# Doctor Who Christmas Special 2011 - The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe



## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

That was nice. I really enjoyed this year's Christmas special. I was hoping the kids would get to see the Tardis do its thing though.

I downloaded an hd torrent and transferred it to my TiVo. It looked really good. I recorded the BBCA version too but their onscreen graphics are much more obnoxiously obnoxious than BBC One's.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

That was sappy, sentimental claptrap.

But in a surprisingly good way.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

I'm having cable issues (and company was closed for the holidays) so we missed it. Since I hardly ever do torrents I always forget exactly what to do. I have uTorrent already. Question is...where does one find the torrent in order to start downloading? 

I've looked a couple of places I think I've used before but I can't seem to find this particular episode and a few other places I've seen look a bit dodgy. Can someone point me in the right direction?


----------



## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

Jstkiddn said:


> I'm having cable issues (and company was closed for the holidays) so we missed it. Since I hardly ever do torrents I always forget exactly what to do. I have uTorrent already. Question is...where does one find the torrent in order to start downloading?
> 
> I've looked a couple of places I think I've used before but I can't seem to find this particular episode and a few other places I've seen look a bit dodgy. Can someone point me in the right direction?


Try googling "Doctor Who Christmas 2011"


----------



## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> That was sappy, sentimental claptrap.
> 
> But in a surprisingly good way.


HA! and I agree 100%, it was schmaltzy sentimental claptrap, and I enjoyed every minute.


----------



## JoBeth66 (Feb 15, 2002)

I just found it ok. I really am trying to like Matt Smith, and this may be one of his best episodes - but for me, that's not saying much. Not one I'd go out of my way to re-watch, and sadly, that sums up this entire last season.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 8, 2008)

Steven Moffat has an incredible knack for pulling out happy endings in the most amazing ways. The guy is a genius. He may be the best screenwriter on TV today.


----------



## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

[email protected] said:


> Steven Moffat has an incredible knack for pulling out happy endings in the most amazing ways. The guy is a genius. He may be the best screenwriter on TV today.


I kind of felt the opposite, and expected a variation on that exact ending as soon as the guy "died".

Z


----------



## kmccbf (Mar 9, 2002)

I found the opening pre-credits a bit confusing, but after that it was fun. Not a bad Christmas show. However not one of my favorites.


----------



## JohnB1000 (Dec 6, 2004)

Pretty good but nowhere near as good as last years (which I watched earlier in the day). Not as good, or deep, as the whole season.

The saddest thing was not having the "coming soon" at the end like they did last year. Watching that, having seen the whole season, was interesting.


----------



## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

zordude said:


> I kind of felt the opposite, and expected a variation on that exact ending as soon as the guy "died".
> 
> Z


I'm not sure the outcome was supposed to be much of a surprise, and not being a surprise didn't seem to diminish it at all. We all kinda knew what was coming one way or another, if only because not ending it that way would have been one hell of a depressing way to wrap up a Christmas special.

From the moment the Doctor told the widow how to fly the sphere, I personally expected them to end up landing with a plan crashed halfway through the dome, having intersected it in flight. Same idea.

Honestly, I'd rank it above last year, not that I disliked last year.


----------



## SnakeEyes (Dec 26, 2000)

Loved the ending, fun episode. But really I'm not surprised anymore, Moffat is so good.

I was more surprised by the fact that the new AbFab was really funny.


----------



## JohnB1000 (Dec 6, 2004)

kdmorse said:


> Honestly, I'd rank it above last year, not that I disliked last year.


----------



## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

It was OK. Not thrilling but OK. Now that I understand that this is a thing shown in GB for children it makes sense.


----------



## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

sieglinde said:


> It was OK. Not thrilling but OK. Now that I understand that this is a thing shown in GB for children it makes sense.


Well, it's more of what is considered a "family" or all-ages show. ("The Sarah Jane Adventures" was the children's show "version" of Doctor Who.)


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

Watched it On Demand since I don't get the HD version of the channel, but On Demand is HD. I wish closed captioning worked with on demand as I couldn't understand some lines, but whatever. 

