The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005.
In the episode, principally set in London, the newly regenerated Tenth Doctor is out of action, leaving Rose, Mickey and Jackie to combat the invasion of an alien race known as the Sycorax.
The newly regenerated Tenth Doctor takes Rose back to her old estate, and collapses in front of Mickey and Jackie.
The couple get a taxi back to her home where they discover a new, unfamiliar Christmas tree, which starts spinning with razor-sharp blades.
The Doctor wakes up and destroys the homicidal tree with his sonic screwdriver, before warding off further attack by the robot Father Christmases; however, he is soon unconscious again.
Early on Christmas morning, the British-launched Mars space probe Guinevere One is intercepted by a giant, rock-like spaceship heading for Earth.
Harriet Jones, the Prime Minister, attempts further negotiations with the Sycorax, and is teleported aboard the ship, along with her right-hand man Alex Klein, UNIT officer Major Blake, and British Rocket Group director Daniel Llewellyn.
The Doctor hits a button with a satsuma he found, triggering part of the wing to fold and dropping the leader to his death.
[4] Davies wished to have an adversary having a prosthetic face while retaining the actor's actual eyes and mouth; he also stated that he had always found the idea of Santa, "an old man creeping into children's rooms at night", creepy.
[5][8] This special was the first full episode starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor; he was only shown briefly at the end of "The Parting of the Ways" for the regeneration sequence.
[14] Various pieces of music featured in this episode were released in December 2006 as part of the Doctor Who Soundtrack (produced by Silva Screen).
The Canadian presentation on the CBC on 26 December 2005 was hosted by Piper, attired for the occasion in a red Roots "Canada" sweatshirt.
The performance of Tennant was praised, especially how he so quickly "endears" the Doctor when he wakes up and "takes control of the plot", defusing the threat that "had griped the humans for hours in a matter of minutes".
"The ferocity and fear" arising from the "power and voice", that terrified the humans is shown to dissipate the moment the Sycorax language is translated, a sign that "the Doctor has woken up".
[16][17] Piper's performance was also praised, in "shouldering the episode", and encapsulating the "terror and helplessness" that the human race faces when the Doctor is indisposed, and "their resilience".
This release included an in-vision commentary with Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Head of Drama for BBC Wales) and Phil Collinson, recorded before the story aired.
[21] A novelisation of this story written by Jenny T. Colgan including the storyline from the 2005 Children in Need special was released in paperback and digital formats 5 April 2018 as part of the Target Collection.
