The Doctor the Widow, and the Wardrobe. Doctor Who
Doctor who Christmas special 2011
The Doctor the Widow, and the Wardrobe
The opening shot is a of a huge spaceship cruising above the Earth,
The Doctor the Widow, and the Wardrobe
The opening shot is a of a huge spaceship cruising above the Earth,
Its Gun ports open, but unlike the Minbari, this is not a salute.
We hear the threat ; ``People of Earth, you stand alone. ..''
Intruder alert alarms, are activated and we see the Doctor running down, a corridor. The corridor explodes around him. The Doctor is blown out, into space. ( Thank you Commander data)
For a few moments there is the Batman can breathe in space, trope. The Doctor is in a hard vacuum trying to catch up with a space suit. The Doctor survives a sub orbital skydive, and disturbs Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner, the mum from outnumbered, can live with the fear of typecasting. She inhabits an English idyll. There is a red telephone box, which dates the scene for British viewers, and establishes the scene for the Cousins.
Hello are you hurt? Claire asks, of the Doctor, who is lying in a crater, in a field. Where did you fall from>
I left a vessel in a hurry.
We have a glimpse of Claire Skinners characters home life . She is married to Alex Armstrong. She has a son, and lives in a people’s friend. She has a son Cyril. She is borrowing Mr Goldsmiths. ( Jewish name) Anyway the Doctor is ferried into a car, and brought to a police box. The Doctor, has his impact suits, helmet on backward. The Doctor tries to get into his tardis, however ``having dressed in a hurry’’. The Doctor is temporarily blinded. Claire, here in after referred to as Mum, offers, to let the Doctor into the Tardis. She is very good with a hatpin. While the Doctor relays some technobabble, Mom opens the lock and as the Doctor observes that the last 900 years of Time travel now feel a lot less secure.
We are brought forward a few years. The crew of a Lancaster Bomber, which is piloted by Alexander Armstrong. Yes another piece of clever casting! Anyway the crew of the Bomber is in trouble over the channel. One of their number is wounded, and there instruments are down. The Captain looks at a picture of his wife. ( Mum) and apologizes that he is not going to make it home for Christmas
We are then returned to Mum, who is clutching a telegram from the War Office. She is lying in bed. She has to take her children to an uncle’s house, somewhere in the country.
Mum is accompanied by a daughter and a son. The Son Cyril, is disappointed to be leaving London. The Bombing, is such fun! (This is true apparently; Children enjoyed the noise and the lights. See Hope and Glory)
There is a knock on the door, the family are interrupted by the Doctor. The Doctor is calling himself, the Caretaker, for the rich Uncles house. ( The Uncle is in a home in Battersea)
The Doctor asks, the family, to take their bags, in. There are musical chairs in the drawing room.
The Doctor takes, the family through to the Kitchen, points out the taps, Hot, Cold and Lemonade. (I know!)
I know
The Doctor, than warns his charges to beware of the panthers
Mums, room and then lilly and Cyril’s pad
The doctor lists the wonders, in the Children’s bedroom, it includes, the Magna Charta and Cluedo, as well as a zone of Tranquility and Hammocks.
The Doctor tries to mount a hammock, and does not succeed
Mum, tells the children to leave the room. She has been shouting at the kids, a lot lately
She is upset with the Doctor. She wants the Children to enjoy Christmas, but if she tells them that Christmas is the time, that they learn their father died. Then Christmas will be ruined for the children for the rest of their lives
The Doctor asks what the point of them being happy now, when they’re going to be sad later
The answer of course, is that they’re going to be sad later
Mum tells Cyril and Lilly, that they will stay, though that man, is quite ridiculous and prompted and pestered by her children announces it will be the best Christmas ever
The children are sent to bed. Mum retires clutching her telegram.
Her children cannot sleep. Cyril sneaks downstairs, to examine a large present. That had caught his eye earlier. His sister rises from her hammock a bit later, to talk to the caretaker. Lilly, asks the doctor what is he doing. The Doctor says, he is rewiring his wardrobe. ( The Timelord, is working on the TARDIS’s wiring) Lilly, asks him why he has a police box. The Doctor says he has simply painted a wardrobe he owned.
Cyril has crawled through a gap, in the box. He arrives in a winter wonderland. Imagine the Lampost scene from the Lion the Witch and the Wardobe.
A large silver bauble drops off a tree. Its grows larger and larger. Startled Cyril runs back out of the portal/present back to the house.
