But for the most part, these “Sister Swap” holiday telefilms feature two different stories… and as mentioned, “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday” focuses on Jennifer Swift, “Sister Swap: Christmas in the City” focuses on Meg Swift. Both are romantic holiday films, both are very different but at the same time, both are enjoyable. I definitely applaud everyone involved in the making of the two films and trying something different for the holidays! Recommended!
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TITLE: Doctor Who (Season 2, Episode 1 – The Christmas Invasion)
FILM YEAR: 2005
DURATION: 59 minutes
COMPANY: BBC
Directed by James Hawes
Written by Russell T. Davies, Sydney Newman
Producer: Phil Collinson
Executive Producer: Russel T. Davies, Julie Gardner
Music by Murray Gold
Cinematography by Ernest Vincze
Edited by Liana Del Giudice
Casting by Andy Pryor
Production Design by Edward Thomas
Art Direction by Stephen Nicholas
Set Decoration by Julian Luxton
Costume Design by Louise Page
Starring:
David Tennant as The Doctor
Billie Piper as Rose Tyler
Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler
Noel Clarke as Mickey Smith
Penelope Wilton as Harriet Jones
Daniel Evans as Danny Llewellyn
Adam Garcia as Alex
Sean Gilder as Sycorax Leader
Anita Briem as Sally
For holiday telefilm #58, I mentioned that I wanted to watch the “Doctor Who” holiday films and for the final one of 2023, I go back to the 2005 “Doctor Who” which features the first episode of the David Tennant as The Doctor.
In this holiday film, the Doctor (portrayed by David Tennant) and Rose (portrayed by Billie Piper) have been away from Earth for over a year and now the two end up arriving back to Earth in which her mother Jackie (portrayed by Camille Coduri) and her boyfriend Mickey (portrayed by Noel Clarke) hear the Tardus and quickly go outside to see if they have arrived.
To their surprise, the Doctor they last saw, is not the same doctor and even Rose is perplexed and saddened. Not knowing who this Doctor is because he looks different but he acts as he knows them. But the Doctor is not well and now he is in a state of slumber.
Meanwhile, as Rose and Mickey are together and walking through the town during Christmas, there are those in Christmas outfits with creepy masks that try to attack her. While they manage to escape, they get home but then Rose, Jackie and Mickey are attacked by a killer Christmas tree.
The Doctor awakens to save them but collapses as he still needs to rest and he is still re-energizing and is bursting with energy. He quickly tells them that the alien race is after him because they can kidnap him and use him as a battery to power their batteries through him for years. The aliens…Pilot Fish is a warning that something bad is coming.
Meanwhile, aliens known as the Sycorax have come to Planet Earth and to show how deadly they are, they use their powers to hypnotize many people to walk on the top of their buildings and will jump to their deaths unless Earth gives them the Doctor.
Can Earth fight against the Sycorax and will the Doctor re-energize in time to help them?
For the most part, I think this holiday episode was the best holiday episode I have seen thus far from “Doctor Who”. It has everything you want..Christmas vibes, aliens attacking Earth, hundreds of extras as people controlled by the Sycorax and about to jump to their deaths, action and also emotion! I think this probably one of the most vulnerable episodes you will see Billie Piper act quite emotionally.
But for the most part, this is an awesome episode and it was a good starting point for “Doctor Who” featuring David Tennant.
Recommended!
