In late 2005, Doctor Who started a yearly tradition in the form of Christmas specials, one-off adventures centered around the holiday, and the timey-wimey events typical of the sci-fi show. The first special, the Tenth Doctor story "The Christmas Invasion," proved successful enough to warrant twelve others in the following years.
Despite their popularity, the Christmas episodes were discontinued in 2019 at the start of the Thirteenth Doctor's era, being replaced with New Year's Day specials that just can't seem to capture the same magic anymore. From famous guest stars and pop stars to superheroes and even Santa Claus, the Christmas specials always had something to keep viewers entertained throughout.
13 "The Doctor, The Widow & The Wardrobe" Explores A Classic Story (7.2)
After losing control of the TARDIS, the Eleventh Doctor crashes in England during the late 1930s. A young mother, Madge Arwell, finds him and offers him assistance, prompting the Doctor to promise he will repay her kindness one day. Three years later, during World War II, the Doctor, a recently widowed Madge, and her children live an adventure in time and space.
"The Doctor, The Widow & The Wardrobe" draws inspiration from C.S. Lewis's novel The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, both in name and plot. It premiered in 2011, serving as the show's seventh Christmas special and reuniting the Doctor with his companions Amy and Rory towards the end.
12 "The Next Doctor" Features A Mysterious New Doctor (7.4)
After landing in Victorian London, the Tenth Doctor meets a man who claims to be the real Doctor. Armed with their screwdrivers and their characteristic wit, the two Doctors face a group of strange Cybermen taking over the city. But who is this mysterious other Doctor? Is the Tenth Doctor's time finally up?
"The Next Doctor" is the penultimate Christmas special to star David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and was written by then-showrunner Russell T. Davies. Despite introducing what many thought to be a future incarnation of the Doctor, David Morrissey's character merely turned out to be a delusional human with too much information about the time-traveling alien.
11 "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" Takes Place In New York (7.4)
Unlike most Christmas specials, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" is set in New York rather than London or space. It follows the Twelfth Doctor and his new companion, Nardole, as they join forces with an enigmatic superhero named the Ghost and try to save the world from the Harmony Shoal, an alien race set on taking over humanity.
Given season ten's unfortunate delay, the Christmas special served as Doctor Who's sole episode of 2016. "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" includes several references to past episodes, as well as various nods towards comic book superheroes like Superman and Spider-Man, who were inspirations for the special.
10 "The Runaway Bride" Introduces Donna Noble (7.6)
The Tenth Doctor meets his match in "The Runaway Bride," the 2006 Christmas episode. Following directly after the end of the season two finale, "Doomsday," the Doctor confronts the unknown bride who had somehow managed to trespass inside the TARDIS. She becomes his reluctant companion as he faces a deadly, alien Empress.
"The Runaway Bride" introduces Donna Noble, who would return in the season four opener "Partners in Crime" and become the Doctor's full-time companion until her departure in "Journey's End". The Christmas special has a much more comedic and sillier tone than the previous one, which resulted in mixed fan reactions.
9 "Voyage Of The Damned" Is The Most Successful Doctor Who Christmas Special To Date (7.6)
After crashing into the starship Titanic, the Tenth Doctor meets and befriends waitress Astrid Peth, played by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. When a bitter alien businessman sets the starship on a fatal course to Earth, the Doctor and Astrid must stop the ship from destroying the planet.
"Voyage of the Damned" is the most successful Doctor Who Christmas special to date, with over thirteen million viewers tuning in for its first broadcast. Reactions to Minogue's inclusion were mixed, but her character's death marked the first companion death of the revived series.
8 "The Christmas Invasion" Got The Ball Rolling (8.1)
Still suffering from the aftereffects of his recent regeneration, the Tenth Doctor and Rose face the Sycorax, an alien race threatening to kill one-third of the planet's population if humanity doesn't surrender.
"The Christmas Invasion" was the first Christmas special and the first Tenth Doctor-led story. It continues the storyline involving Torchwood from season one and reintroduces the modern version of UNIT. The episode also includes the first appearance of "Merry Xmas Everybody," a song by British rock band Slade that has been featured in multiple episodes of the show as an easter egg.
