The Christmas Invasion (TV story)

While Rose, Jackie, and Mickey try to help the Doctor as he suffers the instabilities of post-regenerative shock, the Earth comes under attack by a sinister race known as the Sycorax.

Summary
Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith are preparing for the holiday season when the TARDIS makes a violent appearance at the council estate. Rose emerges from the ship with the newly regenerated Doctor, who wishes Jackie and Mickey a Merry Christmas before collapsing, after which he slips in and out of consciousness. Later, Rose and Mickey are attacked first by a group of sinister Santas while Christmas shopping, then by a killer Christmas tree back at the flat. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Harriet Jones learns that a recently launched Mars probe has been captured by the Sycorax, who have plans to invade and conquer Earth.

Cast & Characters

 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
 * Jackie Tyler - Camille Coduri
 * Mickey Smith - Noel Clarke
 * Harriet Jones - Penelope Wilton
 * Sally - Anita Briem
 * Daniel Llewellyn - Daniel Evans
 * Alex Klein - Adam Garcia
 * Major Blake - Chu Omambala
 * To be announced - Sean Gilder

Influences

 * Besides being the name of the invading aliens, Sycorax is also the name of the witch in Shakespeare's play, The Tempest.


 * The Sycorax, with their curse-like blood control technology and bone-motif costumes, are slightly similar to Faction Paradox, a time-travelling voodoo cult created by Lawrence Miles that were recurring villains in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures novels.


 * Guinevere One, the name of the probe that Earth sends to Mars, references the myths of legend King Arthur. In those stories, Guinevere was Arthur's Queen consort. Her name is an old French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which can be translated as "white shadow". Her adulterous affair with Arthur's chief knight, Lancelot, and betrayal of her husband lead to the downfall of their kingdom.


 * The Doctor's sword duel with the Sycorax leader, particularly when his hand is cut off, suggests the light-saber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back."


 * The Doctor complains that the bathrobe and pyjamas Jackie has given him to wear are "very Arthur Dent." Arthur Dent is a character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, created by former Doctor Who script editor Douglas Adams. The Doctor's mention of Arthur as "a very nice fellow," suggesting he has actually met him, together with the fact that the book the Fourth Doctor reads in "Destiny of the Daleks" is written by Guide author Oolon Caluphid raises the question of how much of the characters and events set in the Guide stories also occur in the Doctor Who Universe.


 * When speaking to the Sycorax of the great potential humans possess, he realizes he is quoting from The Lion King.

Continuity

 * British manned missions to Mars were previously featured in The Ambassadors of Death.


 * UNIT is now headquartered in the Tower of London.


 * This episode first introduces Torchwood, - which is first mentioned in "Bad Wolf," - and we are told it is so secret even the United Nations does not know of its existence, and the Prime Minister isn't supposed to know, although Harriet Jones somehow does.


 * The Doctor's speech to PM Harriet Jones about how "Earth is drawing attention to itself" recalls a similar statement made by the Brigadier in "Spearhead from Space." Jones's destruction of the Sycorax ship and the Doctor's angry reaction are similar to the conclusion of "Doctor Who and the Silurians," in which the Brigadier uses explosives to seal off the Silurian hibernation chambers even as the Doctor departs to begin peace negotiations.


 * The Time Lord regeneration process takes up to fifteen hours to complete. During this time, a Time Lord can regrow severed appendages.


 * The chemical components in tea can complete the healing of brain synapses and neurons recovering from the regeneration process. This may be why the Fifth Doctor said he was "rather fond of it" in "The Awakening," as the Zero Room, which served the same function, was jettisoned from the TARDIS during the events of "Castrovalva."

Quotes
Rose: "That's him. That's the Doctor." Jackie: "What do you mean the Doctor? Doctor Who?"
 * Mickey: "Where's the Doctor?"

Jackie: "Anything else he's got two of?"
 * Rose: "(The Doctor)'s got two hearts."


 * Jackie: "I'm going to be killed by a Christmas tree!"


 * Translated message from the Sycorax leader to Rose: "You are very, very funny. Now you will die."


 * The Doctor: "This new hand is a fightin' hand!"