Staggering Stories Forum!

...were we bothered? I'm not sure I was over enthused with it; it looked pretty and seasonal etcetera, but I'm not convinced of the need for "Christmas Specials". That sort of thing, in my brain, tends to be reserved for Morecambe & Wise and The Two Ronnies and others of that ilk.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Well I've seen it three times now (the third time with the podcast commentary) and I'm still of the opinion I had when I first saw it: it was okay. Not great, not terrible. Just okay.

I really enjoyed the Christmas Invasion, that was a feel good story and one I've watched a good few times in the past year or so. I'm not so sure I'll be revisiting The Runaway Bride quite so much. The Christmas Invasion felt bigger - we had the return of UNIT, millions of people under blood control (apparently about to commit suicide), the Prime Minister making a public plea for the Doctor's help and a big build up to the new Doctor's triumphant saving of the world. The Runaway Bride felt small by comparison, a minimal threat of a few baby spider creatures climbing up a massive shaft (if they were as immobile as their Empress then they'd be a laughable threat indeed). Catherine Tate was okay, playing it as written I expect. I can't say I cared about what happened to her, she missed her wedding - who cares, her husband-to-be is just using her as some kind of alien invasion key - who cares. Quite a bit different from last year when I couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Rose who had just lost the Doctor and was now hating herself for not being able to save the world as he would.

I don't know, I could go on for quite a bit (and I will for a proper review next update) but overall I was expecting more after the previous Christmas special. They can be done right (at least to my tastes), we have seen that. This time it just all fell a bit flat. It could have been, should have been, much better.