The Christmas Invasion (TV story): Difference between revisions

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The Christmas Invasion (TV story) (edit)

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==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
While [[Rose Tyler|Rose]], [[Jackie Tyler|Jackie]], and [[Mickey Smith|Mickey]] try to help the Doctor as he suffers the instabilities of [[regeneration|post-regenerative]] shock, the [[Earth]] comes under attack by a sinister race known as the [[Sycorax]].
While [[Rose Tyler|Rose]], [[Jackie Tyler|Jackie]], and [[Mickey Smith|Mickey]] try to help the Doctor as he suffers the instabilities of [[regeneration|post-regenerative]] shock, the [[Earth]] comes under attack by a sinister race known as the [[Sycorax]].


==Plot==
==Plot==
It is [[Christmas]] Eve on [[Earth]], as [[Jackie Tyler]] prepares presents and [[Mickey Smith]] works in the garage, both of them hear the distinctive sound of the [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]]' engines. Rushing out into the street of the [[Powell Estate]], they see the TARDIS blink into existence above them, ricochet off a few buildings, then come to a crashing halt. A strange man stumbles out of the [[police box]] doors, greets them by name and wishes them a Merry Christmas before collapsing. [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] follows and, to Jackie and Mickey's questions, identifies the stranger as the [[The Doctor|Doctor]].
It is [[Christmas]] Eve on [[Earth]], as [[Jackie Tyler]] prepares presents and [[Mickey Smith]] works in the garage, both of them hear the distinctive sound of the [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]]' engines. Rushing out into the street of the [[Powell Estate]], they see the TARDIS blink into existence above them, ricochet off a few buildings, then come to a crashing halt. A strange man stumbles out of the [[police box]] doors, greets them by name and wishes them a Merry Christmas before collapsing. [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] follows and, to Jackie and Mickey's questions, identifies the stranger as the [[The Doctor|Doctor]].


They bring the Doctor to Jackie's flat and dress him in pyjamas belonging to [[Howard]], Jackie's current beau, who has the habit of keeping pieces of fruit in his pocket for snacks. While Rose discusses the Doctor's change of appearance with Jackie, they do not see a wisp of vortex energy emerging from the Doctor's mouth, which then floats into space. On television, [[Prime Minister]] [[Harriet Jones]] and project director Daniel Llewellyn give a press conference about the [[Guinevere One]] space probe, which is about to land on [[Mars]]. In space, however, the probe is swallowed up by an island-like spaceship.
They bring the Doctor to Jackie's flat and dress him in pajamas belonging to [[Howard]], Jackie's current beau, who has the habit of keeping pieces of fruit in his pocket for snacks. While Rose discusses the Doctor's change of appearance with Jackie, they do not see a wisp of vortex energy emerging from the Doctor's mouth, which then floats into space. On television, [[Prime Minister]] [[Harriet Jones]] and project director Daniel Llewellyn give a press conference about the [[Guinevere One]] space probe, which is about to land on [[Mars]]. In space, however, the probe is swallowed up by an island-like spaceship.


That evening, Rose and Mickey go Christmas shopping, but are attacked by a group of masked [[Santa Claus|Santas]] armed with lethal musical instruments. Managing to escape when the tuba mortar brings a giant [[Christmas tree]] down on the Santas, Rose realises that the Santas must be after the Doctor. She and Mickey rush home. When they reach the flat, Rose notices an unfamiliar Christmas tree in the sitting room, which Jackie says was delivered to the door. As they realise that none of them purchased the tree, it comes to life, whirling around with razor-sharp branches.
That evening, Rose and Mickey go Christmas shopping, but are attacked by a group of masked [[Santa Claus|Santas]] armed with lethal musical instruments. Managing to escape when the tuba mortar brings a giant [[Christmas tree]] down on the Santas, Rose realises that the Santas must be after the Doctor. She and Mickey rush home. When they reach the flat, Rose notices an unfamiliar Christmas tree in the sitting room, which Jackie says was delivered to the door. As they realise that none of them purchased the tree, it comes to life, whirling around with razor-sharp branches.
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Rose tries to bluff the Sycorax by quoting various things and races she has encountered on her travels, commanding them to leave, but is answered with laughter. The Sycorax leader taunts her attempts to pass off second-hand knowledge as authority, but as he gloats, his alien words start turning into English. Rose realises that the TARDIS translation is working again, and as the Doctor must be conscious for it to be active, that can mean only one thing: the Doctor is awake. On cue, the doors of the police box open and the Doctor stands there, smiling as he says, "Did you miss me?"
Rose tries to bluff the Sycorax by quoting various things and races she has encountered on her travels, commanding them to leave, but is answered with laughter. The Sycorax leader taunts her attempts to pass off second-hand knowledge as authority, but as he gloats, his alien words start turning into English. Rose realises that the TARDIS translation is working again, and as the Doctor must be conscious for it to be active, that can mean only one thing: the Doctor is awake. On cue, the doors of the police box open and the Doctor stands there, smiling as he says, "Did you miss me?"


