14. The Christmas Invasion

Series 1 - 2005

Writer: Russell T. Davies
Produced by: Phil Collinson
Director: James Hawes

Synopsis

Christmas Eve: Earth is waiting for the landing of British probe Guinevere One on Mars. Meanwhile, back on the Powell Estate both Jackie and Mickey hear the unique sound of the TARDIS materialising, and rush out into the estate to find it. Instead of the usual materialisation the TARDIS appears in mid air and, after hitting several buildings, skids to a halt near some rubbish bins. A strange man, wearing familiar clothes, who seems to know Jackie and Mickey, appears. He manages to wish them merry Christmas before collapsing.

Rose tells them that this stranger is the Doctor. Together they manage to get the Doctor into a spare bed (and spare set of pyjamas) in Jackie's flat. The Doctor's hearts are still beating, but he is unconscious.

While the Doctor is recovering Rose and Mickey head into town for last minute Christmas shopping. Mickey is fed up of hearing about the Doctor, and says somehow the Doctor always gets between them. Now the Doctor is out of the way he can have time with Rose - until they are attacked by musical Santas.

They make it back to Jackie's flat where Rose notices a new Christmas tree. Jackie assumed it was a present from Rose, and all three take cover as it comes alive. They run into the Doctor's room with the tree following, destroying the flat as it goes. Rose hands the Doctor the sonic screwdriver and asks for help. He recovers and activates the sonic screwdriver, destroying the tree.

The Doctor says that the Santas and the tree are 'pilot fish', before collapsing again. Mickey looks up pilot fish on the Internet and discovers that they are precursors to something much larger...

Across London the Guinevere One project are anxiously awaiting photographs of the Martian surface. However Guinevere One has been sucked inside a huge asteroid shaped spacecraft. The images received by Earth are not of Mars but of an alien race with sets Earth on alert, drawing the new Prime Minister, Harriet Jones, to UNIT headquarters. Using translation software the aliens' intention becomes clearer: they are the Sycorax and they have come to enslave the population of Earth. To demonstrate this they activate a device, and around 1/3 of the Earth's population sets off to find the highest point they can. Meanwhile, Harriet and other UNIT personnel are transported to the Sycorax ship.

Inside Jackie's flat Rose has no idea what to do, and says that they should all get in the TARDIS where they would be safe. It takes time, but eventually Mickey and Rose manage to get the Doctor in the TARDIS whilst Jackie, being more practical, decides to bring food and drink.

Whilst Harriet is trying to talk the Sycorax, the Sycorax detect the TARDIS and think that Harriet has been hiding things. The TARDIS is also transported to the ship.

Rose, wondering where her Mum is, leaves the TARDIS, and finds herself on the Sycorax ship. Her cry alerts Mickey, who rushes out, spilling a flash of tea.

Because she came out of the TARDIS the Sycorax leader says that Rose will speak for Earth. She starts making up a declaration using knowledge she has gained on her travels. The Sycroax think this is funny, and continue to call for the surrender of Earth. Things are not looking good, until the Sycorax starts speaking in English. The TARDIS had not been translating because the Doctor was unconscious, which meant...

Appearing in the TARDIS doorway is the Doctor. He knows he is the Doctor, but he does not know what kind of a person he is, or is going to be. He sees the Sycorax device that is controlling people on Earth using blood control. He calls their bluff, and presses a huge, tempting, red button, freeing the humans.

The Doctor the challenges the Sycorax leader to a sword fight - the winner gets Earth. The battle begins, and spills out onto the exterior of the ship. During the battle the Doctor loses a hand - but because he is still within fifteen hours of the regeneration the hand grows back. When Rose throws him a new sword he gets the upper hand. As the victor the Doctor orders the Sycorax to leave, which they agree to do. As the Doctor turns round the leader tries to charge at him. There is fruit in the Doctor's dressing gown, and he throws an orange which rebounds and unbalances the leader, who plummets of the side of the ship.

The remaining Sycorax send the Doctor, the TARDIS, and any humans back to Earth before leaving. As the Doctor watches a huge beam emits from Earth and destroys the ship. The mysterious Torchwood organisation had been contacted previously by Harriet Jones, and they had fired on the ship. The Doctor is furious. The Doctor turns to her aide and suggests she is looking tired. Later she faces a vote of no confidence...

During Christmas dinner, to which the Doctor is invited, now wearing a pin stripe suit, it appears to start snowing, until the Doctor informs them that it's ash. The Doctor is about to return to space travel, and, knowing Rose doesn't yet know him, gives Rose the chance to stay behind. She declines, and she and the Doctor set off again into time and space.

