The good Doctor

Another Christmas Day passes into memory. The pessimistic could say it's another Christmas over but at the very least Boxing Day should be counted as part of the season melee, and really anything within the reach of the Christmas Radio Times is fair game in my opinion.

During the past few days I've been trying to catch up with the Dr Who episodes I missed in order to be fully prepared for the Christmas special. As it turned out I didn't have time to watch the 2-part series finale prior to the special but there were fortunately so few references to what had passed in the previous episodes that my enjoyment was unspoiled.

Although the Christmas special was fine, I must say I'm no fan of Catherine Tate. I watched one or two shows from her own comedy series and I found it to lack staying power. Good comedy sketch shows will be creative and entertaining enough to allow the audience to enjoy the series in its entirely. The likes of Little Britain, although extreme and abrasive in parts accomplishes this with most people. The Catherine Tate show endured one viewing with some amusement but come the next episode and the characters, catch-phrases and jokes were already tired and I found myself channel hopping before the end.

The loud, annoying and very southern character that forms the basis for many of Tate's own characters and indeed her role in the Dr Who Christmas Special similarly could be endured - just - for a single episode. When the Doctor asked Tate's character if she'd like to join him on his interstellar travels I was shouting at the TV "oh for Christ sake, no!" Thank goodness for the sake of series three that she declined; undoubtedly the most appreciated moment of her appearance during this Christmas special.

Compared to the season two finale however, the Christmas special pales into mediocrity. The plot didn't feel particularly soundly thought through and the arch-enemy of the episode was similarly rather lack-lustre and something of a stereotype of poorer quality sci-fi than the current incarnation of Dr Who represents. The climax to season two in contrast was intense, filled with excitement and emotion throughout. It was the archetypal season end and it really went out with a bang, not least as it wrote out Billie Piper's character who has become an integral feature of the first two series. It'll be a hard act to follow for her replacement, of whom we saw a few glimpses at the end of the Christmas special.

Dr Who does seem to be on a roll now, however, and it seems difficult to imagine that the next series won't be just as big a hit as the last. The momentum is going; let's just hope that whatever characters emerge in the next series can hang around longer than has been the case so far. Ecclestone was a disgrace leaving after just the one series and as far as the Doctor's sidekicks have gone in the past I suspect two series for Piper isn't too respectable either. It's by no means just Dr Who that has been suffering from the BBC's inability to stick on to leading actors; Spooks lost more or less all its main character over the course of a season or so. I do wonder if this is purely a issue of remuneration as in the US stars are given massive contracts to stick with series for years and years. X-files more or less managed to keep its dynamic duo for the duration of its very considerable run whereas we've long since reached the point in Friends where we're wishing intently that the Daleks would cross the dimensions and see off the tired old characters with their equally weary comedic style. Personally I stopped laughing in series four, back when the Universe was young.

Thinking about the Daleks; it appears that they'll be making a showing one again next series. Considering they've been exterminated twice if not three times in the most accurate sense of that word they seem to have an amazing ability to make a comeback. If the Doctor was so certain of their destruction and it transpires there's still millions knocking around in miniature prisons, is he really so certain that he's the last Time Lord? There's probably a heap of them knocking around somewhere, keeping out of harms way or stuck because they've crash landed their Tardises and some thieving local has made off with their sonic screwdriver. It could all happen and while the plots aren't always explained in great depth there's something to be said about the considerable degree of uncertainty that surrounds the events of each episode. Far more enjoyable than the instantly scanable quantum singularities of Star Trek and its ilk. Dr Who is a series of the people; light on the physics, or at least characters willing to listen to the Doctor explain it, but lashings of broad appeal. I for one will not be grumbling about the licence fee for the foreseeable future.

Incredibly close to Christmas

Arriving back in the UK in early December and not having any sort of routine to keep to has allowed Christmas to all but creep up on me. Christmas has been something that's been mentioned on the radio but I'd not really Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and it's only been today that I've got around to the present wrapping. It's one of those tasks that never appeal on paper but once stuck in it's a challenge to make your best effort of fitting various oddly shaped gifts within the wrapping paper and the strips of largely uncontrollable sellotape. Fine motor skills; I must remember to ask Santa for some of that this year. The wrapping was, for a change, accomplished without too much frustration and very limited swearing. My efforts will never win any awards but it'll serve the utilitarian purpose of vaguely disguising the assorted contents until the 25th.

Today saw the last of the pre-Christmas shopping. It's been bandied about that the British buying public will be spending 2 billion today, not that I contributed a single penny towards this having successfully accumulated a curious array of gifts during my travels which I shall shortly be making the effort to pass off as Christmas gifts. I suspect not having to do any December shopping is another reason that the approaching festivities and the increasing panic that this causes so many have entirely passed me by this year.

We're now firmly into Christmas Radio Times territory; that two-week bumper edition containing more listings of over-televised old films than you can shake a stick at. Quite why the television companies don't see it fit to spend some money on even relatively new releases over this time of year when such a lot of viewing goes on bewilders me annually. At least there's the Dr Who Christmas Special to throw a bit of life into the schedules, which reminds me that I've got to catch up on the past series first. The cybermen have only just been seen off and there's a long way to go. Still, there's nothing like quality, contemporary British programming to get in the Christmas spirit, however late in the day it may be.

Winter solstice

Religiously funded American media can often be heard reminding viewers or listeners of 'the reason for the season'. I know perfectly well what they're referring to but it doesn't mean I can't gleefully ignore it outright and instead focus on the original 'reason for the season' that is the winter solstice taking place at 0:20 on the morning of 22nd December. Yes, I always thought the solstice fell on the 21st but apparently there's a certain amount of annual variation pushing it just into the following day this year.

We'll still be exchanging presents and indulging in vast quantities of food on the 25th of course but the passing of the solstice represents that the winter gloom which seems to get so many people down at this time of year has reached its worst and the days will begin to lengthen. Reasons to be cheerful, 1-2-3. The change may been indiscernible at the outset but by February the extra daylight will be welcome and although winter is still with us for a few months yet the glass of summertime cheer will slowly begin to fill. Here endeth the most unusual analogy of the day.