"Doctor Who" The Christmas Invasion (TV Episode 2005)

"Doctor Who" The Christmas Invasion (TV Episode 2005). 1h | TV-PG

“The moment that Doctor Who became a Christmas TV institution. David Tennant properly takes over as the Doctor in this fine episode that has a lot to do, but mostly pulls it off excellently.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s Christmas, as the Tardis crashes back to London and the weak, still regenerating, Doctor (David Tennant) stumbles out into Mickeyu0026#39;s (Noel Clarke) arms. Whilst heu0026#39;s recuperating at Jackieu0026#39;s (Camille Coduri) flat, Rose (Billie Piper) is attacked by someone tracking the immense power that the regeneration is giving off. Meanwhile a Mars probe in intercepted by the Sycorax, whose warship is heading to Earth, causing now Prime Minister Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) to consider drastic action.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs much as I enjoyed the Christopher Eccleston season, David Tennant is probably u0026quot;myu0026quot; Doctor, so despite him sitting out a lot of this episode, the moments at the end, when he appears to save the day, are thrilling (even if the u0026quot;fighting handu0026quot; line is a little cringy). He looks strikingly young in this (still not quite young enough to be romancing Billie Piper, but closer than Eccleston was). Thereu0026#39;s enough carry over from Ecclestonu0026#39;s performance to sell the idea that theyu0026#39;re playing the same character, though one going through changes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHaving got off to a flying start, introducing the Tardis crashing and Tennants comedic timing, the episode actually drops off a bit. The scenes involving the spinning Christmas tree and the Santas both feel similar to the debut episode u0026quot;Roseu0026quot; and crowbarred in to make the episode more Christmassy. Itu0026#39;s not until The Sycroax, including a heavily made up Sean Gilder make their appearance, and make their horrifying threat visible, that the show picks up again. Thereu0026#39;s another early role hidden here, with u0026quot;Peaky Blindersu0026quot; Arthur Shelby, Paul Anderson, in his first TV credit as one of the key characters to fall under the Sycorax spell.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s quite a funny episode too, running gags about people knowing who Harriet Jones is now, play back into her previous episodes and work well and despite the fact itu0026#39;s got an awful lot to do, the episode pulls most of it off admirably.”