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Ever since Doctor Who's revival in 2005, the Christmas special has become a staple of the show. Although eventual showrunner Chris Chibnall would sideline the special in favor of a New Year's treat in 2018, the 12-year-long run of festivities onboard the TARDIS brought about some of the best holiday TV specials in sci-fi history... and some of the worst, too.
Ever since Chibnall passed the torch back to Russell T. Davies as the new Doctor Who/Disney era began, the Christmas special has been reinstated in all its yuletide glory. In 2024, Ncuti Gatwa's first full flight as TARDIS captain was given the holiday treatment, with his second Christmas special scheduled for this year set to see the arrival of Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan as a one-time companion. So, with all that in mind, here's a ranking of every modern Doctor Who Christmas special based on how fun, memorable, and Whovian it is.
Doctor Who
Release Date March 26, 2005
Seasons 13
14 "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"
(Eleventh Doctor, 2011)
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Sadly, following the incredible 2010 Christmas special proved too much to handle for Steven Moffat and co, with "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" the worst of the modern holiday specials. The episode features Matt Smith's eleventh incarnation as he crash-lands on Earth, meeting a cozy family headed by Claire Skinner's Madge Arwell. Together with her and her children, the Doctor helps solve their father's disappearance during World War II via a trip into a magical forest.
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" commits the cardinal TV sin of being boring. Without much emotional gravitas, this episode fails to capture the only essence of Christmas it was aiming for: sentimentality. Lacking depth and quality, this lazy story simply serves the purpose of helping millions of stuffed Christmas dinner-eaters fall into a mid-afternoon nap.
13 "The Next Doctor"
(Tenth Doctor, 2008)
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At the end of 2008, it was announced that the following year would feature a small selection of feature-length specials as David Tennant made his final bow. The first of these — leaning heavily into the swirling rumors surrounding the show at the time about whom the next Time Lord would be — was "The Next Doctor," a story in which Tennant's Tenth Doctor meets David Morrissey's Jackson Lake, a man who seemingly believes he is also the titular Time Lord.
This episode feels as if the intent to send the fandom into meltdown with the title was the first and only importance before being given the green light. An intriguing initial episode fails to live up to its premise, with Morrissey's characterful Lake never really feeling like a real threat to the rumor mill. A lackluster villain that ranks among the worst in Doctor Who and a botched attempt to reinvigorate the Cybermen leave this episode as one of the worst festive offerings.
12 "The Return of Doctor Mysterio"
(Twelfth Doctor, 2016)
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The rise of the MCU throughout the 2010s was impossible for Doctor Who to ignore, with Moffat choosing to spin his timey-wimey take on the superhero genre with "The Return of Doctor Mysterio." The episode follows Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor and his companion Nardole (Matt Lucas) as they investigate a shady multinational research company, all while becoming entangled in a will-they/won't-they story with a journalist and her superhero nanny.
A two-dimensional take on the superhero genre, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" gives plenty of entertainment despite lacking any real substance. The sci-fi genius Doctor Who is known for is sidelined for superhero likeness, although the episode fails to truly represent either parody or sincere homage to its MCU franchise rivals.
11 "The Snowmen"
(Eleventh Doctor, 2012)
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After meeting the first incarnation of Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), then known as Oswin, in the Season 7 episode "Asylum of the Daleks," the character makes her second appearance in this Christmas special as a Victorian barmaid. Together with Smith's eleventh Doctor, the two do battle with one of the Time Lord's oldest foes, The Great Intelligence (Richard E. Grant).
Although many aspects of this story remain undercooked, such as the titular evil Snowmen, this 2012 festive edition does treat fans to the best incarnation of Clara to date, with the Victorian barmaid a wonderfully confident and entertaining force of nature. Smith's portrayal of the aged version of his Doctor now comes into full fruition, with this episode benefiting from being pivotal to the season that followed it.