However the young lad, recovers his nerve and goes back into the world inside the Christmas box. His Sister and the Timelord, have realized by now, that Cyril is now awake. As a quick investigation of Cyril's hammock reveals. The Doctor and Lilly, follow Cyril through the present. Cyril is 20 minutes ahead of the Doctor, and Lilly, time after all moves differently on different dimensional planes. Lilly, asks are they in fairyland? The Doctor dismisses this suggestion after all, fairyland looks completely different.
The Doctor is annoyed. The plan, was that the Doctor, would give Lilly, and Cyril a trip to the Forest. A treat for them. A nice safe trip for Christmas.
A silver bauble drops off another tree, making Lilly wary. The Doctor points out that yes, Trees are alive. There is a noise, the trees are whispering, as the last of Gailfrey observes, everything happens everywhere.
Madge ( Mom) has been looking for her children. She comes across the box, and crawls inside,
Cyril has made it through the forest, following a pair of footprints. Inside the tower is a statue. Sitting at a foot of set of stairs
Mum is walking through the forest. When a search light, from a walker stops upon her. A voice accusing Mum, of trespass. Out of the Walker, three figures emerge, armed and wearing futuristic Armour. Think of the Space marine figures from war hammer. One of the marines scans, Mum, and tells his corporal, that she is armed.
No she isn't armed. Yes she is armed. The scanners have problems, with natural fibres.
``Sir I think, she is a time traveller'' one of the troops announces. As Mum starts to cry
Cyril starts to walk up the stairs, and reaches the top of the tower. The statue behind Cyril stirs. The Doctor, and Lily have reached the tower. The Doctor is impressed, by the tower. The Tower, was grown, it is a set of closely woven trees.
The Doctor and Lilly, enter, after all people cannot resist a door. That is what brought them here in the first place.
Back to our Space Marines and Mum. I should mention that the chief of the space marines, is Bill Bailey. As Mum, cries she upsets Corporal Van Garr, are you crying demands, his West Country accented commanding officer. The Corporal apologies he has Mother issues. Its all on file, and won't affect his job.
The woman, amongst our Space Marines. Arabella, asks about the visual. So she lowers her gun. Arabella, announces she is respecting Mum, as a woman and is still worried about the visual. A visual which Bailey points out there is no one for there to visualize.
The marines put their guns down. They tell, Mum, that they are from the 54th century, or there about.
Mum stops crying and tells, them, she is from England, in 1941, and there is a war, on, and she points a service revolver, at the three marines....
Bailey, looking at the gun, tells Mum, that nothing she can say or do, would convince me, that you would ever use, that gun. To which Mum replies, she is looking for her children.
The Doctor, is messing around with his sonic, Lilly and Cyril are reunited, however Cyril is sitting on a throne, surrounded by two wooden statues. The Doctor keeps trying with his sonic screwdriver but it does not work on wood. One day this was going happen ! Lilly, is looking at the forest. The Stars are coming out of the trees. Very Human observes the Alien. Crying when your happy.
Mum, is inside the cockpit of the walker. She has had, the woman marine, tie up her comrades. Mum is still trying to find her children. Arabella, announces they can search the forest, scan it for life forms.
Bailey says if there are people out there than God help them. The forest is full of Androzani trees. The finest fuel source in the Universe. The forest is about to be harvested. Satellites are going to rain, down acid upon them.
In the tower, the Doctor and Lilly, and Cyril are looking at the lights, from the trees. The Trees are scared. Cyril sitting on the throne, in the centre of the room. Tells the Doctor, that the trees are afraid of the rain that burns. The Tower, is the escape plan, that the trees devised to escape the slaughter.
The statues, speaking through Cyril. Announce that`` your coming was foretold'' The last of the Time lords is skeptical. ``We waited and you came'' The statues, than announce that the child is weak. The Doctor reaches onto Cyrill's head, which has been an anointed with a wooden crowd. The Doctor picks up the Crown, and it burns his hand. The energy the crown radiates is too strong for the Doctor.
``You are also weak'' the statues announce. Lilly manages to pick up the crown, and handles it easily. You are strong, but you are young.
The rain, is beginning to ravage the forest. The Doctor and Lilly, want to go back through the forest, to the portal. Cyril, demands to know where his mother is? Where is mummy. Doctor, wants to run back, as fast as they can to their home. Cyril refuses, as stubborn as children can be. He will wait for his mother
There is movement from the Forrest. The walker, which the space marines, had told Mum, took years to operate. The Walker, which the marines had beamed out of earlier. The walker which reminded Mum, of a Lancaster bomber's controls. She had been brought up, in one once. Mum, is piloting the walker, back to the tower.
