**Spoilers** Christmas Special - "The Snowmen"

pixelburp

I figure with the early - mostly spoiler-free - reviews coming in, now is a good time to start the thread for the Christmas Special.

Happily, initial reviews seem generally positive - and as one can imagine tend to focus on the introduction of Clara (described as 'bippity-boppity' in one review, ha love it). Given how rubbish many of the Xmas stories have tended to be, it'd be nice if this years was actually fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3KVpvEUTns

Daemos

pixelburp wrote: »

Given how rubbish many of the Xmas stories have tended to be, it'd be nice if this years was actually fun

Trailer

Man-eating snow

- fun, fun, fun

Well it can't be any worse than last year's

flazio

Surprised no one's mentioned the really early air time for this, 5:15pm

doctorwhogirl

flazio wrote: »

Surprised no one's mentioned the really early air time for this, 5:15pm

Feck off!!

Ah here my turkey won't even be settled in my stomach by that stage.

Looking forward to this. Some nice ideas but I'm extremely wary of Christmas specials since Tennant left. They haven't been great.

Madam

Looks scary enough for me - well in my inebriated state at that time of day it will;)

Basq

doctorwhogirl wrote: »

Some nice ideas but I'm extremely wary of Christmas specials since Tennant left. They haven't been great.

I absolutely loved A Christmas Carol!

Das Kitty

Basq wrote: »

I absolutely loved A Christmas Carol!

Me too. Watched it again recently, the song in it is really gorgeous.

Wasn't wild gone on Tennant's ones after the first one.

Can't wait for the Snowmen. The exterior of the Tardis looks a state; he hasn't been taking care of her.

pixelburp

Basq wrote: »

I absolutely loved A Christmas Carol!

Yeah I actually think that one was the strongest of the lot; the very first was ok, the rest of Tennant's were pretty awful after that. A Christmas Carol was fun though, the faux-Victorian setting sat well & even the silly sky-sharks kinda worked. From what I can see, this year actually seems to be a retread of the same ideas - with the Doctor being the Scrooge figure this time.

BuffyBot

Das Kitty wrote: »

Me too. Watched it again recently, the song in it is really gorgeous.

Wasn't wild gone on Tennant's ones after the first one.

Can't wait for the Snowmen. The exterior of the Tardis looks a state; he hasn't been taking care of her.

The interior is getting a make over it seems...new console room ahoy!

Sleepy

And Neil Gaiman has penned an episode for next season... wonder if he'll be responsible for that?

he does write about the Tardis beautifully

.

Daemos

Sleepy wrote: »

And Neil Gaiman has penned an episode for next season... wonder if he'll be responsible for that?

he does write about the Tardis beautifully

.

Probably not, his story features the

Cybermen, with a brand new redesign that looks like a cross between the Classic and New Series' designs

ebbsy

Daemos wrote: »

Probably not, his story features the

Cybermen, with a brand new redesign that looks like a cross between the Classic and New Series' designs

Well it cannot be any worse than

Closing Time

- in general since WHO returned the

cybermen

stories have been very average.

As have the Xmas specials in gerneral. Only Invasion and EOT did it for me, last year's was rubbish.

pixelburp

ebbsy wrote: »

Well it cannot be any worse than

Closing Time

- in general since WHO returned the

cybermen

stories have been very average.

As have the Xmas specials in gerneral. Only Invasion and EOT did it for me, last year's was rubbish.

End of Time, really? I would have had that pegged as one of the worse Who stories, xmas or otherwise!

ebbsy

pixelburp wrote: »

End of Time, really? I would have had that pegged as one of the worse Who stories, xmas or otherwise!

Mmmmmmmmm.

Doctor DooM

No seriously the End of Time is pretty poor tv.

Mr.Saturn

I think EoT's ending is one of about 3 things in life that'll make me rage at the mere mention. The bloody 'new man running off' jazz, and the fact it put such a downer on Smith's debut and somehow managing to drag 10's departure down by about 200 levels, by robbing the loss of any tragedy at all, as his perpetually teary expression drained the bit of anything remotely approaching relatability, leaving you as though there was no point mourning his going, as he'd spent far too much time doing it himself.