Easily deactivating the Sycorax leader's energy whip and breaking his staff, the Doctor bluntly tells the alien to wait while he gets more important things out of the way; namely, getting reacquainted with his friends. Disappointed at not being "ginger" (red haired), and somewhat annoyed at Rose's speed in giving up on him, he tells them that all he needed was a "good cup of tea; a superheated infusion of radical (chemistry}free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the [[synapses]]." As the Sycorax leader demands to know who he is, the Doctor blithely strides across the ship's floor, nattering on cheerfully and still working out what his personality is like in this new incarnation. He walks up to the glowing button, discovers that it is powered by blood, and quickly deduces about the blood control. The Doctor tells the leader that in his unstable state, when he sees a large glowing button he just cannot help himself — and to everyone's shock, pushes it.  
Easily deactivating the Sycorax leader's energy whip and breaking his staff, the Doctor bluntly tells the alien to wait while he gets more important things out of the way; namely, getting reacquainted with his friends. Disappointed at not being "ginger" (red haired), and somewhat annoyed at Rose's speed in giving up on him, he tells them that all he needed was a "good cup of tea; a superheated infusion of radical (chemistry) free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the [[synapses]]." As the Sycorax leader demands to know who he is, the Doctor blithely strides across the ship's floor, nattering on cheerfully and still working out what his personality is like in this new incarnation. He walks up to the glowing button, discovers that it is powered by blood, and quickly deduces about the blood control. The Doctor tells the leader that in his unstable state, when he sees a large glowing button he just cannot help himself — and to everyone's shock, pushes it.  


However, instead of sending the possessed crowds on Earth to their deaths, it simply releases them from the Sycorax control. The Doctor explains that blood control is like [[hypnosis]]: you cannot hypnotise a person to death as the survival instinct is too strong. The Sycorax were bluffing, and the Doctor merely called them on it. The leader says that they can still conquer Earth with an armada, but the Doctor demands that the humans be left alone (quoting part of  "The Circle Of Life" from the The Lion King in the process), challenging the leader to single combat for the planet.
However, instead of sending the possessed crowds on Earth to their deaths, it simply releases them from the Sycorax control. The Doctor explains that blood control is like [[hypnosis]]: you cannot hypnotise a person to death as the survival instinct is too strong. The Sycorax were bluffing, and the Doctor merely called them on it. The leader says that they can still conquer Earth with an armada, but the Doctor demands that the humans be left alone (quoting part of  "The Circle Of Life" from The Lion King in the process), challenging the leader to single combat for the planet.


The swordfight goes from inside the ship to its exterior, but the Doctor is clearly disadvantaged, and in the midst of it, the leader cuts the Doctor's hand off. However, the Doctor is still in the first 15 hours of his regeneration cycle, and regrows his hand, which allows him to gain an advantage over the Sycorax leader and triumph. Holding the leader at sword point at the ship's edge, the Doctor extracts an oath from the leader to leave the planet and never return, in return for the Doctor sparing his life. As the Doctor walks back, celebrating his victory with Rose, the leader tries a final attack whilst the Doctor's back is turned, but the Doctor calmly bounces a satsuma he finds in Howard's dressing gown off a control button, opening a section of the ship's wing beneath the leader, sending the alien plunging to his death. The new Doctor is not a man willing to grant second chances.
The swordfight goes from inside the ship to its exterior, but the Doctor is clearly disadvantaged, and in the midst of it, the leader cuts the Doctor's hand off. However, the Doctor is still in the first 15 hours of his regeneration cycle, and regrows his hand, which allows him to gain an advantage over the Sycorax leader and triumph. Holding the leader at sword point at the ship's edge, the Doctor extracts an oath from the leader to leave the planet and never return, in return for the Doctor sparing his life. As the Doctor walks back, celebrating his victory with Rose, the leader tries a final attack whilst the Doctor's back is turned, but the Doctor calmly bounces a satsuma he finds in Howard's dressing gown off a control button, opening a section of the ship's wing beneath the leader, sending the alien plunging to his death. The new Doctor is not a man willing to grant second chances.
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* [[The Doctor]]'s sword duel with the Sycorax leader, particularly when his hand is cut off, suggests the light-saber duel between [[Wikipedia:Luke Skywalker |Luke Skywalker]] and [[Wikipedia:Darth Vader |Darth Vader]] in "[[Wikipedia:The Empire Strikes Back|The Empire Strikes Back]]."
* [[The Doctor]]'s sword duel with the Sycorax leader, particularly when his hand is cut off, suggests the light-saber duel between [[Wikipedia:Luke Skywalker |Luke Skywalker]] and [[Wikipedia:Darth Vader |Darth Vader]] in "[[Wikipedia:The Empire Strikes Back|The Empire Strikes Back]]."


