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".

Alternate version
At least one of the idents -- the main 30-second piece -- exists in an alternate version. The version aired on BBC America substitutes the BBC America HD logo in place of the BBC One logo at the end.

DVD release
The four idents were included in the Complete Specials box set, released to both DVD and Blu-Ray (though they were rendered in standard definition for both) in the UK in January 2010 and North America in February 2010. The two spoken messages, however, were not included. At less than a minute in duration, the Christmas Idents feature is possibly the shortest-running extra feature included on a Doctor Who DVD/Blu-Ray release to date.