``Caretaker, your fired''
Upon reaching the tower. Mum tells, the time lord, to stay inside the rain is frightful, as the acid burns in her coat indicate. Mum, sees Cyril and Lilly, and her joy is tinged with a telling off, for her children. Than Mum see's the crown. It is beautiful, exclaims mum.
The Doctor investigates the walker. Alas it is a write off. They will all need to find another way to escape the acid rain.
Oh that is marvelous. Mum is transfixed with the crown. ( There is an echo of Miss Hannigan, from the 2009 Christmas special, here )
She is strong, announces the wooden statuary. Ah ha, the Doctor has realized it now. Strong and weak, the base code of the universe. Strong means female, and how does life travel, how else, but in a mother ship!
The top of the tower, has detached from the base. It has become a time ship, the forest escapes the acid rain. The Doctor tells the statues that the forest is now safe. That the Family helped them, and they are under the Time Lords, protection.
The statues tell, Mum that she must concentrate on where she wants to be She can fly the Forest home. We see Mum's life. As a Milkmaid, being pursued her future husband. Her husband, told her, he was going to keep following her, until she married her, and Mum decided to marry him, as she did not want to make a fuss
NO NO NO
Don't show me the night he died. Mum's hand has reached into her pockets and is at the telegram from the War office.
``Please don't make me watch him die!''
Mummy is daddy dead, Mother why are you holding that telegram? What does it say? Where is father? Mum is bombarded by her scared children desperate questions
We see Alexander Armstrong's bomber again, and suddenly lights. There are lights, enough light to guide a plane home, well its worth a chance...
The top of the tower, has left the vortex, and landed with a crash. The Doctor tries to explain, how the Forrest traveled through the Time vortex, and ascended, but that is brushed away by Mum.
The Doctor tries to make a discrete exit, while Mum breaks the news to the Children. The Doctor is told to stay close.
As Mum, tries to tell the tale, of how their best and bravest father was lost.. When the Doctor demands, Mum comes outside.
There is Alexander Armstrong, in an intact bomber, Dad, asks Mum how did he get there. Mum announces, it is Christmas day, where else should he be?
The family, Mum and Dad, Cyril and Lilly settle down to a good Christmas
As the Doctor tries to slip away, in the Tardis. He is accosted by Mum, who recognizes the Tardis, and understands that the Caretaker.. the Doctor finally, as her Angel/Spaceman from that night before the war. You came back, says Mum. Yes, says the Doctor. It got a bit clinchy in the middle, but it worked out well enough, states the Time Lord
Mum asks the Doctor to stay for Christmas. The Doctor says he can't. Ahh thinks Mum, family of your own. The Doctor should be with his family. With his friends than, as the Doctor has no family. They were lost, and his friends think he is dead. Mum, tells the Doctor he should go and see them, they should be without him at Christmas. The Doctor must tell, his friends at once.
Yes Mun, announces, the Doctor. He returns in the Tardis. Dad, comes up the stairs and asks his wife, what the noise is. Just the caretaker returning via the time vortex. I've been there myself, its lovely.
The Doctor knocks on a door, and the beautiful Amy pond- Williams answers. She looks radiant, in long red hair, and a stupid Christmas sweater. Amy is about to drench some carol singers with a super soaker. The Ponds-Williams, knew the Doctor was not dead. River Song, told them.`` She is a good girl'' there is a brief stand off, as the Doctor and Amy want the other to hug first. The happy couple invite the Doctor in, to join the for dinner. There is always a place set for him, after all its Christmas you moron. The Doctor sheds a tear, and closes the door
********
Credits.
Well its a rift on Narnia. Its not bad idea after all the Narnia stories are classics. As a Christmas special you want to avoid too much back story and details, to not to antagonize the casual viewers. Interestingly Neil Gaiman, who also wrote for the show, is not a fan of Narnia. The BBC does period drama well, much better than say SF.
It was a vehicle for Claire Skinner. I think she did a good job. I like outnumbered. She looked older, in this. Less made up, good for her. Its more accurate for the period. Alexander Armstrong, was clever casting. Claire Skinner's Mum character, pulling the gun on the marines, and telling the Doctor to go and see his friends, struck the right note with me.
