Top-Rated Doctor Who Christmas Specials

Which of the many festive-themed episodes from Doctor Who's classic run are considered the best? Keep in mind that the classic run did not have Christmas specials as we know them today. Therefore, the list below will focus on the newer Christmas episodes.

In contrast, Doctor Who's 2005 revival has consistently featured Yuletide-specific adventures from the start, but in recent years, they have shifted their focus and release to New Year's Day. Despite this shift, these New Year's outings are still considered holiday specials and have been included in our list, with the exception of 2020's "Spyfall (Part 1)" which was just a regular episode. Keep reading for our complete rankings of Doctor Who Christmas specials!

16. Revolution of the Daleks

BBC

Despite the presence of fan-favorite rogue Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), "Revolution of the Daleks" fails to escape its ranking as the lowest entry on this list. Even Sex and the City veteran Chris Noth is wasted as the generic evil tycoon Jack Robertson.

Admittedly, the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) second New Year's special has its positives. The core concept of Daleks converted to drones is a valiant, albeit unsubtle, attempt at social commentary. However, the special is ultimately too busy for its emotional epilogue to fully land, which is a real shame.

15. The Return of Doctor Mysterio

BBC

"The Return of Doctor Mysterio" presents a captivating premise: the Twelfth Doctor encounters a superhero. The 2016 Christmas special of Doctor Who skillfully navigates and parodies the conventions of superhero stories, providing entertainment for fans. However, it also highlights the limitations of the long-standing franchise. While Doctor Who and MCU-style blockbusters share similarities, they ultimately diverge in nature. It's akin to trying to merge roast turkey and pudding - they are best enjoyed separately.

14. Eve of the Daleks

BBC

The 2022 New Year’s Special "Eve of the Daleks" is decent, but somewhat forgettable. Despite the inclusion of Daleks, time loops, and entertaining guest appearances by Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon, the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on filming is evident. To his credit, then-showrunner Chris Chibnall makes the best of the limitations, but seeing Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor exploring a storage facility in Manchester falls short of the typical Doctor Who experience.

13. Resolution

BBC

The holiday special "Resolution" is the most grandiose of the Jodie Whittaker-era Doctor Who specials, and it is considered the best one. The stakes and scope of the Thirteenth Doctor’s first New Year’s Day adventure are appropriately monumental, making "Resolution" feel deserving of the extended format.

Any shortcomings in the special mainly stem from the choice of villain. At the time of "Resolution," the Daleks were featured prominently in Doctor Who's history, which diminished their impact in this episode. However, former showrunner Chris Chibnall does offer a fresh take on these classic antagonists.

12. The Husbands of River Song

BBC

Peter Capaldi's second Christmas special, "The Husbands of River Song," finally addresses the Doctor's legendary last meeting with River Song (Alex Kingston). It effectively ties up loose ends while delivering a compelling standalone story.

However, the special is held back by its main characters. While Capaldi and Kingston give strong performances, they lack the dynamic chemistry that Kingston had with Capaldi's predecessor, Matt Smith. It's not a fatal flaw, but it prevents the 2015 Doctor Who Christmas special from reaching its full potential.

11. The Next Doctor

BBC

David Tennant's initial time in the TARDIS presents an impressive array of Doctor Who Christmas specials. Despite this, "The Next Doctor" from 2008 is considered the weakest of them all. As indicated by its title, the episode involves the Tenth Doctor (Tennant) meeting his apparent successor in 1850s London.

Although the premise is promising, it is somewhat undermined by the audience's knowledge (even in 2008) that David Morrissey's character, Jackson Lake, cannot be who he claims to be. On a positive note, "The Next Doctor" features a colossal mecha Cyberman and Velile Tshabalala as a delightful temporary companion.

10. The Runaway Bride

BBC

"The Runaway Bride" offers plenty to appreciate. David Tennant's second Doctor Who Christmas special introduces Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and features unforgettable killer Santa robots.

On the other hand, the villain, the Racnoss Empress (Sarah Parish), falls short and is little more than a visually appealing design. Additionally, Russell T Davies had yet to fully develop Donna's character, leading to occasional obnoxiousness in her portrayal.

9. Twice Upon a Time

BBC

"Twice Upon a Christmas" marks Peter Capaldi's final appearance as the Twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who Christmas specials. It is a triumphant swansong for Capaldi and outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat, featuring moving monologues and touching cameos. The addition of David Bradley as the First Doctor is an inspired choice from "An Adventure in Space and Time." However, Moffat's over-complicated plotting takes away some of the shine from an otherwise great special.

