The Doctor Who Christmas Specials, Ranked
“Santa’s a robot!”
When Doctor Who aired its first Christmas special in 2005, it was almost shocking that the beloved BBC sci-fi series hadn’t been making them all this time. Doctor Who and Christmas seem like a match made in TV heaven: the sweet, corny whimsy of Doctor Who goes perfectly with the cozy decadence of the Christmas holidays. And after you’ve stuffed yourself full of yams and roast beast, there’s no better dessert than watching the Doctor save the day from a holiday-themed sci-fi baddie.
Inverse’s Doctor Who fans put their heads together to rank all the Christmas specials. Excluded from this ranking are the “End of Time” episodes (since the two-parter is more 10th Doctor send-off than Christmas special) and the off-holiday specials like Jodie Whittaker’s New Year’s specials. Here are all the Doctor Who Christmas specials so far, ranked.
14. “The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe”
Despite a fun premise that riffs off of C. S. Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia novel, “The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe” stretches a threadbare script and tests its audience’s already-waning patience for Matt Smith’s “manic pixie dream boy” quirks. When the episode ends with yet another “love saves the day” resolution (this time, with an extra motherhood boost!), the emotions start to feel as wooden as the planet full of sentient trees. — Hoai-Tran Bui
13. “The Next Doctor”
While “The Next Doctor” gets the award for the most misleading Who episode title of all time, there’s a lot of heart to be found in this strange little tale. When the Doctor (David Tennant) encounters a man who also claims to be the Doctor (David Morrissey), we get a bittersweet story about what happens when people are utterly broken. The snowy threat from the Cybermen is interesting, but the heart of this episode is about the titular “next” Doctor, and the strange, transformative power of grief. — Ryan Britt
12. “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”
Sometimes we just want a silly one, and this is definitely it. “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” is Doctor Who’s take on the superhero genre, which, in 2016, was just starting to ramp up in earnest. But Steven Moffat’s take on a Superman story, complete with a spunky journalist and a secret identity, feels like superheroes before the fatigue, all through a distinct sci-fi lens. — Dais Johnston
11. “Voyage of the Damned”
While certainly not the best Who Christmas Special, “Voyage of the Damned” did give us one of the very best David Tennant Doctor speeches, in which he explains who he is, and why he’s going to save the day. Kylie Minogue is perhaps a bit underused here, but the moment in which the angel robots lift the Doctor up, like he’s literally space Jesus, is still, honestly, awesome. — Ryan Britt
10. “The Church on Ruby Road”
The Disney+ era of Doctor Who will probably be looked back on as a transitional time for the series, but “The Church on Ruby Road” was a promising start, introducing a new Doctor, a new companion, a new mystery, and some great little guys. The answer to that mystery may not have been the most satisfying, but the setup felt like the beginning of something big. — Dais Johnston
9. “The Time of the Doctor”
The plot details of Matt Smith’s final episode might be a little vague, but the emotions are real, and the story wraps up the Crack/Silence/Trenzalore mystery-box-within-a-mystery-box of the 11th Doctor era in a way that’s at least acceptable. The highlight of the episode is probably one of the last scenes, where the Doctor (wearing an obvious wig because Matt Smith shaved his head for a movie) sees a vision of Amy Pond (wearing an obvious wig because Karen Gillan shaved her head for a movie). Doctors may come and go, but awkward production values are forever. — Dais Johnston
8. “Joy to the World”
Steven Moffat’s return to the Doctor Who Christmas special was everything you could hope for: a high-concept time-travel story that finally gave Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor the gravitas he’d been missing — by literally grounding him for a year. A zippy caper that sets its central mystery in the time-bending “Time Hotel,” “Joy to the World” almost threatens to tip over into too complicated, but Gatwa’s sparkling central performance and his chemistry with both Nicola Coughlan’s lonely hotel visitor Joy Almondo and blasé hotel manager Anita (Steph de Whalley) keep the episode, well, joyful. — Hoai-Tran Bui
7. “The Christmas Invasion”
Where would we be without this one? David Tennant’s first full episode as the 10th Doctor finds him in his pajamas for most of the story. While the invasion of the Sycorax has perhaps not held up as one of the better Who baddies, Tennant’s charming command of the role is perfect, right out of the gate. The sword fight on Christmas Day is a highlight, but the Doctor’s not-so-hidden ruthlessness (alongside some very Douglas Adam-esque humor) perfectly represents what makes this era of Who so beloved. — Ryan Britt
6. “The Runaway Bride”
“The Runaway Bride” is the perfect example of mid-stage Doctor Who. There’s the electric chemistry between Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and the Doctor (David Tennant), but there’s also the very strange alien plot following a “Christmas Star” and a red spider woman. Thankfully, the best part of this episode was brought back when Donna joined on as a full-on companion, and we never saw the spider lady again. — Dais Johnston
5. “The Snowmen”
The best part of “The Snowmen” is that it gave us a glimpse of what could’ve been if the BBC had allowed the Doctor to have a companion from the Victorian era. The worst part of “The Snowmen” is that Victorian Clara was so charming and dazzling that the modern-day “Clara Prime” could only pale in comparison. But as a standalone story, “The Snowmen” is a magical hour of TV anchored by the crackling chemistry between Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman. Throw in a few striking set pieces (that TARDIS in the cloud!), and a somewhat goofy plot involving sentient snow and a truly sinister villain played by Richard E. Grant, and you’ve got ideal Christmas viewing. — Hoai-Tran Bui
4. “Last Christmas”
Remember when Nick Frost was Santa Claus? Oddly, that detail is the least interesting thing about this brilliant, and oddly dark episode. After the ending of Season 8, in which Clara (Jenna Coleman) lost Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), and the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) was lied to about the location of Gallifrey, the show needed a bit of a reset. What better way than a horror episode on Christmas? Bonus points: This episode has one of Capaldi’s all-time greatest bits, in which he learns of the existence of the “offensive” 1979 film called Alien. — Ryan Britt
3. “Twice Upon a Time”
The swan song of the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) was also the end of another era; the final episode in which Steven Moffat was the showrunner of Doctor Who. The bittersweet story brings modern Who all the way back to the William Hartnell First Doctor era, with David Bradley playing that problematic and crotchety version of the Time Lord with a touch of smart nostalgia. The Doctor looks back and looks forward. In some ways, “Twice Upon a Time” is a better Who retrospective than “Day of the Doctor.” — Ryan Britt
2. “The Husbands of River Song”
The end was always built into the beginning with River Song (Alex Kingston). She may have always met the Doctor in the wrong order, but her swan song, and one and only outing with Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor, felt like the final culmination of a long journey. This episode also has some classic Doctor Who characters like Nardole (Matt Lucas) and Hydroflax (Greg Davies). It may end tinged with tragedy, but there are echoes of the love story that always propelled these two. — Dais Johnston
1. “A Christmas Carol”
The beauty of “A Christmas Carol” can probably best be summed up by one pensive remark from the Doctor: “Halfway out of the dark…” It’s how he describes the Ebenezer Scrooge of this story, Michael Gambon’s Kazran Sardick, the miserly businessman who shows enough signs of humanity that the Doctor decides to become his Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. But Doctor Who’s sci-fi riff on the Christmas classic can also be described that way: it’s wholesome, funny, and lovely, but with a touch of melancholy that complements its sugary-sweet whimsy. That’s what makes “A Christmas Carol” not just the best-ever Christmas special of Doctor Who, but one of the best screen adaptations of the Charles Dickens novella. — Hoai-Tran Bui