* The Doctor comments that the bathrobe and pyjamas [[Jackie Tyler|Jackie]] has given him to wear are "very [[Arthur Dent]]." Arthur Dent is a character in ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', created by former ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[script editor]] [[Douglas Adams]]. The Doctor's mention of Arthur as a "nice man", suggesting he has actually met him, together with the fact that the book the [[Fourth Doctor]] reads in "[[Destiny of the Daleks]]" is written by author [[Oolin Coluphid]] raises the question of how much of the characters and events set in the Guide stories also occur in the [[Doctor Who Universe]].
* The Doctor comments that the bathrobe and pajamas [[Jackie Tyler|Jackie]] has given him to wear are "very [[Arthur Dent]]." Arthur Dent is a character in ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', created by former ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[script editor]] [[Douglas Adams]]. The Doctor's mention of Arthur as a "nice man", suggesting he has actually met him, together with the fact that the book the [[Fourth Doctor]] reads in "[[Destiny of the Daleks]]" is written by author [[Oolin Coluphid]] raises the question of how much of the characters and events set in the Guide stories also occur in the [[Doctor Who Universe]].


* When speaking to the Sycorax of the great potential [[human]]s possess, the Doctor realizes he is quoting from ''[[The Lion King]]''.
* When speaking to the Sycorax of the great potential [[human]]s possess, the Doctor realizes he is quoting from ''[[The Lion King]]''.


* Harriet Jones's response to the [[America]]n President's message, namely that she "is in control of the situation and doesn't want him using this as an excuse to start a war" may be an in-reference to the [[Wikipedia:Iraq War|Iraq War]] and [[Wikipedia:Tony Blair|Tony Blair]], whose critics have accussed him of being a puppet of [[Wikipedia:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]].
* Harriet Jones's response to the [[America]]n President's message, namely that she "is in control of the situation and doesn't want him using this as an excuse to start a war" may be an in-reference to the [[Wikipedia:Iraq War|Iraq War]] and [[Wikipedia:Tony Blair|Tony Blair]], whose critics have accused him of being a puppet of [[Wikipedia:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]].


