Doctor Who - Christmas And New Year's Specials Ranked

Today marks the 20th anniversary since Christmas and New Year's Specials became something of a thing within the Doctor Who Universe. As we're not getting one today (a genuine missed opportunity), I thought I'd rank the ones we already have. Best to worst of course.

1: The Christmas Invasion (2005)

The debut of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor really set the bar high for these specials as Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) had to get used to her friend looking different during the Sycorax invasion.

2: The Snowmen (2012)

The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in Victorian London meeting up with another version of Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), the Paternoster Gang and the Great Intelligence (Richard E. Grant).

3: A Christmas Carol (2010)

The first Christmas special for the Eleventh Doctor and while Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill), it gave us memorable guest performances from Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins.

4: Last Christmas (2014)

The Twelfth Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) first Christmas special had him and Clara on a base in the Arctic with a parasitic creature and freaking Santa Claus (Nick Frost).

5: The End Of Time (2009-2010)

A two part event that saw the exit of the Tenth Doctor being teamed up with Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins) while facing off both the Master (John Simm) and Rassilon (Timothy Dalton). Add in a lot of cameos and this marked a great exit for David Tennant.

6: Revolution Of The Daleks (2021)

The Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) second encounter with the Daleks during the New Year was actually better than her first one. It was certainly bigger with the departures of Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), the return of Captain Jack Baroness (John Barrowman) and tension with Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill).

7: The Time Of The Doctor (2013)

The exit of the Eleventh Doctor on Trenzalore made for a rather satisfying and emotionally charged final performance for Matt Smith. It also put Clara through the ringer as well.

8: Voyage Of The Damned (2007)

The most blockbuster Christmas special of them all. A spaceship named the Titanic, a cringey Cyborg baddie in Max Capricorn, Heavenly Hosts, Russell Tovey as a fit Midshipman Frame and of course Kylie Minogue's Astrid Peth.

9: Resolution (2019)

The first Dalek story for the Thirteenth Doctor and unfunny jokes about UNIT to one side, I think it's aged pretty well. Also focusing on one Dalek worked in it's favour.

10: The Next Doctor (2008)

Okay, it's false advertising as most of us would be guessed that David Morrissey wasn't going to be the next Doctor. It didn't stop him and David Tennant being a fantastic double act, Dervla Kirwan being a delight as the sadistic Mercy or the Cybermen being used well enough.

11: The Husbands Of River Song (2015)

While I'll always associate River Song (Alex Kingston) with the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory, there's no denying how much chemistry she had with the Twelfth Doctor. Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi were magical together.

12: Twice Upon A Time (2017)

While not my favourite regeneration story, it's one that I've grown to like a little more over time. It's more small scale with Peter Capaldi playing well with David Bradley's First Doctor and Mark Gatiss as another Lethbridge-Stewart. Not to mention a nice final return for Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and cameos from Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) and Nardole (Matt Lucas).

13: The Runaway Bride (2006)

Ah, the debut of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). She took some getting used to in this second special but what a double act with her and David Tennant. Also points to Sarah Parish for the scenery chewing as the Empress of the Racnoss.

14: The Church On Ruby Road (2023)

I might have highly rated this one upon initial viewing as now certain elements didn't age well (singing goblins) but it's a strong debut episode for Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday.

15: Eve Of The Daleks (2022)

The final Dalek story for the 13th Doctor and Yaz but also including Dan Lewis (John Bishop). The repetitive timeline was fine enough but it's the weakest Dalek story for this particular era.

16: Joy To The World (2024)

The second special for the Fifteenth Doctor and it's one where Steven Moffat could've done more with the Time Hotel concept. It loses points for wasting Nicola Coughlan's Joy Almondo.

17: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio (2016)

A superhero themed special following the antics of The Ghost (Justin Chatwin) in New York. It's easily the weakest special from the Twelfth era but there's a special even weaker than this one.

18: The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe (2011)

One of the few times in which schmaltzy was taken to extremes with this show attempting their own take on Narnia as the Eleventh Doctor was paired with Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner) and her children. Of course it's dead last in this line up.

As for everything else, well here's an honourable mentions round up. I quite enjoyed the use of Christmas and New Year's Eve in K9 And Company (1981) and Doctor Who: The Movie (1996). There's also The Feast Of Steven (1965) as well as the brief flashes of Christmas in episodes such as Turn Left (2008), The Power Of Three (2012) and The Pilot (2017) to name but a few.

Next year will see the show return with another Christmas special, which will be written by Russell T. Davies. Will it serve as a good ending to a rather divisive second era? Time will tell.

Merry Christmas Doctor Who fans. I hope you reading this as I did writing it.