DOCTOR WHO: VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED

riter: Russell T Davies / Costumes: Louise Page / Production Design: Edward Thomas / Music: Murray Gold / Producer: Phil Collinson / Director: James Strong

Series: Doctor Who

“And who the hell are you anyway”
“I’m the Doctor, I’m a Timelord, I’m from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of casterberus, I’m 903 years old and I’m the man who’s going to save your lives and all 6 billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?”
“No”

The Doctor is back and with a bang! Doctor Who does the Poseidon Adventure with the Doctor as Gene Hackman and Kylie Minogue as Shelley Winters when Voyage of the Damned, the 2007 Christmas Special airs on ABC1 on Sunday 29 June 2008 @ 7.30pm. Continuing on from the end of season three when a certain ship by the name of the Titanic crashed through the side of the TARDIS, the Doctor soon discovers that the ship is actually an exact replica transporting passengers, from the planet Sto (shades of Terry Pratchett), to take a look at a traditional Earth Christmas. When the ship is hit by a meteor, it looks like the famous White Star Liner is headed for a collision course with Earth, the Doctor and waitress Astrid (Kylie Minogue) must take a team of survivors across the damaged ship to the bridge to save not only themselves but also the entire Earth.

Series creator and writer of this episode Russell T Davies obviously spent many a Christmas, like the rest of us, watching Hackman and Co, battle their way to freedom across the failing decks of the Poseidon as he is channeling it big time here, but as always there are loads of nods to pop culture icons as well as some great little snippets of Doctor backstory to keep the fans going and in what seems to be a recurring theme of Davies when it comes to Christmas specials, the Heavenly Host look more than a little like Autons.

There is also some very cute reworking of English history when the Doctor and the gang do land in a deserted London he learns that Londoners have deserted the city (via a cute cameo from Bernard Cribbens as a newspaper seller) thanks to the Doc’s adventures of the last two years. There’s even an appearance by the Queen!

A hugely enjoyable romp and Tennant is at his brilliant gleeful best at times here. Would have been great to see Clive Swift’s Mr Copper taken on as the Doctor new companion though, a great foil with some wise words for the Doctor.

guest cast
KYLIE MINOGUE as Astrid Peth
GEOFFREY PALMER as Captain Hardaker
CLIVE SWIFT as Mr Copper
RUSSELL TOVEY as Midshipman Frame
GEORGE COSTIGAN as Max Capricorn
GRAY O’BRIEN as Rickston Slade
ANDREW HAVILL as Chief Steward
BRUCE LAWRENCE as Engineer
DEBBIE CHAZEN as Foon Van Hoff
CLIVE ROWE as Morvin Van Hoff
JIMMY VEE as Bannakaffalatta
BERNARD CRIBBINS as Wilfred Mott
NICHOLAS WITCHELL as Himself
PAUL KASEY as The Host
STEFAN DAVIS as Kitchen Hand
JASON MOHAMMAD as Newsreader
COLIN McFARLANE, EWAN BAILEY as Alien Voices
JESSICA MARTIN as Voice of the Queen