It was okay, not great, but okay. No real plot to speak of. It was basically a feel good story. No where near as good as last year's though which had story and emotion.


----------



## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

If she was thinking strongly about "home," shouldn't the destination have been their permanent home, not the place where they were staying temporarily?


----------



## dtle (Dec 12, 2001)

kmccbf said:


> I found the opening pre-credits a bit confusing, but after that it was fun.


I had to re-watch the ending of last season, and the Doc says he's gotten too popular, he has to lie low for awhile. Next thing we saw him is escaping a spaceship being blown up. Not exactly lying low.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

dtle said:


> I had to re-watch the ending of last season, and the Doc says he's gotten too popular, he has to lie low for awhile. Next thing we saw him is escaping a spaceship being blown up. Not exactly lying low.


At least he made sure to blow up the ship so that no one survived to speak of his return.


----------



## Linnemir (Apr 7, 2009)

Sentimental? Yes! Feel-good? Definitely! Predictable? Yeah, but better we predict happy endings than tragic ones ...

I'd checked On Demand on Monday and didn't see this; figured comcast had struck again. So many many thanks to Morac, as that comment led me to try the on demand menu again and get the ep on its last day!

This was a funny Christmas season for me. None of my usual 'get in the spirit' tools worked (White Christmas, carols, the whole gamut). THIS finally put me in the Christmas spirit!


----------



## whitson77 (Nov 10, 2002)

We liked it, but I thought last year was better.


----------



## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

trainman said:


> If she was thinking strongly about "home," shouldn't the destination have been their permanent home, not the place where they were staying temporarily?


Good point - although if you were thinking of your loved one in a burning Lancaster flying over the Channel - home would begin at the White Cliffs of Dover.


----------



## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

Anyone know if there was a Confidential for this episode?

I always watch the episode, then the Confidential back to back.

They've had Confidentials for the previous Christmas specials, IIRC.


phox


----------



## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

As far as I know no Confidential for this episode - for sure it was announced that there would be no Confidentials for the next season.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I think they stopped doing Confidentials...that is, I know they are going to stop doing them, and this is technically part of the new season, so I assume this would be the stopping point.


----------



## pteronaut (Dec 26, 2009)

The final episode of Confidential was for the season finale:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110928_01


----------



## SnakeEyes (Dec 26, 2000)

Linnemir said:


> Sentimental? Yes! Feel-good? Definitely! Predictable? Yeah, but better we predict happy endings than tragic ones ...


Yep pretty much my thoughts as well. Again, the more surprising thing to me on Christmas was that the new AbFab was funny.


----------



## BitbyBlit (Aug 25, 2001)

I agree that last year's special was better than the main plot of this one, although I still liked this one. But the last five minutes was one of my favorite moments in Doctor Who history.

Taken alone, there wasn't much there. But when put into the context of everything the Doctor, Amy, and Rory have been through, that reunion was amazing. And then to have that reunion culminate in the Doctor, the one who lost his home and before that never really felt at home, finding out that they reserved a spot for him each year...What an amazing gift for him to receive.

Merry Christmas Doctor.


----------



## IndyJones1023 (Apr 1, 2002)

My allergies were really kicking up at the end.


----------



## kmccbf (Mar 9, 2002)

A lot of the Confidential type of footage seems to be posted on the Doctor Who offical facebook page.


----------



## ADent (Jan 7, 2000)

It was like many recent episodes - fun and engrossing, but not so great when you think about it.

Really a wooden time machine powered by (and only by) a Mom?


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

ADent said:


> Really a wooden time machine powered by (and only by) a Mom?


That's the Power of Love.


----------



## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

ADent said:


> It was like many recent episodes - fun and engrossing, but not so great when you think about it.
> 
> Really a wooden time machine powered by (and only by) a Mom?


Well to be fair she did have all the souls from a a magical forest inside her too.


----------



## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

vertigo235 said:


> Well to be fair she did have all the souls from a a magical forest inside her too.


