Tag: Christmas special

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road

by Russell T. Davies; dir. Mark Tonderai (BBC, 2023)

TV poster: “Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road” by Russell T. Davies; dir. Mark Tonderai (BBC, 2023)

Davies scripts a bonhomous if heavy-handed, found-family Christmas special that rattles along while re-treading old ground (his own Whoeuvre plus a sing-and-dance tribute to Labyrinth). Ncuti Gatwa takes the Doctor’s zest for life and channels it into a more tactile, people-friendly persona.

Eureka: O Little Town

Eureka: O Little Town

Eureka: O Little Town

TV screenshot: Carter and Taggart in a sleigh; from “Eureka: O Little Town” by Eric Tuchman; dir. Matt Hastings (Sci-Fi Channel, 2010).

A relatively sedate and sentimental episode, more festive than frenetic. In this instance the threat to Eureka is due to the unfortunate concatenation of Taggart’s designing technology to validate Santa and Vincent’s trying on-the-sly to restore the good name of Christmas fruitcake.

Warehouse 13: Secret Santa

Warehouse 13: Secret Santa

by Bob Goodman; dir. Jack Kenny (Syfy, 2010)

Pete and Myka observe a fizzing light manifestation of Santa. Screen capture from “Warehouse 13: Secret Santa” by Bob Goodman; dir. Jack Kenny (Syfy, 2010)

A nicely sentimental Christmas special, light-hearted but with stirring undertones. Myka and Pete must save an absent father whose right to exist is being judged by Santa. Claudia reunites Artie with his estranged dad… by telling each that the other is dying!

Danger Mouse: Merry Christmouse

Danger Mouse: Merry Christmouse

(CBBC, 2015-2016)

Danger Mouse_Merry Christmouse

Seven episodes from the 2015 reboot, headed by the double-length Christmas Special ‘The Snowman Cometh’. Nostalgia aside, Danger Mouse remains a relentlessly fast-moving and funny, self-aware cartoon comedy. Clever, well-layered SF action scripts often lurk amidst the throwaway jokes and visual humour.

 

 

Murder Under the Mistletoe

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Murder Under the Mistletoe

(ABC, 2013)

Miss Fisher_Murder Under the Mistletoe

It’s hard to imagine this Christmas special—broadcast only a month after series two ended—warranted a separate DVD release. Though themed around Christmas (in July), its only real point of departure is to embroil Miss Fisher in a closed circle mystery.

 

 

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

by Steven Moffat; dir. Rachel Talalay (BBC, 2017)

Doctor Who_Twice Upon a Time

The Christmas special has some touching performances (Mark Gatiss) and ends on a high with Jodie Whittaker’s first scene, yet for the most part spends too much time prepping the audience for the handover and trying—quite shamelessly—to manipulate our emotions.

 

 

Derelict Space Sheep