8. Voyage of the Damned

BBC

David Tennant's third festive-themed outing, "Voyage of the Damned," is like James Cameron's Titanic in space at Christmas. This Doctor Who Christmas special offers a whimsical take on the disaster movie formula, delivering thrilling, funny, and disarmingly emotional moments. It also introduces a worthy foe to Doctor Who’s rogues’ gallery: the eerie, angelic Host. The only downside is that Kylie Minogue is slightly underwhelming as companion Astrid, but this is not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the 2007 episode.

7. The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe

BBC

Matt Smith’s second Doctor Who Christmas special takes inspiration from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and delivers a fairytale magic with a poignant storyline about a World War II soldier’s wife and her kids. While the 2011 special teeters on sentimentality, its pure intentions and skillful execution make it difficult to criticize, aside from perhaps Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir's underutilized roles.

6. A Christmas Carol

BBC

The Doctor Who Christmas special featuring Matt Smith, based on the classic "A Christmas Carol," draws inspiration from Charles Dickens’s novella. The 2010 production succeeds, largely due to Michael Gambon's portrayal of Scrooge, Karzan. The episode also offers a delightful blend of imaginative absurdity, with flying sharks and entertaining musical sequences. Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins makes a guest appearance, though her acting performance is less noteworthy.

5. The End of Time

BBC

David Tennant's departure as the headliner of Doctor Who is marked by the two-part special "The End of Time," which sends him off in a grand style. The special, with its sweeping scope, resolves many ongoing plot points and features numerous cameo appearances by Tennant's former co-stars.

While the sci-fi logic may be a bit strained and the life-draining powers of The Master (John Simm) border on goofy, the sheer emotion involved in the special steamrolls these and other minor quibbles, much like the best of Russell T Davies' original run.

4. Last Christmas

BBC

"Last Christmas" combines elements of Inception and Alien, with the added twist of Santa Claus. The result is a delightful Doctor Who Christmas special that may push the boundaries of the dream-within-a-dream, but is ultimately quite enjoyable. Nick Frost shines as Santa, and the bittersweet message about the fleeting nature of Christmas is particularly moving in the late scenes with the Twelfth Doctor and Clara.

3. The Time of the Doctor

BBC

"The Time of the Doctor" functions as both a Doctor Who Christmas special and a farewell to its main star, Matt Smith. This installment beautifully represents showrunner Steven Moffat's fairytale influence through the Eleventh Doctor's legendary "Man Who Stayed for Christmas" status. However, casual viewers may feel a bit lost due to its heavy reliance on Doctor Who continuity. Despite this, fans of the show will appreciate the emotional resolution to the timeless question, "Doctor Who?"

2. The Snowmen

BBC

Doctor Who's best Christmas special featuring Matt Smith, "The Snowmen," pits the Eleventh Doctor against a swarm of unfriendly Frosties. Even better, this 2012 adventure partners him with Jenna Coleman's Clara, resulting in plenty of lively banter to counteract the scary snowmen. Though the classic Doctor Who villain, the Great Intelligence (played by Ian McKellen), is underutilized here and the villain's evil scheme is overly complicated, the delight of seeing the Doctor and Clara explore the Victorian era with Vastra, Jenny, and Strax makes up for it.

1. The Christmas Invasion

BBC

Doctor Who Christmas specials often serve as goodbyes, but "The Christmas Invasion" serves as a welcome. The 2006 holiday special introduced David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in full force, after his brief appearance at the end of Series 1.

And what an introduction it was! "The Christmas Invasion" was packed with rogue robot Santas, mind-controlling aliens, and thrilling sword fights in the sky above London. Tennant immediately shines as the Doctor, exuding charisma even as he saves the day in his pajamas!

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Editor's P/S

As a hard fan of Doctor Who, I have mixed feelings about the recent Christmas specials. While some episodes, such as "Resolution" and "The Husbands of River Song," have managed to capture the essence of the holiday season and provide thrilling sci-fi adventures, others have fallen short of expectations.

The lower-ranked episodes, like "Revolution of the Daleks" and "Eve of the Daleks," suffer from weak storylines, uninspired villains, and a lack of emotional depth. The shift in focus from traditional Christmas specials to New Year's outings has also been a point of contention among fans, as it disrupts the festive atmosphere associated with the holiday season.