Not to mention, it's in complete contrast to the Doctor that'd spent much of his time as 10, or any other incarnation, gladly volunteering himself for death, without so much as a lowered tone, once it served a greater good. Granted, it was just to save Wilfred in the end, but if I'd been in Mott's position, I'd have gladly gone if I'd known the chap saving me was going to labour the point of doing so.

I don't often leave 'it's only a show' territory, but my word, how in the name of all that's treasurable did that ending get a nod of approval? I get that it was an end of a very successful era for Who, but wasn't there someone in the BBC who felt this might just put a bit too much of a dampener on things?

Wibbs

Doctor DooM wrote: »

No seriously the End of Time is pretty poor tv.

Thank you! and+1000 DD. While I can kinda understand it was the end of the reboot/RTD era and there was going to be a new gang in town, it came across as a massively self indulgent lovey fest of departing players/end of an era(cue LOUD RTD music) in the franchise with more than a hint of attempting to sour the milk for those coming after. As Mr.Saturn said it put a right downer on Smiths debut, which IMH was shabby. The fact that he survived it and went on to do so well and so did the team shows them in a bloody good light. I say this as someone who was not a fan of Smith in the part, though again IMH he's defo grown into it and gotten much better as an actor.

I remember back in the day when Tom Baker's doctor left. Another "end of era" job and the oddest regen of the lot in a few ways. The New doctor watching like a wraith from a distance and all that. The end of era type transitions can be messy.

Plus the story itself was daft in so many places and a real waste of the acting talent on display. The "new man running off" part didn't throw me that much TBH. Actually I thought it could have been made more interesting than it was. An insight into what actually happens to him, to his consciousness and all that. I even remember wondering about that when I was a kid. Did "he" die, but the Doctor and his memories live on kinda thing? I was an odd kid It was kinda refered to when Ecclestons Doctor regenerates. Doesn't he say to Rose something like "maybe you'll have new adventures and maybe I will too, but not with these eyes"?

Things like him freefalling at high speed from a diving spacecraft through a glass roof and only getting a few scratches was risible. Tom Bakers Doc fell off a radio mast and that did him in. Then again while I give full props to RTD rebooting the story(and personally found him better at writing relationship stuff) the "specials" with him at the helm were nearly always hugely overblown and full of plotholes and clumsy tying up of loose ends. The Tardis towing the earth at the end of "The Stolen Earth" was another embarrassing moment. I reckon the current crew if they had been there from the start would have given us a better Doctor overall(and nine would have likely stayed on for longer and ten would have been dialed back)

flazio

New minisode posted today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rirju6is4Sw

pixelburp

Looks like a new TARDIS room isn't the only change - we're getting a new theme-tune & title sequence to boot:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Revamped-Theme-Tune-and-Opening-Title-Sequence

Wibbs

Cool. Can't wait to hear it PB. I have to say for me anyway, the one thing that was defo better in the RTD era was the theme tune and the title sequence too.

Doctor DooM

flazio wrote: »

New minisode posted today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rirju6is4Sw

I love her face in the preview still. lol

Wibbs wrote: »

Cool. Can't wait to hear it PB. I have to say for me anyway, the one thing that was defo better in the RTD era was the theme tune and the title sequence too.

Wearing my musician hat, I much prefer the Matt Smith version, not because I believe it's better musically (it's not) but it harkens back to the original with it's theremin like instrument buzzing away.

The Doctor Who theme is an important one in the history of electronic music and it makes me sad when that's not recognised, even a little

aidan_walsh

The new console room has been revealed. Looks great.

Doctor DooM

That console room is badass. His costume is baddass. I hope both get kept.

pixelburp

Hmmm I dunno, I think it looks a little cold, if not bland? The design of the previous console was a bit overly kooky, but I liked the warm colours & organic feel of the interior.

flazio

I'll reserve judgement until the Christmas special and the new series proper, I mean even the current console room managed to look real cold in Amy's Choice, but it does look too space shippy, the TARDIS is meant to be the Doctor's home, not his car, it also looks a lot smaller, and the floor is really dull. Not sold on it yet but I'll wait and see until it's seen on air, just 6 more sleeps to go folks.

