10 Things You Never Knew About The Doctor Who Specials

10. Time Lord Victorious? Not So Much!

As one might guess, Doctor Who specials are released on special occasions and holidays, whether they be national, worldwide, or within the Doctor Who universe itself. Lighthearted and saccharine, these episodes may douse themselves in holiday spirit or provoke fits of uncontrollable sobbing because fan didn't want to see another Doctor go... Still, some serve the purpose of introducing a new Doctor to the formula with sword-sparring and lethal Christmas trees. Others mark an anniversary of the show, riddled with nostalgic moments as well as witty references to itself. Essentially, specials are not conceptualized with the same amount of care and concern as regularly aired episodes. Producers and writers take advantage of the fact that viewers are bound to be less critical after a few swigs of eggnog or at the notion of watching two incarnations of the Doctor, juxtaposed and bantering about each other on screen. If this is what you're angling for in a special, The Waters of Mars is certain to disappoint. With its ominous premise and uncharacteristically dismal conclusion, The Waters of Mars was aired on 15th November 2009 - the only special to not be released on a holiday. This bleak and spine-tingling installment merits only a foreboding sense of dread and a sickening twist of tangled emotions. Monstrous creatures with cracked, water-soaked skin stalk a crimson-streaked, Martian landscape. And a Time Lord, consumed in sorrow and rage, takes it just a bit too far€ Instead of emphasizing the Doctor's positive qualities, this special explores the darker, omnipotent powers that being the last of the Time Lords has bestowed upon him. He alone has the power to dictate the laws of time, re-imagining its progression and very essence. He possesses a dangerous and innumerable authority over time itself, one that can drown his identity.