And it was Christmas. All normal rules are suspended on Christmas.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

JoBeth66 said:


> I just found it ok. I really am trying to like Matt Smith, and this may be one of his best episodes - but for me, that's not saying much. Not one I'd go out of my way to re-watch, and sadly, that sums up this entire last season.


I just marathoned my way through Doctors 9, 10 & 11. I am also having a tough time with Matt Smith. He is so odd looking and effeminate in his body language that it puts me off when a female character refers to him as "sexy" or "hot". 

David Tennant had great hair (including sideburns and expressive eyebrows -- reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in his Dirty Harry days), but Eccleston and Smith have more skeletal facial features. Eccleston's ears and nose were the subject of mockery in the dialogue throughout his Series, but Smith has big bony brows with little paralyzed doggie-eyebrows, and that mop of hair which always looks like it needs a good washing.

9, 10 & 11 are each distinct, and you do see some carryovers in some of their mannerisms, but Smith seems much more flamboyant.

I like the newer monsters/aliens. Hated the Slitheens. Really tired of the Daleks.

I am impressed with the SFX on this weekly production.

Looking forward to staying current with the new Series.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

getreal said:


> I just marathoned my way through Doctors 9, 10 & 11. I am also having a tough time with Matt Smith. He is so odd looking and effeminate in his body language that it puts me off when a female character refers to him as "sexy" or "hot".


I'm a girl (actually middle aged woman) and I think he's cute as can be.


----------



## JoBeth66 (Feb 15, 2002)

Jstkiddn said:


> I'm a girl (actually middle aged woman) and I think he's cute as can be.


I am as well, and I don't find him remotely attractive - he's very odd-looking.

However, you've said above he's 'cute as can be'.

Do you think he's sexy? Would you call him 'hot'?

Even if you think he's cute, there's no way you can get 'sexy' or 'hot' from Matt Smith.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

JoBeth66 said:


> I am as well, and I don't find him remotely attractive - he's very odd-looking.
> 
> However, you've said above he's 'cute as can be'.
> 
> ...


I get what you are saying. Maybe he's not 'sexy' or 'hot' in the truest sense of the word, but I find him attractive in his own way. He's precious.

Gads, I feel like a dirty old woman! I'm almost old enough to be his mother.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

I hear tell that confidence is pretty sexy.

I imagine that 950 years of confidence plus a time machine is pretty damn sexy.


----------



## Bryanmc (Sep 5, 2000)

I like Matt Smith. I think he's my favorite doctor of the new batch.


----------



## JoBeth66 (Feb 15, 2002)

Jstkiddn said:


> I get what you are saying. Maybe he's not 'sexy' or 'hot' in the truest sense of the word, but I find him attractive in his own way. He's precious.


Eh. I much prefer Tennant. Though I was a huge Davison fan back in the day. 



> Gads, I feel like a dirty old woman! I'm almost old enough to be his mother.


You could look at it as he's 950, so it's all good. 

My oldest son is only 4 years younger than him. So yeah, I'm almost old enough to be his mom too.


----------



## IndyJones1023 (Apr 1, 2002)

Bryanmc said:


> I like Matt Smith. I think he's my favorite doctor of the new batch.


From the new era, I'd rank them thusly:

1) Tennant
3) Smith
4) Eccleston


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I'd go:

Smith
Eccleston
Tennant

Which isn't to say that Tennant wasn't good. Just that the other two were better.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

With exception of a tiny dabble with Tom Baker when I was a teen, I've only had three doctors. (WOW, does that sound dirty or what?!?!)

Both times they have changed to a new doctor I swear I'm going to hate him. It happened the first second I laid eyes on Tennant and it happened again with Smith. I always want the old doctor back.

Then, strangely enough, I find myself drawn in and the new one is my favorite.  I don't know what I'll do if and when they have one that I really don't grow to love.


----------



## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

Tennant is definitely the best of the modern era for me. Both Smith and Eccleston have things about their performances that definitely turn me off.