Raphael

Anyone know what time it's likely to be available on iplayer? Won't be able to watch it when it's on, and if I tape it I'll need to wait till the TV is free

ebbsy

Hopefully this years special is not another Voyage/Next Doctor/2011 - they really should just do a normal episode like Invasion rather than stick a few Xmas trees on a nothing script.

BuffyBot

I like the new console room!

Tzar Chasm

well then, who is clara oswyn oswald

that wasn't too bad as far as christmas specials go

Wibbs

I have to say I really enjoyed that one.

off.the.walls

Wraps up one mystery by making a even bigger one! well played moffat well played Loving this clara story line, new console room is rather snazzy and as always bowties are cool

allanb49

missed the first 15 mins, balls, thought it was 5.45

Coldzone

I enjoyed that and the Clara storyline will be very interesting

allanb49

the new intro has a very retro feel to it i like it,

Is Clara Sean Bean in disguise?

Cypresstree

Is it repeated anywhere tonight??

flazio

New titles, OK.
New theme tune, not all that different from the old one, in fact I don't think they updated it for the closing titles.
New companion, we don't know yet cos this one

died again

New Console room, way too small,
Story, decent but confusing ending.

Doctor DooM

allanb49 wrote: »

Is Clara Sean Bean in disguise?

Nah, it's more likely Rory...

Coldzone

Cypresstree wrote: »

Is it repeated anywhere tonight??

Its on BBC3 tomorrow at 8

martingriff

flazio wrote: »

New titles, OK.
New theme tune, not all that different from the old one, in fact I don't think they updated it for the closing titles.
New companion, we don't know yet cos this one

died again[/spoiler
New Console room, way too small,
Story, decent but confusing ending.

Did you not see the trailers at the end for the new series (or continuation)

NaNaNa1

Well Matt Smith did say once before that he was up for a Sherlock cross over... I guess Steven Moffat ha to eventually throw Holmes in.....

flazio

NaNaNa1 wrote: »

Well Matt Smith did say once before that he was up for a Sherlock cross over... I guess Steven Moffat ha to eventually throw Holmes in.....

Well there was a scene in 'A Christmas Carol' where the Doctor was taking in everything around him to paint a picture of what sort of man Kazrim Sardick was, which in the way it was filmed and edited really looked like a nod to 'Sherlock'

MyBrokenKnees

I'm pretty sure I also saw

Cassandra

in the series highlight clip so that makes it all the more interesting.

Manach

Rather enjoyable and fairly good scene setting for the next season. Methinks went a tad oddish condemning Victorian values, if I stumbled into an earnest docudrama in one scene, but apart from that much better the previous year's.

FloatingVoter

It wasn't actually a standalone episode like previous specials. Sets up the next season nicely. I'll probably rewatch it when I sober up.

flazio

MyBrokenKnees wrote: »

I'm pretty sure I also saw

Cassandra

in the series highlight clip so that makes it all the more interesting.

If you mean the woman who says 'She's rather pretty isn't she' thats not Zoe Wannamaker, ie the woman who played Cassandra in Series 1 and 2.

MyBrokenKnees

flazio wrote: »

If you mean the woman who says 'She's rather pretty isn't she' thats not Zoe Wannamaker, ie the woman who played Cassandra in Series 1 and 2.

Your right her name is Celia Imrie not Zoe Wannamaker. They look quiet alike thanks to a quick Google check. Cassandra would have been a fun though.

norrie rugger

I want a laser monkey

BuffyBot

Such an improvement on last year's effort, and nice work on making Clara even more mysterious than ever!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

"It's smaller on the outside"

Brilliant!

allanb49

i'm a lizard woman from the beginning of time and this is my wife

cloud493

Well that was excellent. Clara was excellent. And she's awfully pretty.