12 Reviews of Christmas - Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (2008)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with more 12 Reviews of Christmas. And yes, we're taking a look at another Doctor Who Christmas special. The special we're looking at today, titled The Next Doctor, aired on BBC on Christmas Day of 2008. It marked the start of the end of David Tennant's tenure as the Tenth Doctor, as it was the first of a set of Doctor Who specials that would air between Christmas 2008 and the 2009 holiday season. 

        So, The Next Doctor opens with the Tenth Doctor landing the TARDIS in London on Christmas Eve in the year 1851. After hearing a disturbance, he goes to investigate the situation, running into a man also calling himself the Doctor, along with his Companion Rosita. The trio faces off against a Cyber Shade, which the two Doctors attempt to capture to no avail. The new Doctor takes his leave, along with Rosita, but fails to recognize the Tenth Doctor's face, but does mention numerous run-ins with the Cybermen. It's also here where we're introduced to Miss Hartigan, who is working in league with the Cybermen in building a massive transport called a Cyber-King. 

        Looking to investigate further, the Doctor meets up with the New Doctor, who gives some vital information regarding the mysterious arrival of the Cybermen, the disappearance of a man named Jackson Lake, and several deaths surrounding the Cybermen. Upon further deduction, and the New Doctor showcasing a device used the night Jackson Lake disappeared, the Doctor reveals the events that happened: the night the Cybermen arrived from the Void, they had with them devices called "info stamps," most likely taken from the Daleks, and one that was used backfired after defeating a Cyberman, thus giving its user all of the memories and personality of the Doctor. And who was it that ended up like that? Jackson Lake. Yes, the New Doctor we've been seeing is none other than Jackson Lake, with his memories buried underneath those of the Doctor due to his mind entering a fugue state. 

         So, the Doctor heads off to confront Miss Hartigan and the Cybermen, with Rosita at his side. The Doctor throws an info stamp with all of the info regarding the Doctor to a Cyberman, who repairs the core and downloads its information, confirming that the Doctor is who he says he is. Jackson, starting to remember the night he fought the Cybermen, comes to assist the Doctor, having remembered that the Cybermen killed his wife. As the Doctor, Rosita, and Jackson work to free several children being forced to work on completing the Cyber-King, and it's here where Jackson remembers he has a son, who was abducted by the Cybermen. Jackson rescues his son and gets him to safety. 

         Meanwhile, Miss Hartigan is declared as the Cyber-King, and is thus placed on the control throne and converted. The Doctor uses a hot air balloon created by Jackson and dubbed the "TARDIS (Tethered Aerial Release Developed in Style)" to confront Miss Hartigan, who refuses to take the Cybermen and leave the Earth. This forces the Doctor to use the info stamps to free Hartigan's mind, causing her to freak out, resulting in emotional overload. The Doctor then uses gear from Jackson's basement to send the Cyber-King, and all of the Cybermen, into the Time Vortex. 

         On Christmas Day, the Doctor shows Jackson the real TARDIS, and Jackson offers him to join for Christmas dinner, ending the special. 

        So, I thoroughly enjoyed The Next Doctor, as it's setting of the year 1851 definitely gave it the feeling of Christmas. Also, bringing back the Cybermen was a stroke of genius, especially because the previous episodes of Doctor Who centered on the Daleks. David Tennant was fantastic as the Doctor, and David Morrissey was really great as Jackson. Both Velile Tshabalala and Dervla Kirwan we're terrific as Rosita and Miss Hartigan. And the visual effects used for the gigantic Cyber-King was absolutely spectacular to look at. Writing wise, Russell T. Davies made a much better Christmas special than the previous year's Voyage of the Damned. I'm giving The Next Doctor a rating of 4.75/5.

         Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back with more 12 Reviews of Christmas tomorrow with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Also, be sure to tune in later today for my review of last night's televised special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. 

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