Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges
- Publication: Postmedia News
- Date: 2010-12-26
- Author: Chris Lackner
- Page:
- Language: English
Eleven doctors in, and it's a wonder no one has ever tried it before. This Boxing Day, witness a TV marriage between Doctor Who and Charles Dickens in Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol.
The episode tagline is "Time can be re-written," and no one knows that better than Doctor Who (played in his 11th incarnation by the young Matt Smith) — and no one needs to he taught that lesson more than the Scrooges of the world.
The episode offers a clever time-travelling, sci-fi re-jig of the holiday classic, as our favourite Time Lord has to save the soul of a lonely, rich man in order to save his friends, Rory (Arthur Darvill) and the always delightful Amy (Karen Gillan), who happen to find themselves on a crashing spaceship.
The "Scrooge" in this case is Kazran Sardick, an old miser who rules a city called Sardicktown and controls a machine that can save the plummeting space vessel.
In order to get him to deploy it, the good doctor needs to help Sardick learn that life is indeed worth living, and take him back to a time when he had a heart.
As executive producer and writer Steven Moffat said recently: "It's all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon.
"I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything," he added. "I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much, they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically."
Gillan recently told the Sydney Morning Herald that Doctor Who is the perfect fit for the holiday season: "Doctor Who is the ultimate family show — everyone can watch it," she said.
"Adults feel a bit of ownership about it because they know the history of the show and so do children. Christmas is about spending time with people you love and this episode is so Christmas-y."
As Doctor Who tells Sardick at one pivotal moment in the episode: "Whatever happens tonight, remember, you brought it on yourself."
You won't regret bringing Doctor Who on yourself tonight. Rine in for the Canadian debut of this BBC special.
6 p.m., SPACE Three to see:
Caption: Michael Gambon, Matt Smith and Katherine Jenkins in a Dickensian Christmas scene.
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- APA 6th ed.: Lackner, Chris (2010-12-26). Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges. Postmedia News .
- MLA 7th ed.: Lackner, Chris. "Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges." Postmedia News [add city] 2010-12-26. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Lackner, Chris. "Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges." Postmedia News, edition, sec., 2010-12-26
- Turabian: Lackner, Chris. "Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges." Postmedia News, 2010-12-26, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_takes_on_world%27s_Scrooges | work=Postmedia News | pages= | date=2010-12-26 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_takes_on_world%27s_Scrooges | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 April 2025}}</ref>
- Title: Dr. Who takes on world's Scrooges
- Publication: Times Colonist
- Date: 2010-12-26
