Fellowship of the Ring on the weekend I was perhaps a little sci-fied out. The perilous journey across the great chasm was all too resonant of a similar scene in LOTR where they have to get across the wobbly stone staircase and Gandalf falls into the fire. Anyway, that’s quibbling. I guess there is only so much science fiction iconography available and these various films and programs have to use it the best they can. I did laugh when the Queen thanked the Dr for saving Buckingham Palace from the giant flying Titanic. And the final scene had a lovely poignancy as the Dr, once again alone, stepped into the Tardis for further adventures.
Having been regularly freaked out as a young person by the clunky old Tom Baker era of Dr Who, I now enjoy being able to enjoy the Dr’s adventures. And who can resist that swirly, thumping theme tune? It’s one of the best tv theme tunes ever written I reckon!

NB. the very astute Lorraine has emailed noting the similarity between this episode and the poseidon adventure…good call Lorraine!