Doctor Who: The Snowmen Review

The Doctor returns for his eighth festive adventure- is it still a cracker?
When it comes to this time of year, the BBC always have one TARDIS-shaped ace up their sleeve for the Christmas Day line-up (or at least they have eight years in a row now): Doctor Who. Just as special editions of The Royle Family, Strictly and Eastenders have cemented themselves as festive mainstays, so too has the Time Lord reclaimed his place amidst the best of the big day. This time around, it's the job of Steven Moffat to once again impress with The Snowmen, following in the wake of his brilliant A Christmas Carol (2010, 5/5) and the decent The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe (2011, 4.5/5).

Certainly, from the moment that this new blockbuster story opens you'll see it's not for want of ambition. The special effects work is great as we pan in on a planet Earth marauded by gnawing snowflakes, a Great Intelligence not seen since the days of Patrick Troughton and now voiced wonderfully by Ian McKellen, and the villainous Doctor Simeon portrayed by none other than Richard E Grant. All of these antagonist elements serve their purpose well, even if this year it's not the battle of good and evil that's the crux of the narrative. Instead, we focus on one Clara Oswin Oswald, brought to life with stunning aplomb by our new series regular Jenna-Louise Coleman. Jenna's chemistry with Matt becomes plain to see right from the off, with Clara and the Doctor constantly engaging in a battle of wits and words that actually gives a fresh dynamic, even moreso than the Doctor-Donna relationship in 2008.

It was fantastic to witness a host of exciting new reveals on top of Clara, her chemistry and indeed the exciting time-twisting arc that appears to surround her in Series Seven Part 2- I'm already longing to see more of the beautiful new TARDIS, for example. Initial production photos didn't do anywhere near justice to the new incarnation of the time machine, so it was a welcome surprise for it to look so effortlessly modern at the same time as its nostalgic 80s sci-fi roots at once. The new theme tune and title sequence were ace too, again featuring homages to the classic era- the face is back!- while also retaining that sense of looking forward to days ahead with a dynamic middle eight twist and that eerieness the tune should always keep ahold of. One more great reveal was the 'Coming Soon' trailer, where with Cybermen, submarines, British thrillers, exotic alien planets, ghosts and the Oswin reveal teased, we can be assured that things can only keep getting better come April 2013 and indeed come the 50th Anniversary next November.

So, just where does the show go from here? Judging by The Snowmen, Steven Moffat has found the ability to redefine the core elements of Doctor Who, while still holding true to the moral values and beliefs of the incarnations of the character who have come before Matt's Eleventh Doctor. With a bold new story arc to play out in the final eight episodes of the seventh season, and the Fields Of Trenzalore and the Fall Of The Eleventh still presumably waiting for their resolution in the anniversary special, this is a drama that's nowhere close to running out of ideas. The BBC would likely have to give around a two-year window for any kind of cancellation, so that in essence guarantees Doctor Who will run until at least 2015 (ten years since Rose!), but given just how popular this new season is proving, with the Christmas Special having beaten Downton and Call The Midwife in both overnight ratings and a poorer timeslot, do not expect it to go anywhere except up, higher than the clouds!
5/5