----------



## sieglinde (Aug 11, 2002)

LOL, for once we aren't having a discussion about girl's ****. 

I don't find him attractive for several reasons but he would be an engaging person to meet and to talk with. 1. He looks rather odd. 2. He is not very handsome though not ugly. 3. He acts rather immature until you get to know him.


----------



## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

JoBeth66 said:


> Eh. I much prefer Tennant. *Though I was a huge Davison fan back in the day.*
> 
> You could look at it as he's 950, so it's all good.
> 
> My oldest son is only 4 years younger than him. So yeah, I'm almost old enough to be his mom too.


I really find this surprising as I thought of Davison as the worst doctor, and I have seen them all, not much of the first two, but yes, all of them.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

Church AV Guy said:


> I really find this surprising as I thought of Davison as the worst doctor, and I have seen them all, not much of the first two, but yes, all of them.


Worse than Colin?!

wow.


----------



## Timbeau (May 31, 2002)

I'd go with:

Smith
Eccleston
Tennant

but I really should list them like this:

the 11th Doctor
the 9th Doctor
the 10th Doctor

because I think it's the written for character that makes a difference to me more than the actor himself. I really like the episodes that Smith and Eccleston played in much more than the ones Tennant was in.

But I suppose it could be the companions that really make the difference -- boobs ya know.


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Well, don't forget that the Doctor has had boobs too:


----------



## JoBeth66 (Feb 15, 2002)

Jstkiddn said:


> With exception of a tiny dabble with Tom Baker when I was a teen, I've only had three doctors. (WOW, does that sound dirty or what?!?!)


I've watched since Pertwee. Tom Baker was my favorite of the 'original' doctors, but Davison was adorable. Colin Baker was awful, and Sylvester McCoy killed it for me.

Of the new ones, I'd put it:

Tennant
Eccleston

Smith

I just don't like him. I hate that I don't like him, but there ya go.


----------



## JoBeth66 (Feb 15, 2002)

Church AV Guy said:


> I really find this surprising as I thought of Davison as the worst doctor, and I have seen them all, not much of the first two, but yes, all of them.


No way. Baker (Colin) and McCoy were far, far far worse than Davison.

But I was coming off of 'All Creatures Great & Small', and Davison was just dreamy there, it carried over for me. 

I started really watching with Pertwee, as I mentioned above - though I've seen some Hartnell and Troughton episodes. I was a member of the DWFCA for most of my formative years, and did the Con thing throughout middle school & high school.


----------



## IDSmoker (Apr 11, 2004)

morac said:


> Watched it On Demand since I don't get the HD version of the channel, but On Demand is HD.* I wish closed captioning worked with on demand as I couldn't understand some lines, but whatever.*


This is why I find myself using BT for any BBC show I want to watch. The closed captioning is the only way I can follow the dialogue sometimes.

Now if there were just some simple way to transfer the video over to my S3 with the CC intact, without having to go through a painful re-muxing process (at least that's what I think the process is called... it's been awhile since the last time I tried). As it is, I've gotten used to watching such shows on my computer.


----------



## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

Langree said:


> Worse than Colin?!
> 
> wow.





JoBeth66 said:


> No way. Baker (Colin) and McCoy were far, far far worse than Davison.
> 
> But I was coming off of 'All Creatures Great & Small', and Davison was just dreamy there, it carried over for me.
> 
> I started really watching with Pertwee, as I mentioned above - though I've seen some Hartnell and Troughton episodes. I was a member of the DWFCA for most of my formative years, and did the Con thing throughout middle school & high school.


Well, it's a matter of what you like and don't like. I thought Davison was the worse than Colin or McCoy. It MIGHT be that I thought the companions under Davison were the worst batch over all the series. I have seen every episode from Spearhead form Space on, and Teegan, Turlough, and Adric (Nyssa was the only one that was okay) were just not enjoyable to watch. Mel was awful too, luckily very short lived.


----------



## pteronaut (Dec 26, 2009)

I don't know, I thought Peri was hot.










She hasn't aged well though.


