Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol Review

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol Overview

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/15/2011 Run time: 60 minutes

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol Specifications

Combining the whimsical science fiction of Doctor Who with the Victorian sentimentality of Dickens's A Christmas Carol may seem silly at first glance, but it turns out they're a perfect fit--A Christmas Carol is, after all, already a time-travel story. On a distant planet, the Doctor (Matt Smith) confronts a miserly curmudgeon named Kazran Sardick (the brilliant Michael Gambon, The Singing Detective), who holds the key to the survival of the Doctor's companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), and thousands of others. To crack open this miser's heart, the Doctor decides to take Sardick to Christmases Past, Present, and Future… only these journeys involve a flying shark, a deep-frozen beautiful girl, and some of the funniest dialogue in the entire history of Doctor Who. Written by Steven Moffat, who shepherded the remarkably high-quality fifth season of the show, A Christmas Carol is bursting with clever ideas, gleeful moments of comedy, and a deft bit of genuine sadness. Smith has settled into the role of the Doctor with aplomb, tossing off wild curlicues of rapid-fire thought with boyish zip and sly timing. This is an outstanding episode of an engaging series that deserves a much wider following. Extra features include an excellent making-of documentary and a video of a symphonic concert of music from the series. --Bret Fetzer