Our take
A loud, quick, very funny hour that pairs a grieving hero with a bride who will not stop shouting, and makes the clash work. The motorway chase still impresses. Catherine Tate's furious temp starts as a comic turn and ends as someone you want back, which is exactly what happened; Sarah Parish's spider villain goes gloriously over the top, buried under four hours of make-up.
What happens
Still grieving for Rose, the Doctor is startled when a bride appears inside the TARDIS. Donna Noble was walking down the aisle on Christmas Eve when she vanished, and she is outraged to find herself whisked into space. Getting her back to her wedding proves hard: robot Santas return, she is kidnapped in a taxi, which sets off a chase with the TARDIS along a motorway, and the reception is attacked by Christmas baubles that explode. The trouble turns on huon particles, an ancient energy also found at the heart of the TARDIS, and on her fiance Lance, who has betrayed her. The trail leads to a secret base hidden beneath a London landmark, taken over from Torchwood, where the Empress of the Racnoss, a giant spider, plans to wake her children concealed at the centre of the Earth so they can feed on humanity. Along the way the Doctor shows Donna the dawn of creation. He uses the River Thames to wash the spiders away, and the Empress's ship is shot down by a tank commander acting on the orders of a Mr Saxon. Invited to travel with the Doctor, Donna decides to stay at home, a better woman for the day.
Can the kids watch it?
Suits most children from about eight; a giant spider villain and a few jumps are the scariest bits.
Cast and crew
Starring
- David Tennant as The Doctor
- Catherine Tate as Donna Noble
- Sarah Parish as The Empress
Writer
- Russell T Davies