===Location Filming===
===Location Filming===
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* Early in this episode, a [[Wikipedia:Routemaster|Routemaster]] bus briefly appears. However, Routemasters were actually removed from active service on 9 December 2005. ''It could have been a heritage service, and maybe routemasters being replaced weren't the main concern in this time-frame, especially when Earth has just had to cover up events such as the Slitheen encounter.''
* Early in this episode, a [[Wikipedia:Routemaster|Routemaster]] bus briefly appears. However, Routemasters were actually removed from active service on 9 December 2005. ''It could have been a heritage service, and maybe routemasters being replaced weren't the main concern in this time-frame, especially when Earth has just had to cover up events such as the Slitheen encounter.''
* When the Doctor is looking in the TARDIS wardrobe he picks up a coat from the Napoleonic Wars, which is the same jacket that [[John Hart]] wears in [[Torchwood]]. ''(Surely more than one was produced during the era)''
* When the Doctor is looking in the TARDIS wardrobe he picks up a coat from the Napoleonic Wars, which is the same jacket that [[John Hart]] wears in [[Torchwood]]. ''(Surely more than one was produced during the era)''
* It is left unexplained why Britain's space program has apparently reverted to celebrating unmanned probes arriving at Mars when ''[[The Ambassadors of Death]]'' established that by this time Britain had already sent manned missions to Mars.   ''There is actually a real-world example of such reversion occurring: America's NASA program sent manned missions to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s yet by the 2000s had reverted to again sending unmanned probes to the moon.''
* It is left unexplained why Britain's space program has apparently reverted to celebrating unmanned probes arriving at Mars when ''[[The Ambassadors of Death]]'' established that by this time Britain had already sent manned missions to Mars. ''There is actually a real-world example of such reversion occurring: America's NASA program sent manned missions to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s yet by the 2000s had reverted to again sending unmanned probes to the moon.''
* After finally recovering, one of the first things the Doctor does is ask Rose about his appearance, despite already having done so in the [[Children in Need Special]]. ''Considering the Doctor's imbalance after his regeneration, he might have forgotten the earlier discussion, In addition, she never answered him in the special.''
* After finally recovering, one of the first things the Doctor does is ask Rose about his appearance, despite already having done so in the [[Children in Need Special]]. ''Considering the Doctor's imbalance after his regeneration, he might have forgotten the earlier discussion, In addition, she never answered him in the special.''
*After indicating to Rose how important Harriet Jones becomes to Britain and planet earth ([[DW]]: ''[[World War III]]''), here he proceeds to sabotage her career. What about his many spiels about his being forbidden to change history? ''Some events can be changed, as established in [[The Fires of Pompeii]]. This must be one of them''
*After indicating to Rose how important Harriet Jones becomes to Britain and planet earth ([[DW]]: ''[[World War III]]''), here he proceeds to sabotage her career. What about his many spiels about his being forbidden to change history? ''Some events can be changed, as established in [[The Fires of Pompeii]]. This must be one of them''
* The Doctor states that this event will make alien life indisputable to humanity - and the UNIT tie-in website has a press release stating "Alien Life Confirmed" - but later episodes such as ''[[The Runaway Bride]]'' still establish that alien life is still unknown to some. ''Runaway Bride only established that [[Donna Noble]] was oblivious to these events; [[TW]]: [[Everything Changes]] also suggested that efforts were still being made to cover up events such as the [[Battle of Canary Wharf]]. However [[Voyage of the Damned]] directly references the events of this episode and addresses the Sycorax invasion as one of the reasons for the holiday-time evacuation of London two years later.''
* The Doctor states that this event will make alien life indisputable to humanity - and the UNIT tie-in website has a press release stating "Alien Life Confirmed" - but later episodes such as ''[[The Runaway Bride]]'' still establish that alien life is still unknown to some. ''Runaway Bride only established that [[Donna Noble]] was oblivious to these events; [[TW]]: [[Everything Changes]] also suggested that efforts were still being made to cover up events such as the [[Battle of Canary Wharf]]. However [[Voyage of the Damned]] directly references the events of this episode and addresses the Sycorax invasion as one of the reasons for the holiday-time evacuation of London two years later.''
* It's never really explained why the Doctor and Rose and her family were targeted by the Santas and the Christmas tree weapon. The Sycorax leader does not have any prior knowledge of the Doctor or Rose and as such had no need to send the "pilot fish" after them. ''Since the robots need a power supply, and the Doctor was giving off this energy, that's why''
* It's never really explained why the Doctor and Rose and her family were targeted by the Santas and the Christmas tree weapon. The Sycorax leader does not have any prior knowledge of the Doctor or Rose and as such had no need to send the "pilot fish" after them. ''Since the robots need a power supply, and the Doctor was giving off this energy, that's why''
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* [http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_tv11.htm The Doctor Who Reference Guide detailed synopsis of ''The Christmas Invasion'']
* [http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_tv11.htm The Doctor Who Reference Guide detailed synopsis of ''The Christmas Invasion'']
* [http://www.whoniverse.org/discontinuity/XMAS05.php The Whoniverse Discontinuity Guide to ''The Christmas Invasion'']
* [http://www.whoniverse.org/discontinuity/XMAS05.php The Whoniverse Discontinuity Guide to ''The Christmas Invasion'']
* [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/xmascommentary.mp3 Offical BBC Commentary of ''The Christmas Invasion'']
* [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/xmascommentary.mp3 Official BBC Commentary of ''The Christmas Invasion'']


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{{Series 2}}
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