Doctor Who: Why A Christmas Carol is one of the greatest Christmas specials

We look back at 2010 episode A Christmas Carol, and why it still stands out as one of Doctor Who’s very best Christmas specials.

This weekend, Doctor Who fans on Twitter took part in another huge watchalong. Once again organized by Doctor Who Magazine’s Emily Cook, the episode selected this time was the 2010 Christmas special A Christmas Carol.

It’s easy to see why this episode was selected. It’s strange to think, but we’re already coming up to the tenth anniversary of Matt Smith’s first Christmas special as the Eleventh Doctor. A decade later, and it’s still probably one of the very best examples of the annual tradition, for several reasons.

One reason why it stands out so well is that it was a massive departure from what had come before. The Christmas specials that former showrunner Russell T Davies had written had usually been big, epic events set on or around Earth. For example, stories like The Christmas Invasion or The Runaway Bride focused on big alien invasions, while Voyage of the Damned combined the star power of Kylie Minogue with a sinking Titanic (in space, naturally).

The previous Christmas special – The End of Time – had been the biggest event episode yet. Featuring not just the return of both the Master and the Time Lords, but also saying goodbye to David Tennant’s much-loved Doctor, it would’ve been hard to top it as an “event” episode. This is likely why, for his first Christmas special, writer and showrunner Steven Moffat didn’t even try.

The importance of Christmas

Instead of going for a big alien invasion epic, Steven Moffat instead went for something a little more character-focused. More than that – he made Christmas itself a huge part of the story. While all the previous specials had been set during the holiday, Moffat actually went for one of the most famous Christmas stories out there and did his own Doctor Who take on it.

Of course, A Christmas Carol doesn’t just play the original story straight. The Doctor doesn’t meet Ebeneezer Scrooge himself, for example. The story isn’t set on Earth. In fact, we never even find out the name of the world the Doctor and his friends are on.

But that doesn’t matter. Because – while the story is about the Doctor trying to find a way to save thousands of lives – it’s far more focused on one man. The “Ebeneezer Scrooge” of the story: Kazran Sardick, brilliantly portrayed by Sir Michael Gambon.

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The importance of A Christmas Carol

We all know the template for A Christmas Carol by now – the main character, a selfish and greedy old man, is visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. What works in the Doctor Who take on it is that the Doctor isn’t just fully aware of the story. It’s what gives him the idea to save both the ship and Sardick at the same time.

Of course, Moffat being Moffat, he doesn’t quite play the story straight. This isn’t just because of the alien world or the involvement of sharks, either. No, what really stands out is which “ghost” Moffat focuses on, much more than the others: the Ghost of Christmas Past. Discovering Sardick’s history gives us a story that’s extremely character-focused.

With his history being changed – and Sardick even being aware of those changes – Moffat also asks the audience an intriguing question: is it really better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Especially if the outcome remains almost exactly the same?

But perhaps the highlight of the story is the Ghost of Christmas Future. Rather than the Doctor showing Sardick dying alone, he instead shows Kazran as a boy the cruel man he’s going to become. It’s a simple but brilliant take on the idea, and a classic example of both how subversive and brilliant Moffat was when he was at his very best.

Ten years on, and A Christmas Carol still stands out as one of the greatest Christmas specials in Doctor Who history. It’s a wonderful homage to a classic Christmas story, while also finding fresh ways of subverting it, too. A Doctor Who episode that really is truly magical.

Are you a fan of A Christmas Carol, either the original story or the Doctor Who episode? What’s your favorite take on it? What’s your favorite Doctor Who Christmas special? Let us know in the comments below.