Doctor Who: All 40 Steven Moffat Episodes Ranked From Worst To Best

39. The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe

Doctor Who Steven Moffat
BBC

This festive special starts off well enough: an attention-grabbing pre-title opening, with Matt Smith infectiously childlike when showing off the coolest and most fun of kids' bedroom to Madge, Lily and Cyril. But, like the Doctor falling to Earth, the story descends from there.

To quote Madge, it's "quite ridiculous". We're soon lost in the enchanted forest and wondering just what the baubles is going on. And before we know it, Madge goes from grieving widow to kick-ass mum who's piloting a sort of rust bucket Jaeger.

The main theme is your typical Christmas message of how important your family and loved ones are. Madge and the children are heartwarmingly reunited with that host from Pointless, and the Doctor gets all emotional because the Ponds always have a place set for him on Christmas Day.

Overall, this episode indulges itself too much on the fantastical, but suppose that's what most of us do during the festive season anyway. Plus it's pretty cool and random seeing a giant golf ball travelling through the time vortex.

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The name's Colbourn, James - yeah, doesn't quite have the same ring to it.