The 'Doctor Who' Christmas Special Tradition Started Earlier Than You Think

In households across the world, a classic Christmas tradition is gathering around the telly, bellies full and spirits merry, to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special. Something about seeing The Doctor win against all odds because he sticks to the values of kindness and love just feels right for the holiday spirit. However, despite many believing that the Christmas special is a modern-day invention from 2005, titled "The Christmas Invasion", when the show was led by David Tennant, the original Christmas special actually aired in 1965 and was the sixteenth episode of Season 3, "The Feast of Steven", as a part of "The Daleks' Master Plan" arc.

The original episode is sadly lost to time, with only the audio and still frames being available, but the episode itself still stands out for just how slapstick it is, as it mostly revolves around the T.A.R.D.I.S. being discovered by police and The Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions running from pursuing actors. Not only this, but the episode includes a massive break in the fourth wall, making it even more notable. So, whilst you may not be able to find this episode in its entirety, this episode is still one to watch if you want to understand some of the slapstick beginnings of the Doctor Who franchise.

What Happens in 'Doctor Who's Christmas Special "The Feast of Steven"?

What is rather impressive about watching this episode is the fact that you do not feel the lack of the full visuals, as many of the fast-paced dialogue and still frames do portray the events quite well. The episode begins with The Doctor and his companions, Sara (Jean Marsh) and Steven (Peter Purves), fleeing the Daleks after stealing their taranium, an incredibly rare resource. The three of them land on what they believe to be a planet with such a polluted environment that only The Doctor can go outside to fix the T.A.R.D.I.S.'s scanner. There are many quips about The Doctor telling Steven to listen to him, and he does quite a good job at portraying The Doctor's otherness, as he makes it very clear he won't be affected by the pollution, delivering the line with a small bit of arrogance that we love about our time-traveling hero.

Very quickly they realize they've landed in London on Christmas Eve, and the police arrest The Doctor, believing "he's a nutter" as they not so eloquently put it. Steven sneaks out of the T.A.R.D.I.S. to steal a police officer's uniform and sneak into the station where The Doctor has been taken, taking the Timelord into his custody, before another police officer arrests Sara, but Steven fails to pull the same trick twice. The trio are pursued and manage to disappear with the T.A.R.D.I.S., only to end up on the set of a film and being chased in a slapstick fashion even more by security guards, with Sara hiding in a box to escape their pursuers. The trio get into the T.A.R.D.I.S. and escape once more, with everyone on set believing it to be an incredible magic trick.

'Doctor Who' Breaks the Fourth Wall in "The Feast of Steven"

Something that is rarely, if ever, seen in most shows, no less than Doctor Who, is the breaking of the fourth wall. However, at the end of "The Feast of Steven", The Doctor and his companions share a toast, having realized they were in London on Christmas. When they toast each other, Hartnell's Doctor turns to the camera and wishes a "Happy Christmas to all of you at home" directly to the audience, as you can see in one of the few surviving frames of the episode above. It's a lovely message that, quite literally, brings the audience into the episode and makes us feel like one of The Doctor's companions in our own right.

Overall, "The Feast of Steven" may not stand the test of time completely and definitely has not literally survived to this day in a complete capacity. However, there are still aspects of this Christmas special that make it just that: special. There is a comedic cat-and-mouse game being played with police and security guards that makes it a joy to watch/listen to. If nothing else, simply the fact it is the original Christmas special makes it worthy of a watch, with the 4th wall break adding a uniqueness to the special that we don't see in other Doctor Who episodes.

Doctor Who is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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