Personally, I thought this was riveting. It looks like something out of Hollywood (with big-budget, barmy special effects and lots of gadgets) and it is full of action. None of it makes sense exactly, but when has that mattered? The killer Santas that replaced the Daleks as the new villains weren't exactly terrifying, but they were menacing and launched a beautifully-made attack on Donna's wedding party. But towards the end, the whole thing starts to feel like a pantomime - why did that stupid spider need so much screen time? Catherine Tate wasn't too bad - I despise her comedy show, but at least in this episode there wasn't any of this "Am I bothered?" rubbish coming from her - she's far better when she stays off the humour. David Tennant is once again a few sandwiches short of a picnic and slightly too jolly, but we can accept that. After all, Doctor Who is meant to be completely bonkers and unrealistic, and this Christmas special promises great things for the third series. A car chase featuring the Tardis and lots of Christmas-related villainy are amongst the best things you'll find in this episode - I'm sure that Series 3 will be absolutely spiffing. 8/10
Review of The Runaway Bride