10 "The End of Time - Part One"
(Tenth Doctor, 2009)
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For this special two-parter to celebrate the end of Tennant's run as the Tenth Doctor, the second half was a New Year's special episode, leaving this first installment as the singular Christmas outing of 2009. "The End of Time - Part One" follows Tennant's Tenth Doctor as he returns to Earth, running from the prophesized "four knocks" that are augured to spell his doom.
Not only does this episode feature Tennant at his weary best, but "The End of Time - Part One" also features Bernard Cribbins' Wilf in all his adorable glory, with the pair combining for an all-too-brief partnership. Sadly, John Simm's reprisal of his incarnation of The Master is frustratingly goofy, with this episode in particular showcasing the poorest quality of the iconic villain.
9 "The Husbands of River Song"
(Twelfth Doctor, 2015)
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The divergent romance of Alex Kingston's River Song and The Doctor is one of Moffat's greatest creations, with this Christmas special the culmination of seven years of writing. After spending their last adventure together without River really ever knowing, The Twelfth Doctor fulfills his promise of taking her to the planet Darillium and spending one final night together, with their date lasting 24 years.
Although almost all of this episode is unforgettable timey-wimey nonsense — despite a wonderful subversion in which Capaldi gets to play the surprised entrant into the TARDIS — the conclusion to this story and that of River and The Doctor's love is nothing short of beautiful. The gorgeous backdrop of the Singing Towers makes for a breathtaking landscape, perfectly playing host to the last goodbye of one of modern Doctor Who's best characters.
8 "Twice Upon a Time"
(Twelfth Doctor, 2017)
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The end of the Twelfth Doctor's run most likely should've taken place in "World Enough and Time," but, alas, the character hung on for one last trip, meeting up with his former self (David Bradley) in "Twice Upon a Time." At the point at which the two both refuse to regenerate, the pair join forces with a First World War British captain (Mark Gatiss) to go on an adventure into the realities of the afterlife.
Although Moffat's portrayal of The First Doctor is wholly misguided, painting him as a two-dimensional misogynist despite the original character being way ahead of his time, there's still plenty to love about this episode. Whether it's the overly sentimental finale that could only work at Christmas or Capaldi's gorgeous climactic monologue, "Twice Upon a Time" is an episode that lands its most important beats.
7 "The Church on Ruby Road"
(Fifteenth Doctor, 2023)
Image via Disney+
Gatwa's first full adventure as the titular Time Lord came in the 2023 Christmas special, "The Church on Ruby Road." After noticing a young woman, Ruby (Millie Gibson), is being plagued by bad luck, the Doctor suspects foul play, eventually revealing that a flying ship of goblins is out to cause mayhem.
As Doctor Who officially became the property of Disney, the signs slowly became clear that this show was entering a new era. With the energetic, infectious pairing of Gatwa and Gibson taking the lead, Doctor Who became a sing-a-long, whimsical trip in direct contrast to previous showrunner Chibnall's more grounded, kitchen-sink drama approach. For some, this sparked the time to tune out, but for others, this was Doctor Who back to its camp best.
6 "Voyage of the Damned"
(Tenth Doctor, 2007)
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When it was officially announced that the 2007 Doctor Who special was going to feature pop sensation and former Neighbors actress Kylie Minogue, the world was ready to watch, with over 13 million people tuning in to watch in the UK alone. The episode sees Tennant's Tenth Doctor aboard a spaceship version of the Titanic and joining forces with Minogue's Astrid and several other guests as they uncover the dark truth about their trip.
Endlessly fun and featuring Tennant's most iconic speech as the titular Time Lord, "Voyage of the Damned" is how many people love to remember the best of Davies' first stint as showrunner. Exhilarating and unafraid, the episode powers through to its conclusion thanks to a fast-paced script and a powerhouse Tennant performance, supported by an ensemble cast that will forever be one of the modern show's most fondly remembered.
5 "The Time of the Doctor"
(Eleventh Doctor, 2013)
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"Twice Upon a Time" isn't the only Christmas special that spells the end of a lead actor's tenure, with "The Time of the Doctor" Smith's final episode as the Eleventh incarnation. With a message of help beaming across the stars, The Doctor promises to defend the farming town of Christmas, with his number of regenerations out and age finally catching up on him.
