Your Doctor Who fan’s guide to what to watch this Christmas
The Christmas season is almost upon us! As the days count down, fans will be pulling on their Weeping Angel and TARDIS covered Doctor Who Christmas jumpers, going to the office parties and crossing their fingers that Santa will bring them that extra long scarf they want. And that they’ll be doing the traditional mark up of the Radio Times (other listings magazines are available). Already each member of the family is circling their chosen Christmas viewing and getting ready to argue about the clashes.
And Blogtor Who is here to help. Once again this year, Blogtor Who has a list of the best Doctor Who related content on TV and Radio this Christmas. In Part One we’ll cover the week from Saturday the 21st of December to the Friday the 27th. And soon we’ll give you details of the main event – Doctor Who on New Year’s Day.
Saturday 21st
ITV
6.25pm – The Chase Celebrity Special
A Yuletide special for the quiz show fronted by Doctor Who’s Bradley Walsh. The Reverend Kate Bottley, Dr Ranj Singh, and George ‘Toff’ Toffolo team up to take on the might of the Chaser. But do they have the brains and the luck to prevail and bring home the cash for their charities?
BBC Radio 1
10am – Graham Norton
Graham invites Doctor Who writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss on to his show to discuss their latest project together. Dracula.
(EDITOR’s Note – This one is brilliant. Dare I say it might be the one to watch on New Year’s Day. Note for the squimish.)
Sunday 22nd
ITV
7pm – Dancing on Ice at Christmas
Captain Jack Harkness himself, John Barrowman, makes his debut as a judge on the Dancing on Ice ice panel. A host of celebrities from past seasons return to show off how much, or how little, they’ve remembered since their time on the show.
Monday 23rd
BBC Radio 3
7.30pm – Radio 3 in Concert
Former Doctor Who David Tennant features in a live concert dedicated to the work of The Doctor’s Wife writer Neil Gaiman. Between appropriate classical pieces, and works from the soundtracks of adaptations like Good Omens, Gaiman and Tennant perform readings from the writer’s books
BBC Radio 4 Extra
6pm – Doctor Who: Serpent Crest
Tsar Wars Part One. A rare radio repeat for the audio drama series starring Tom Baker as the Doctor. In this completely bonkers mash-up of Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Nicholas and Alexandria, Tom Baker takes a dual role of the Doctor and a kind of android Rasputin.
Christmas Eve
BBC Four
10pm – Martin’s Close
A new Ghost Story for Christmas, adapted by Mark Gatiss from the short story by M.R. James. Peter Capaldi stars as a prosecutor determined to see justice done following the murder of a young woman. But does it help or hinder his case that people have seen the silently accusing figure of the victim at large after her death?
W
8.15am – Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion
W celebrate Christmas with a season of Doctor Who Christmas Specials. Starting on Christmas Eve with The Christmas Invasion, as the newly regenerated Doctor (David Tennant) risks sleeping through the Sycroax enslavement of the human race.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
6pm – Doctor Who: Serpent Crest
Tsar Wars Part Two. Conclusion of the adventure for Tom Baker’s Doctor, as he seeks to escape a futuristic android society based on Imperial Russia.
Christmas Day
W
7.35am – Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride
Perfect viewing for that early Christmas morning when the kids have dragged you out of bed to open their presents. The Tenth Doctor meets Chiswick super-temp Donna Noble, as he races to get her to the church on time.
8.55am – Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned
A traditional Christmas Day disaster movie with a twist, as David Tennant’s Doctor recruits Kylie Minogue to help him stop the stricken spaceship Titanic from crashing into the Earth.
BBC Radio 4
4pm – Neil Gaiman’s Chivalry
An adaptation of one of the Doctor Who writer’s sweeter short stories. When an old lady (Glenda Jackson) finds an old cup in a charity shop, she’s rather loathe to give it up. Even when a nice young man (Kit Harrington) in full armour shows up on a horse to tell her it’s the Holy Grail.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
6pm – Doctor Who: Serpent Crest
The Broken Crown Part One – The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey have made it back home early. A century and a half early, in fact. Worse than that, they also have to contend with a creepy child with a paper face and control of an all powerful, reality bending artifact.
Boxing Day
BBC One
6.20pm – Worzel Gummidge
The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook – Doctor Who fans of a certain age will be waiting eagerly to see how Mackenzie Crook does as Jon Pertwee’s successor as the turnip headed scarecrow. Though be warned, this new adaptation keeps closer to the themes and plots of Barbara Euphon Todd’s original books.
W
10.10am – Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
Perfect viewing for a morning spent lying on the couch, when the Doctor (Matt Smith) takes the parts of all three Ghosts of Christmas to try and convince a bitter old miser (Michael Gambon) to change his ways.
Sky Premiere
10.45am/8pm – Avengers: Endgame
TV premiere of the most epic superhero movie of all time. Featuring the former Amy Pond, Karen Gillan, in the pivotal role of the alien cyborg Nebula. After her adopted father Thanos has wiped out half of all life in the universe, Nebula travels to Earth and joins the Avengers – determined to put it right, whatever it takes.
Britbox
On Demand – Doctor Who
The online streaming service which recently launched in the UK adds Doctor Who to its lineup on Boxing Day. All the surviving episodes of Doctor Who’s 20th century run will be available to subscribers to stream on demand. Plus, official animations of missing episodes will also be on Britbox – bringing the total number of Doctor Who episodes on Britbox to 627.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
6pm – Doctor Who: Serpent Crest
The Broken Crown Part Two – Can the Doctor reunite with the TARDIS and get Mrs. Wibbsey home to the 21st century? Or are they doomed to be the playthings of an all powerful child forever?
Friday 27th
BBC One
7pm – Worzel Gummidge
The Green Man – While the series starring Jon Pertwee invented the character of the Crowman as the creator of the living scarecrows, in the original books that role was taken by the mythical Green Man (Michael Palin). But, as seen in this second episode of the brand new adaptation, he’s even less enthusiastic about Worzel making friends with human children than the Crowman was.
W
8.40am – Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
Matt Smith turns all his Whimsy dials up to 11, as he plays magical caretaker to a family in World War II to give them the best Christmas ever. Naturally, they all almost die at least twice.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
6pm – Doctor Who: Serpent Crest
Aladdin Time Part One – In a perfectly fitting adventure for Christmas, the Doctor finds himself trapped in the world within the dangerously powerful Skishtari Egg. It’s a world of fiction and nonsense as he battles his way through a full on Panto in his quest to escape.
Part two of the Blogtor Who Christmas TV and Radio Guide, covering the 28th of December to the 3rd of January, is coming soon