You get the feeling, that Rory, would have not been happy, about the Doctor leaving a giant present wrapped up for a child, that is a gateway, to an Alien world. A cold Alien world, about to be destroyed
When Mum, put on the crown, I think they echoed the coronation of Miss Hartigan, in the 2008 Christmas special
Intruder alert alarms, are activated and we see the Doctor running down, a corridor. The corridor explodes around him. The Doctor is blown out, into space. ( Thank you Commander data)
For a few moments there is the Batman can breathe in space, trope. The Doctor is in a hard vacuum trying to catch up with a space suit. The Doctor survives a sub orbital skydive, and disturbs Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner, the mum from outnumbered, can live with the fear of typecasting. She inhabits an English idyll. There is a red telephone box, which dates the scene for British viewers, and establishes the scene for the Cousins.
Hello are you hurt? Claire asks, of the Doctor, who is lying in a crater, in a field. Where did you fall from>
I left a vessel in a hurry.
We have a glimpse of Claire Skinners characters home life . She is married to Alex Armstrong. She has a son, and lives in a people’s friend. She has a son Cyril. She is borrowing Mr Goldsmiths. ( Jewish name) Anyway the Doctor is ferried into a car, and brought to a police box. The Doctor, has his impact suits, helmet on backward. The Doctor tries to get into his tardis, however ``having dressed in a hurry’’. The Doctor is temporarily blinded. Claire, here in after referred to as Mum, offers, to let the Doctor into the Tardis. She is very good with a hatpin. While the Doctor relays some technobabble, Mom opens the lock and as the Doctor observes that the last 900 years of Time travel now feel a lot less secure.
We are brought forward a few years. The crew of a Lancaster Bomber, which is piloted by Alexander Armstrong. Yes another piece of clever casting! Anyway the crew of the Bomber is in trouble over the channel. One of their number is wounded, and there instruments are down. The Captain looks at a picture of his wife. ( Mum) and apologizes that he is not going to make it home for Christmas
We are then returned to Mum, who is clutching a telegram from the War Office. She is lying in bed. She has to take her children to an uncle’s house, somewhere in the country.
Mum is accompanied by a daughter and a son. The Son Cyril, is disappointed to be leaving London. The Bombing, is such fun! (This is true apparently; Children enjoyed the noise and the lights. See Hope and Glory)
There is a knock on the door, the family are interrupted by the Doctor. The Doctor is calling himself, the Caretaker, for the rich Uncles house. ( The Uncle is in a home in Battersea)
The Doctor asks, the family, to take their bags, in. There are musical chairs in the drawing room.
The Doctor takes, the family through to the Kitchen, points out the taps, Hot, Cold and Lemonade. (I know!)
I know
The Doctor, than warns his charges to beware of the panthers
Mums, room and then lilly and Cyril’s pad
The doctor lists the wonders, in the Children’s bedroom, it includes, the Magna Charta and Cluedo, as well as a zone of Tranquility and Hammocks.
The Doctor tries to mount a hammock, and does not succeed
Mum, tells the children to leave the room. She has been shouting at the kids, a lot lately
She is upset with the Doctor. She wants the Children to enjoy Christmas, but if she tells them that Christmas is the time, that they learn their father died. Then Christmas will be ruined for the children for the rest of their lives
The Doctor asks what the point of them being happy now, when they’re going to be sad later
The answer of course, is that they’re going to be sad later
Mum tells Cyril and Lilly, that they will stay, though that man, is quite ridiculous and prompted and pestered by her children announces it will be the best Christmas ever
The children are sent to bed. Mum retires clutching her telegram.
Her children cannot sleep. Cyril sneaks downstairs, to examine a large present. That had caught his eye earlier. His sister rises from her hammock a bit later, to talk to the caretaker. Lilly, asks the doctor what is he doing. The Doctor says, he is rewiring his wardrobe. ( The Timelord, is working on the TARDIS’s wiring) Lilly, asks him why he has a police box. The Doctor says he has simply painted a wardrobe he owned.
Cyril has crawled through a gap, in the box. He arrives in a winter wonderland. Imagine the Lampost scene from the Lion the Witch and the Wardobe.
A large silver bauble drops off a tree. Its grows larger and larger. Startled Cyril runs back out of the portal/present back to the house.
However the young lad, recovers his nerve and goes back into the world inside the Christmas box. His Sister and the Timelord, have realized by now, that Cyril is now awake. As a quick investigation of Cyril's hammock reveals. The Doctor and Lilly, follow Cyril through the present. Cyril is 20 minutes ahead of the Doctor, and Lilly, time after all moves differently on different dimensional planes. Lilly, asks are they in fairyland? The Doctor dismisses this suggestion after all, fairyland looks completely different.
