Every Doctor Who Debut Story Ranked From Worst To Best
7. The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion was given the biggest publicity campaign of any Doctor’s debut story. Hyped up to extraordinary lengths with David Tennant being the first change of lead since the show’s revival and with the episode the first of the now traditional Christmas Day special, could it possibly live up to expectations?
It worked a treat if the glowing reviews at the time are anything to go by. The production team pulled out all the stops to make this one of the most spectacular Doctor Who episodes ever. The global nature of the Sycorax threat ups the ante to give a suitably epic feel, and yet in true Russell T Davies style, the episode also tells the small scale story of how the new Doctor finds a place of acceptance and belonging within the Tyler family.
David Tennant’s first reaction to reading the script was one of surprise at how little the Doctor gets to do. Given that the episode is only sixty minutes long, the length of time it takes for the Doctor to recover permanently from his post-regeneration coma does become frustrating. However, when he does finally emerge reinvigorated in that most British of ways, with a cup of tea, his ‘I am the Doctor’ moment is highly effective.
The pace of the high octane adventure reaches new heights once Tennant takes centre stage, as the Doctor immediately deducing how the Sycorax are controlling people, triggers their release before successfully defeating the alien leader in a sword fighting duel – all in his PJs and dressing gown.