Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Doctor is coming to an end, culminating in the trilogy of special episodes scheduled for 2022. The first of them, set to air on January 1, will take place on New Year’s Eve (the trend that became common for the current era), and Doctor Who showrunner, Chris Chibnall, promises for it to be an intimate, standalone, time-loop romantic comedy, featuring the Doctor’s old nemeses, the Daleks.
Since Russel T Davies has revived Doctor Who in 2005, the show became known for its yearly Christmas episodes that usually act as separate stories and are full of both holiday cheer and unexpected dangers. From a retold Christmas Carol to daring heists to killer snowmen, these Christmas specials are considered the best by Whovians and are perfect for getting into the holiday mood.
The End of Time Part One & Two, 2009/2010 (IMDb 8.2)
This two-part special episode (with the second chapter released on New Year’s Day) marked the end of both David Tennant and Russel T Davies’ runs and is considered by many fans to be one of the most powerful and heartbreaking stories in the modern Doctor Who era. The episode sees the return of the Master, the Doctor’s oldest enemy, and an unexpected fulfillment of the prophecy that foretold the Tenth Doctor’s death.
Aside from having a wonderfully twisted story, “The End of Time” hits all the right emotional notes, backed by spectacular performances from David Tennant and Bernard Cribbins as Donna’s grandfather Wilf. Davies masterfully faints a happy ending only to cruelly swipe it from under the audience’s feet in one four-time-knocking jerk. Wilf’s heartbreaking begging for the Doctor to save himself, tearful goodbyes to the companions, Oods’ mournful song, and, of course, the ultimate heartbreaking “I don’t want to go” all make this episode an incredibly emotional journey and a worthy conclusion to a spectacular era.
The Snowmen, 2013 (IMDb 8.4)
Heartbroken after the loss of his long-time companions Amy and Rory, the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) retires to Victorian London, only to get involved in the investigation of creepy animated snowmen and face the return of a villain from the show’s classic era, the Great Intelligence, masterfully voiced by Sir Ian McKellen and Richard E. Grant. The episode introduces Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman), a governess/bartender and the new companion, whom the Doctor has already mysteriously met before in a different form in “Asylum of the Daleks,” thus starting the Impossible Girl plot arc.
With its snowy Victorian landscape, themed villains, the Doctor in a top hat, and the magical visuals, “The Snowmen” wonderfully conveys the spirit of Christmas while delivering excitement and chills in the best tradition of Stephen Moffat’s era of Doctor Who.
The Time of the Doctor, 2013 (IMDb 8.4)
In Matt Smith’s final episode, the Doctor finds himself on the planet Trenzalore in the human settlement fittingly called Christmas. Together with Clara, he faces his worst enemies — the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Silence, and the Weeping Angels — as well as the return of the Time Lords. Moffat expertly ties up all the loose plot lines created during Smith’s run, including cracks in the Universe, the Silence’s prophecy, and the Doctor’s foretold fate linked to Tranzalore, and offers an emotional farewell to the Eleventh Doctor.
“The Time of the Doctor” is action-packed, entertaining, undeniably Christmas-y, visually stunning, and sweetly touching, without the heavy heartbreak delivered by the Tennant’s final episode — a perfect swansong for Matt Smith, who fittingly ends his run with a tear-jerking and heartfelt “I will always remember when the Doctor was me.”
The Husbands of River Song, 2015 (IMDb 8.5)
With her non-linear whirlwind of a romantic relationship with the Doctor, River Song, played by marvelous Alex Kingston, has been a long-time fan favorite. The Doctor and she travel the timeline in opposite directions, meaning that the first time the Time Lord met River in “Silence in the Library” was the last time she saw him. “The Husbands of River Song” brings together Peter Capaldi’s Doctor and River for an exciting heist-type adventure before wrapping up their story on an emotional and fitting note.
The episode excellently plays with the timey-wimey rules, revels in the electric chemistry between Capaldi and Kingston, and offers a satisfying and emotional closure to the most extraordinary storyline. The final twist of the Doctor taking his wife to Darillium — the place he knows will be the last stop before her final sacrifice — and revealing that a single night on the planet lasts twelve years is bound to leave even the most stoic Whovians in quiet sobs.
A Christmas Carol, 2010 (IMDb 8.6)
Consistently voted a fan-favorite holiday special episode, “A Christmas Carol” offers a different and very Doctor Who take on the classic Dickens tale. In it, the Doctor tries to save his companions from an impending ship crush by pleading with the Scrooge-type character named Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon), who refuses to grant them a safe passage. To convince him, the Doctor takes on the roles of the three Christmas ghosts, uncovering Kazran’s motivations and altering his past to change his present.
The episode feels like a genuine Christmas tale, set in a fitting, Victorian-style town. It is refreshingly void of the classic Doctor Who monsters and introduces new colorful and fleshed-out characters who instantly capture the audience's hearts. With the magical vocals of Katherine Jenkins, a heartwarming story, and an enchanting setting, “A Christmas Carol” is a perfect holiday treat, beloved by Whovians and newcomers alike.