The Doctor is annoyed. The plan, was that the Doctor, would give Lilly, and Cyril a trip to the Forest. A treat for them. A nice safe trip for Christmas.
A silver bauble drops off another tree, making Lilly wary. The Doctor points out that yes, Trees are alive. There is a noise, the trees are whispering, as the last of Gailfrey observes, everything happens everywhere.
Madge ( Mom) has been looking for her children. She comes across the box, and crawls inside,
Cyril has made it through the forest, following a pair of footprints. Inside the tower is a statue. Sitting at a foot of set of stairs
Mum is walking through the forest. When a search light, from a walker stops upon her. A voice accusing Mum, of trespass. Out of the Walker, three figures emerge, armed and wearing futuristic Armour. Think of the Space marine figures from war hammer. One of the marines scans, Mum, and tells his corporal, that she is armed.
No she isn't armed. Yes she is armed. The scanners have problems, with natural fibres.
``Sir I think, she is a time traveller'' one of the troops announces. As Mum starts to cry
Cyril starts to walk up the stairs, and reaches the top of the tower. The statue behind Cyril stirs. The Doctor, and Lily have reached the tower. The Doctor is impressed, by the tower. The Tower, was grown, it is a set of closely woven trees.
The Doctor and Lilly, enter, after all people cannot resist a door. That is what brought them here in the first place.
Back to our Space Marines and Mum. I should mention that the chief of the space marines, is Bill Bailey. As Mum, cries she upsets Corporal Van Garr, are you crying demands, his West Country accented commanding officer. The Corporal apologies he has Mother issues. Its all on file, and won't affect his job.
The woman, amongst our Space Marines. Arabella, asks about the visual. So she lowers her gun. Arabella, announces she is respecting Mum, as a woman and is still worried about the visual. A visual which Bailey points out there is no one for there to visualize.
The marines put their guns down. They tell, Mum, that they are from the 54th century, or there about.
Mum stops crying and tells, them, she is from England, in 1941, and there is a war, on, and she points a service revolver, at the three marines....
Bailey, looking at the gun, tells Mum, that nothing she can say or do, would convince me, that you would ever use, that gun. To which Mum replies, she is looking for her children.
The Doctor, is messing around with his sonic, Lilly and Cyril are reunited, however Cyril is sitting on a throne, surrounded by two wooden statues. The Doctor keeps trying with his sonic screwdriver but it does not work on wood. One day this was going happen ! Lilly, is looking at the forest. The Stars are coming out of the trees. Very Human observes the Alien. Crying when your happy.
Mum, is inside the cockpit of the walker. She has had, the woman marine, tie up her comrades. Mum is still trying to find her children. Arabella, announces they can search the forest, scan it for life forms.
Bailey says if there are people out there than God help them. The forest is full of Androzani trees. The finest fuel source in the Universe. The forest is about to be harvested. Satellites are going to rain, down acid upon them.
In the tower, the Doctor and Lilly, and Cyril are looking at the lights, from the trees. The Trees are scared. Cyril sitting on the throne, in the centre of the room. Tells the Doctor, that the trees are afraid of the rain that burns. The Tower, is the escape plan, that the trees devised to escape the slaughter.
The statues, speaking through Cyril. Announce that`` your coming was foretold'' The last of the Time lords is skeptical. ``We waited and you came'' The statues, than announce that the child is weak. The Doctor reaches onto Cyrill's head, which has been an anointed with a wooden crowd. The Doctor picks up the Crown, and it burns his hand. The energy the crown radiates is too strong for the Doctor.
``You are also weak'' the statues announce. Lilly manages to pick up the crown, and handles it easily. You are strong, but you are young.
The rain, is beginning to ravage the forest. The Doctor and Lilly, want to go back through the forest, to the portal. Cyril, demands to know where his mother is? Where is mummy. Doctor, wants to run back, as fast as they can to their home. Cyril refuses, as stubborn as children can be. He will wait for his mother
There is movement from the Forrest. The walker, which the space marines, had told Mum, took years to operate. The Walker, which the marines had beamed out of earlier. The walker which reminded Mum, of a Lancaster bomber's controls. She had been brought up, in one once. Mum, is piloting the walker, back to the tower.