One of Smith's finest performances in the lead role, "The Time of the Doctor," is by no means a flawless episode of Doctor Who. However, it is certainly one of the more impactful Christmas specials. Viewers both then and now are kept gripped to the edge of their seats as the desperate, hopeless fight looks all but lost, only for a controversial regeneration-resetting twist to split the fandom down the middle whilst saving the day.
4 "The Runaway Bride"
(Tenth Doctor, 2006)
--Ten-(David-Tennant).jpg)
Image via BBC
Catherine Tate's Donna Noble is widely regarded as Tennant's Tenth Doctor's best companion. In 2006, two years before her full-season run aboard the TARDIS, Tate made her debut in "The Runaway Bride." Beamed unexpectedly aboard his ship, Donna is snatched from walking down the aisle as her wedding day turns into a sci-fi nightmare.
Tate and Tennant's undeniable chemistry is on display from the very first moments of "The Runaway Bride," setting the tone for the genius yet to come. Although this may not be the strongest story of all on this list, "The Runaway Bride" is undoubtedly a wholly entertaining episode packed full of memorable moments, from the birth of the 'Time Lord Victorious' to an incredible TARDIS chase down a freeway.
3 "Last Christmas"
(Twelfth Doctor, 2014)
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What do you get when you cross Alien, Inception, and Doctor Who? The answer is "Last Christmas," the most underrated of all the festive specials. The story follows Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, fresh off the back of spending an entire season asking, "Am I a good man?", joining Clara on a trip to a North Pole base alongside Nick Frost's Santa Claus.
Taking the concept of dreams versus reality and giving it a fresh, festive twist, "Last Christmas" keeps viewers on their toes right from the start. Featuring an excellent supporting cast with Frost's biting Santa a delight, "Last Christmas" is Capaldi at his best, delivering one of the funniest lines of his entire tenure as he scolds the human race for offensively titling a horror film, "Alien." The ending might be rushed due to Coleman's contract situation off-screen, but let that take nothing away from the rest of this brilliant Christmas outing.
2 "The Christmas Invasion"
(Tenth Doctor, 2005)
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Sometimes, the very first is the best. In the modern era, almost no Christmas special has quite captured the Doctor Who spirit as much as "The Christmas Invasion." Fresh off the back of regenerating, the TARDIS crash-lands on Earth and into the arms of Rose's (Billie Piper) family. With The Doctor incapacitated, it is up to the companions and the British government to try and save the Earth from the invading Sycorax.
Leaving the star of the show on the sidelines for most of a major special is an impressively bold move, especially considering this is Tennant's first episode. However, what this choice so cleverly achieves is bringing the audience back into Rose's familiar world, therefore helping ease a long-standing process that was now new to an entire generation of viewers. Fast-forward past a deadly Christmas tree and to Tennant's eventual recovery thanks to some good old British tea, and the episode nails the landing with an epic sword battle and the confirmation that wherever the series was going to go next, it had the perfect man in the driver's seat.
1 "A Christmas Carol"
(Eleventh Doctor, 2010)
The very best of Doctor Who's festive specials was Smith's first. In a clever adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, this episode introduces us to the Scrooge-esque Kazran (Michael Gambon), whose horrid upbringing and loss of love have manipulated him into bitter misery. With the help of a TARDIS trip through time, The Doctor brings back Kazran's Christmas spirit and even addresses those demons that have haunted him ever since his childhood.
A bold, introspective story, Moffat's first Christmas special keeps alive the sci-fi elements of the show but parks the bombast, favoring a character-led, emotionally driven story of change and growth. The role of Kazran is pivotal to the making or breaking of "A Christmas Carol," with the late great Gambon proving to be the perfect fit. Guaranteed to have viewers weeping into their mince pie, this is the peak of Doctor Who's festivities.
NEXT: The 10 Best Modern 'Doctor Who' Season Finales, Ranked
English (US) ·