Doctor Who: 10 Brilliant But Overlooked Moments In NuWho
2. The Robot Santas Attack - The Christmas Invasion
The Robot Santas simply don’t receive enough appreciation for being the perfect combination of everything Christmas and everything Doctor Who.
Their first appearance is sinister and chilling, and yet you can’t help but laugh at how wonderful Russell T Davies’ mind is for thinking Rose and Mickey are going to be attacked by robot Father Christmases brandishing lethal brass instruments. What a man!
Admittedly, mid-Christmas shopping, Rose is paranoid to start looking over her shoulder at the Santas before they’ve even attacked. However, when it’s a Christmas special, this sort of detail can be forgiven and, if anything, makes this moment even more enjoyably ridiculous.
All other sounds are drowned out by the increasing volume of the Santas’ rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, which is underpinned by sinister synthesisers and a bass drum, lending a real sense of foreboding.
Meanwhile, the echo effect put on the sound of the crowds, matched with the shots of the Santas lowering their instruments in a battle-like stance, sends shivers down the spine. They then attack and we are entertained with the explosions and screams we all come to love and expect from Doctor Who.
This is a fantastically indulgent moment which plays with the fundamental components of Christmas and twists them into an amusing yet creepy threat. Ultimately, any scene ending with a Robot Santa being flattened by a Christmas tree deserves to be adored.