7 "Twice Upon A Time" Was The Last Modern Christmas Special (8.1)
The Twelfth Doctor meets his past self in "Twice Upon A Time". The 2017 special sees the First Doctor and the Twelfth Doctor dealing with their own, fast-approaching regenerations during World War I on Christmas, 1914.
"Twice Upon A Time" was the last Christmas episode of the modern series. It also marks a significant change in the direction for Doctor Who, with key personnel both in front and behind the camera like Peter Capaldi, showrunner Steven Moffat, and main composer Murray Gold, moving on to other projects. Towards the end of the episode, the Twelfth Doctor regenerates into the Thirteenth Doctor, starting a new era for the long-running series.
6 "Last Christmas" Features Santa Claus (8.2)
After finding Santa Claus stranded on Clara's rooftop, the Twelfth Doctor and Clara decide to help him get rid of the scientists that have taken over the North Pole. When they arrive, they find more than they bargained for: a group of crab-like creatures has taken over the entire place.
As the Twelfth Doctor's first Christmas special, "Last Christmas" received mostly positive reviews from both critics and fans alike. The episode features comedian and screenwriter Nick Frost in the role of Santa Claus and includes several nods to Hollywood movies like Alien and Miracle on 34th Street.
5 "The Snowmen" Shows A Retired Doctor (8.4)
Having lost Rory and Amy, the Eleventh Doctor decides to retire and hide in Victorian London. By chance, he meets Clara Oswald, a governess-slash-bartender who appears identical to Oswin, the girl he'd met in "Asylum of the Daleks". Intrigued by her, the Doctor befriends Clara just as something strange starts happening to the London snow.
Jenna-Louise Coleman returns in "The Snowmen". The 2012 episode builds on Clara's mysterious existence and shows the Eleventh Doctor at one of his lowest points. It also brought back a significant enemy from the classic era, the Great Intelligence, voiced in the special by Sir Ian McKellen.
4 "The Time Of The Doctor" Fulfils A Prophecy (8.4)
Finally fulfilling the prophecy that has been plaguing him, the Eleventh Doctor travels to Trenzalore. His enemies, having learned of his location, proceed to ambush him and fight him for hundreds of years as he tries to defend the planet and the Time Lords' imminent return.
"The Time of the Doctor" is a swansong to the Eleventh Doctor's tenure. The episode deals with several important plot points, including the Doctor's limited regeneration cycles and the Eleventh Doctor's journey against the Silence and the cracks in time. It's Matt Smith's fourth and final Christmas special, as he passes the baton over to Peter Capaldi at the end.
3 "The Husbands Of River Song" Features River Returning For One Last Goodbye (8.5)
River Song returns for one last goodbye in "The Husbands of River Song". Mistaken for a surgeon, the Twelfth Doctor is summoned by River to remove a large diamond from her new husband's forehead. Shocked that she can't recognize him, the Doctor is unsure of how to proceed.
"The Husbands of River Song" finishes a five-season-long storyline that began when River was introduced in "Silence in the Library" back in 2008. Nardole, who would later become the Doctor's traveling companion, also makes his formal debut in the special as River's servant.
2 "The End Of Time" Shows A Jaded Doctor (8.5)
For the 2009-2010 holiday season, the BBC commissioned a two-parter that would extend from Christmas to New Year's Day. "The End of Time" follows a jaded Tenth Doctor as he embarks on his last adventure alongside Wilf Mott, Donna's grandfather, against his archenemy, the Master.
The Tenth Doctor's reign comes to an end, with Matt Smith taking over as the Eleventh Doctor at the end of the second episode. Similarly to "Twice Upon A Time," the holiday special marks a meaningful change for the show, as most of the cast and crew stepped down from their roles and the series welcomed a new team.
1 "A Christmas Carol" Is A Twist On The Classic Tale (8.6)
The Eleventh Doctor meets a Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol". Following the eponymous story it's based on, the special sees the Eleventh Doctor interacting and trying to reason with the rich curmudgeon Kazran Sardick, who refuses to help a spaceship in need. In order to make him kinder, the Doctor time travels to Sardick's past.
"A Christmas Carol" is the Eleventh Doctor's first Christmas adventure. Irish-English actor Michael Gambon and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins also guest stars as Sardick and Abigail respectively. The episode is the most-watched Christmas special from the Eleventh Doctor's term, with a little over twelve million British viewers.
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