Regular Cast

  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper

Guest Cast

  • Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri
  • Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke
  • Prime Minister Harriet Jones: Penelope Wilton
  • Danny Llewellyn: Daniel Evans
  • Alex: Adam Garcia
  • Sycorax Leader: Sean Gilder
  • Major Blake: Chu Omambala
  • Sally: Anita Breim
  • Sandra: Sian McDowell
  • Jason: Paul Anderson
  • Mum: Cathy Murphy
  • Policeman: Sean Carlsen
  • Newsreader 1: Jason Mohammed
  • Newsreader 2: Sagar Ayra
  • Newsreader 3: Lachele Carl
Uncredited:
  • Mechanics: Paul Zeph Gould, Phillip Kirk
  • Van Driver: Peter Oliver
  • Journalists: Jason Parkes, Johnson Yakoob, Andrew Morgan John, Liz Isaacs, Jane Dance, Geneive Swift
  • Shoppers: Jeremy Harvey, Richard Beavis, Emily Biles, Paul Burke, Alexis Constantinou, Rachel Dax, Caroline Deacon, Derek Filby David Handford, Myfanwy Harris, Lindsay Head, Gemma Jones, Wynford James, Blod Jones, Siobhan Carter, Jason Jones, Claire Bromage, Omar Latif, Leighton Morgan, Oakwell Muldoon, Catherine O'Leary, Jason Paginton, Joanne Symon, Olivia Wakeford, Lee Warner, Frank Wooles, Maxine Barnes, Derrick Caruana, Kimberly Caruana, Rachel Chambers, Paul Hallewell, Catherine Harris, Andrew Hopkins, Chris Ilston, Zoe Jefferies, Phillip Kirk, Kai Langford, Adele Morgan, Chris Norman, Simon O'Leary, Leanne Pemberton, Jennifer Pearce, Nina Rees, Kathryn Selway, Melissa West, Gwynfryn West, John Williams, Emma Lowe
  • Stunt Shopper/Stunt Evil Santa/Stunt Double for Sycorax Leader: Dean Forster
  • Evil Santas: Tony Gallagher, Richard Pullen, Andrew Mitchel, Alex Bennett, Alex Donald, Simon Lee
  • Taxi Driver: James Tatchell, Ian Bebb
  • Dad: Simon Hughes
  • Estate Residents: Billi Atwal, Paul Sirgis, Alan Amin, Adam Newell, Conrad Olendo, Joanna Tobias, Bart Barton, Vince Bishop, Remo Borciani, Tina Borciani, Ronald Caabay, Tariq Chaudry, Bamba Diop, Carmina Dodoo, Sean Duffy, Emma Grace, Boyd Hatchett, Hsin-ni Hwa, Kate Lindesay, Beverly Mills, Rachel Moran, Suzie Ostrove, Beth Partridge, Tom Sanderson, Saleh Greenaway
  • Sycorax Warriors: Lee Griffiths, Lloyd Everitt, Jamie Jones
  • Limo Drivers: Phil Hamilton, Sean Adrian Reed
  • UNIT Soldiers: Steve Cowles, Alun Cowles, Hopkin Bird, Marcus Hobbs, Greg Bennet, Alan Herin, Geraint Jones, Eddy Martin, Mike Freeman, Andrew Mitchel, Hopcyn Bird, Jim Thuraisingham
  • Technicians: Johnie Cross, Luke Parsons, Aleta Morgan, Adam Smith, Phillip Marcombe, Louise Vincent, Alex Dillow, Peter Lorenzo Smith, Heather Preston, Durine Howell, Angela Owen, Michella Parpa, Malcolm Orr, Richard Knott, Cherie Hamilton, Laura Meredith
  • Advisor Geoffrey Baxter: Ian Hilditch
  • Advisors: Kodjo Tspako, Toby Sperring, Joanne Lancastle, Cherie Hamilton, Lola Alexander, Laura Meredith, Timothy Rudge, Simon Hamilton
  • Major: Kristian Hicks
  • Army Captain: Julia Bisby
  • Ordinary People: Sergio Dandi, Sam Greenaway, Elaine Gunn, Lucy Hasson, Thomas Khoo, Keiko McKeowan, Loretta Nelson, Paul Plausin, Billi Atwal, Paul Sirgis, Alan Amin
  • Zombies: Lee Dakin, Juan Diu, Joy Fitch, Selena Scott, Minreet Harzall, Zeynepjack, Mark Chu, Sheila Matthews, Mike Mungarvan, Adam Newell, Conrad Olendo, Joanna Tobias
  • Assorted Crowd: Claire Bromage, Helen Surlock, Lawrence Channon, Gerald Cooke, Oliver Hopkins, Richard Heneghan, Sophia Day
  • Technicians/Assorted Crowd: Genevieve Cope, Clair Tebbut, Estelle Lordonne, Peter Von Motz, Ricardo Martin, Kevin Haydon
  • Policeman: Anthony Molton
  • Double for Jackie: Babette Laostice
  • Sycorax: Alun Cowles, Mike Freeman, Martin Thorne, Jonathan Thomas, Richard Harris, Greg Bennett, Geraint Jones, Paul Blackwell, Nick Gwyn Evans, Phil Kirk, Ian Richardson, Mark Griffiths, Andrew Mitchel, Philip Zeph Gould
  • Mission Control Staff: Hannah Gould, Lee Chapman, Yaourou Konate, John Elford Smith, Grace Wainright, Christian Knight,
  • Additional Dialogue Recording: Vernon Keeble-Watson, Paul Keogh, Paul Ganney, Wendi Sheard, Nicholas Wilkes, Joanna Compera, Daryl Adcock, Sophie Olley

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 14. The Christmas Invasion Sunday, 25 December 2005 19:00 - 20:00 9.8M 84

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • BBC Broadcasting House, Llandaff, Cardiff
  • BBC Model Unit, Kendal Avenue, London
  • HTV Studios, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff
  • Unit Q2, Newport

Outside Locations

  • Baltic House, James Street, Cardiff Bay
  • Barry Docks, Atlantic Way, Barry
  • Brandon Estate, Kennington, London
  • British Gas Building, Churchill Way, Cardiff
  • Broadstairs Road, Leckwith
  • Cleatwell Caves, nr. Coleford, Gloustershire
  • Loudoun Square, Gabalfa, Cardiff
  • Millennium Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff
  • The Hayes, Cardiff
  • Tower of London
  • Tredegar House and Park, Newport
  • Wallis House, Great West Road, Brentford