The Doctor and the Reindeer (TV story)


 * The title of this article is conjectural based upon information by the BBC, and may be subject to change if a more formal title is announced.

The 2009 BBC Christmas idents were a series of short holiday-themed promotional videos created for broadcast on BBC One during the Christmas season of late 2009, though they were available on the Internet on sites such as the BBC's YouTube channel as early as late November. The videos star David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and a reindeer.

The idents consisted of one 30-second main video, and several "stings" of five seconds in duration each.

Idents

 * 1) Main: The Doctor is trudging through deep snow in a forest. He comes across the TARDIS and frowns as he see it's buried in snow almost to the windows. Several reindeer graze nearby. As the Doctor makes eye contact with one of the reindeer, we hear sleigh bells and the Doctor cocks an eyebrow. Next, the Doctor is riding on the TARDIS, which is being pulled like a sleigh by the reindeer, who proceed to take to the sky. As the Doctor whoops and hollers, the TARDIS-sleigh does loop the loops in the sky, circling the BBC One logo.
 * 2) Sting: A closeup of the TARDIS' door with the BBC One logo superimposed. The camera pulls back to reveal the TARDIS is half-buried in snow. The Doctor is in the background, grunting as he shovels snow.
 * 3) Sting: Extreme close-up of a reindeer, with the TARDIS in the background. The reindeer snorts at the camera, fogging the lens, which reveals the BBC One logo.
 * 4) Sting: Again, a closeup of the TARDIS' door with the BBC One logo superimposed. The camera pulls back to reveal a reindeer eating something on the ground, next to an abandoned shovel with the Doctor's coat draped over its handle.

Christmas messages
On 13 December 2009, BBC One also released two brief messages from David Tennant which were initially available on the BBC's YouTube channel. Both were filmed on the same set as the Idents and feature Tennant - in character as the Doctor - wishing viewers a Merry Christmas, with the second of the two messages including a joke about him wishing his presents were "bigger on the inside".

DVD release
BBC Video has announced that the idents will be included in the forthcoming Complete 2009 Specials box set scheduled for release in the UK in January 2010 and North America (where the idents were only viewable online) in February 2010. The British Board of Film Classification has cleared the four idents for DVD release. It has not been indicated whether the two Christmas messages will also be included.