# What is the best Dr Who Christmas Episode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374 "2016-12-22T15:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/1 "2016-12-22T15:25:51Z")
I’m putting together a list of various christmas episodes from shows to watch this weekend. But with the amount of Dr Who christmas episodes, I’m having a hard time deciding which one to choose… Does anyone have a favorite (or least favorite) that they could suggest? (Personally I’m leaning towards “The End of Time” two parter with Donna) ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/2 "2016-12-22T16:10:22Z")
Hmm… for me, it would be have to be “The Christmas Invasion”, introducing Tennant as the 10th doctor. Honorable mention to the doctor who “A Christmas Carol”, the first christmas special with Matt Smith. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/3 "2016-12-22T16:37:51Z")
To me, “A Christmas Carol” is a Christmas-Special-with-Dr-Who whereas all the other ones are Dr-Who-with-some-Christmas-Special-Added-In. In other words, if you’re looking for something Christmasy, go with “A Christmas Carol”. If you’re just looking for fun, “Voyage of the Damned” with Kylie Minogue is too goofy to miss. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/4 "2016-12-22T16:43:29Z")
I have a huge soft spot (possibly in my heart, possibly in my skull) for River, so I really am fond of “The Husbands of River Song” (especially the scene in the ship’s dining room when she finally figures it out and he just looks at her and says, “Hello, sweetie.” _sigh_). ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/5 "2016-12-22T17:02:37Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > To me, “A Christmas Carol” is a Christmas-Special-with-Dr-Who whereas all the other ones are Dr-Who-with-some-Christmas-Special-Added-In. In other words, if you’re looking for something Christmasy, go with “A Christmas Carol”. If you’re just looking for fun, “Voyage of the Damned” with Kylie Minogue is too goofy to miss. Seconding this. The Davies specials are a lot less Christmasy than the Moffett ones. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/6 "2016-12-22T17:59:06Z")
Definitely “Voyage of the Damned.” For [this bit of dialog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRSFwMqKIu8) alone. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/7 "2016-12-22T19:39:54Z")
Another vote for “Voyage of the Damned”. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/8 "2016-12-22T22:31:33Z")
A Christmas Carol It has my favorite line in Doctor Who, which I have on a poster on my classroom door(I’m a teacher). [“That is interesting. In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.”](https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Tardis-Anyone-Important/dp/B010G28OFO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482445846&sr=8-2&keywords=doctor+who+important) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/9 "2016-12-22T23:28:03Z")
The Next Doctor will always be my favourite, even if they never quite accounted for the gigantic mecha Cyberman. Runner up is The Christmas Invasion followed by the runaway bride, and I tended to lose interest in the Matt Smith ones: I never even made it through A Christmas Carol, and anything River Song is automatically disqualified. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/10 "2016-12-22T23:57:24Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > anything River Song is automatically disqualified. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/11 "2016-12-23T00:57:32Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > The Next Doctor will always be my favourite, even if they never quite accounted for the gigantic mecha Cyberman. Runner up is The Christmas Invasion followed by the runaway bride, and I tended to lose interest in the Matt Smith ones: I never even made it through A Christmas Carol, and anything River Song is automatically disqualified. Christmas Carol is excellent, you really missed out. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/12 "2016-12-23T21:41:18Z")
The best? They’re all good but my favorite has to be \*\*\*The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. * * * _ **Madge** : Lily and Cyril’s father—my husband—is dead and they don’t know yet because if I tell them now then Christmas will always be what took their father away from them, and no one should have to live like that. Of course when the Christmas period is over I shall… I don’t know why I keep shouting at them. **The Doctor:** Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they’re going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what’s the point in them being happy now if they’re going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they’re going to be sad later._ ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/13 "2016-12-23T23:39:18Z")
The Davies Christmas specials are all _'be a HERO!_’ and the Moffat specials are all ‘poor\*, lonely boy!\*’…so it depends on what one’s in the mood for, I suppose. That said, I like the Moffat 2014 entry, “Last Christmas,” as I tend to enjoy ‘layers of reality’ stories. It’s a bit less ‘poor, lonely boy’ than Moffat’s other offerings, too–a plus for me. And of course it features Nick Frost–a man _born_ to play Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/14 "2016-12-24T02:39:49Z")
“A Christmas Carol”, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/15 "2016-12-24T06:17:09Z")
Ranked I really liked Last Christmas A Christmas Carol The Husbands of River Song The Snowman The Christmas Invasion The Runaway Bride The End of Time The Next Doctor The Doctor the Window and the Wardrobe Time of the Doctor Did I forget any? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/16 "2016-12-24T06:33:17Z")
I like the Snowman. It was by far Clara’s best episode. Playing the saucy barmaid and the governess. A close second is the Christmas Invasion. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/17 "2016-12-24T21:19:50Z")
They’ll be a new one tomorrow. Maybe it’ll be the best one yet. 😃 The Preview looks promising. These are spoiler free. [Doctor Who Christmas special: Peter Capaldi reveals ‘dangerous’ moment | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV | Express.co.uk](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/746046/Doctor-Who-Christmas-2016-The-Return-of-Doctor-Mysterio-Peter-Capaldi-Steven-Moffat/amp?client=ms-android-motorola) [https://www.google.com/amp/www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/doctor-who-7-things-loved-12360906.amp?client=ms-android-motorola](https://www.google.com/amp/www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/doctor-who-7-things-loved-12360906.amp?client=ms-android-motorola) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/18 "2016-12-24T21:41:37Z")
Here’s a list and short summary of the Christmas episodes. They rank them. I don’t agree with a few of the reporter’s choices. I liked The Next Doctor and would have ranked it higher. Maybe drop the End of Time down a step. [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.inverse.com/amp/article/25640-doctor-who-christmas-specials-doctor-mysterio?client=ms-android-motorola](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.inverse.com/amp/article/25640-doctor-who-christmas-specials-doctor-mysterio?client=ms-android-motorola) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-dr-who-christmas-episode/775374/19 "2016-12-24T22:05:21Z")
The Next Doctor gets my vote.