----------



## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

That group I mentioned were the worst BATCH. Yes, Peri WAS hot!


----------



## pteronaut (Dec 26, 2009)

Church AV Guy said:


> Well, it's a matter of what you like and don't like. I thought Davison was the worse than Colin or McCoy. *It MIGHT be that I thought the companions under Davison were the worst batch over all the series*. I have seen every episode from Spearhead form Space on, and Teegan, Turlough, and Adric (Nyssa was the only one that was okay) were just not enjoyable to watch. Mel was awful too, luckily very short lived.


Looks like you were grouping all of them with that sentence.


----------



## ThePennyDropped (Jul 5, 2006)

JoBeth66 said:


> I am as well, and I don't find him remotely attractive - he's very odd-looking.
> 
> However, you've said above he's 'cute as can be'.
> 
> ...


Tennant was/is 'hot' and cute, too.
Eccleston did nothing for me. 
Smith is too dopey looking, almost cartoonish, to be 'hot'. I am enjoying the Smith episodes, but not nearly as much as the Tennant ones.


----------



## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

He looks too much like Odo.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

sieglinde said:


> LOL, for once we aren't having a discussion about girl's ****.


That raises a couple of excellent points.

Of the modern era, how would y'all rank the companion's ****?

I think I'd have to go with:

1. Donna
2. River
3. Rose
4. Amy
5. Martha


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

busyba said:


> That raises a couple of excellent points.


I see what you did there


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

Men!


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Ooo... not a companion _per se_, but the chick who ran Torchwood at Canary Wharf had a pretty nice rack on display.


----------



## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

busyba said:


> Ooo... not a companion _per se_, but the chick who ran Torchwood at Canary Wharf had a pretty nice rack on display.


Not a companion - a daughter, but...










And big racks are not the only fruit >


----------



## edc (Mar 24, 2002)

pgogborn said:


> Not a companion - a daughter, but...


In the truest statement of the Electra Complex, she is not only the Doctor's daughter, but his wife too 

(i.e.: Georgia Moffett is the daughter of Peter Davison, and the wife of David Tennant)


----------



## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

busyba said:


> That raises a couple of excellent points.
> 
> Of the modern era, how would y'all rank the companion's ****?
> 
> ...


For me:

River
Rose
Rory
Amy
Martha
Donna

Not counting Parttimers.

Original doctors:
Tom Baker
Pertwee
Davison

New doctors
Tennant
Smith
Eccleston (not enough work)


----------



## lambertman (Dec 21, 2002)

^^

I think this is where Dick Clark would yell "READ IT AGAIN!" from offstage


----------



## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

TonyD79 said:


> For me:
> 
> River
> Rose
> ...


For me:

Rose
River
Amy/Rory (I don't think they can or should be listed separately)
Donna
Martha

Not counting Parttimers.

New doctors
Tennant
Smith
Eccleston

Haven't seen enough of the classic Doctors... what very little I've seen, I'm somewhat partial to Davison.

I was not at all a fan of Martha. Nothing against the actress, I just thought the character wasn't very good at all. As far as Smith vs. Eccleston, I actually liked Eccleston's interpretation of the Doctor, but I think that off-camera events influenced his on-camera performance, not for the better. That alone pushed him below Smith for me, even though I'm not that fond of Smith either.


----------



## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

pteronaut said:


> I don't know, I thought Peri was hot.


Peri was smokin' hot. Smokin', I say.


----------



## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

busyba said:


> That raises a couple of excellent points.
> 
> Of the modern era, how would y'all rank the companion's ****?
> 
> ...


If this list were of the recent companions I'd most want to see naked, I'd say:

1. Martha
2. River
3. Rose
4. Amy
5. Rory
6. The rest of humanity
7. Donna


----------



## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

My ranking -

1) Eccleston 
2) Tennant




3) Smith


----------



## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

So, no love for Jackie Tyler's rack


----------



## pteronaut (Dec 26, 2009)

They've been better. 










NSFW


Spoiler


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

No fair bringing Georgia Moffett into the mix!!!


----------