``Caretaker, your fired''
Upon reaching the tower. Mum tells, the time lord, to stay inside the rain is frightful, as the acid burns in her coat indicate. Mum, sees Cyril and Lilly, and her joy is tinged with a telling off, for her children. Than Mum see's the crown. It is beautiful, exclaims mum.
The Doctor investigates the walker. Alas it is a write off. They will all need to find another way to escape the acid rain.
Oh that is marvelous. Mum is transfixed with the crown. ( There is an echo of Miss Hannigan, from the 2009 Christmas special, here )
She is strong, announces the wooden statuary. Ah ha, the Doctor has realized it now. Strong and weak, the base code of the universe. Strong means female, and how does life travel, how else, but in a mother ship!
The top of the tower, has detached from the base. It has become a time ship, the forest escapes the acid rain. The Doctor tells the statues that the forest is now safe. That the Family helped them, and they are under the Time Lords, protection.
The statues tell, Mum that she must concentrate on where she wants to be She can fly the Forest home. We see Mum's life. As a Milkmaid, being pursued her future husband. Her husband, told her, he was going to keep following her, until she married her, and Mum decided to marry him, as she did not want to make a fuss
NO NO NO
Don't show me the night he died. Mum's hand has reached into her pockets and is at the telegram from the War office.
``Please don't make me watch him die!''
Mummy is daddy dead, Mother why are you holding that telegram? What does it say? Where is father? Mum is bombarded by her scared children desperate questions
We see Alexander Armstrong's bomber again, and suddenly lights. There are lights, enough light to guide a plane home, well its worth a chance...
The top of the tower, has left the vortex, and landed with a crash. The Doctor tries to explain, how the Forrest traveled through the Time vortex, and ascended, but that is brushed away by Mum.
The Doctor tries to make a discrete exit, while Mum breaks the news to the Children. The Doctor is told to stay close.
As Mum, tries to tell the tale, of how their best and bravest father was lost.. When the Doctor demands, Mum comes outside.
There is Alexander Armstrong, in an intact bomber, Dad, asks Mum how did he get there. Mum announces, it is Christmas day, where else should he be?
The family, Mum and Dad, Cyril and Lilly settle down to a good Christmas
As the Doctor tries to slip away, in the Tardis. He is accosted by Mum, who recognizes the Tardis, and understands that the Caretaker.. the Doctor finally, as her Angel/Spaceman from that night before the war. You came back, says Mum. Yes, says the Doctor. It got a bit clinchy in the middle, but it worked out well enough, states the Time Lord
Mum asks the Doctor to stay for Christmas. The Doctor says he can't. Ahh thinks Mum, family of your own. The Doctor should be with his family. With his friends than, as the Doctor has no family. They were lost, and his friends think he is dead. Mum, tells the Doctor he should go and see them, they should be without him at Christmas. The Doctor must tell, his friends at once.
Yes Mun, announces, the Doctor. He returns in the Tardis. Dad, comes up the stairs and asks his wife, what the noise is. Just the caretaker returning via the time vortex. I've been there myself, its lovely.
The Doctor knocks on a door, and the beautiful Amy pond- Williams answers. She looks radiant, in long red hair, and a stupid Christmas sweater. Amy is about to drench some carol singers with a super soaker. The Ponds-Williams, knew the Doctor was not dead. River Song, told them.`` She is a good girl'' there is a brief stand off, as the Doctor and Amy want the other to hug first. The happy couple invite the Doctor in, to join the for dinner. There is always a place set for him, after all its Christmas you moron. The Doctor sheds a tear, and closes the door
********
Credits.
Well its a rift on Narnia. Its not bad idea after all the Narnia stories are classics. As a Christmas special you want to avoid too much back story and details, to not to antagonize the casual viewers. Interestingly Neil Gaiman, who also wrote for the show, is not a fan of Narnia. The BBC does period drama well, much better than say SF.
It was a vehicle for Claire Skinner. I think she did a good job. I like outnumbered. She looked older, in this. Less made up, good for her. Its more accurate for the period. Alexander Armstrong, was clever casting. Claire Skinner's Mum character, pulling the gun on the marines, and telling the Doctor to go and see his friends, struck the right note with me.
You get the feeling, that Rory, would have not been happy, about the Doctor leaving a giant present wrapped up for a child, that is a gateway, to an Alien world. A cold Alien world, about to be destroyed
When Mum, put on the crown, I think they echoed the coronation of Miss Hartigan, in the 2008 Christmas special
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