Special guest announced for Christmas (spoilers)

[The Wormhole]

I'd prefer we never actually see the last of River, she's fun as an occasional guest.

As I have stated before, I believe that as long as Moffat is writing the show, there's always the possibility River will return. Even if he continues to contribute a script every season or so after he steps down as showrunner. The only limiting factor will be Alex Kingston's availability.

Which is really strange when you think about how the Doctor says he could always see her. That means that she's followed him around for (at that point) about 300 years, watching him have adventures with all sorts of people, including herself. She got to watch how the Doctor experienced their relationship. She got to see her own mother snog the Doctor on the night before Amy's wedding, for instance. All along, River might have been talking to him, and he ignored her and pretended he couldn't see her.

That's really strange. It's an interesting idea when you think about it, but as a practical matter, it's almost unbelievable.

One has to wonder, how did data ghost River not give away any hints hinting at Amy's importance when the Doctor first met her. Even if the Doctor was actively trying to ignore River, there had to be some difference in her behaviour when Amy was around to give it away. You can argue real River never had any tells to give it away, so ghost River shouldn't either, but real River had the advantage of occasional privacy from the Doctor, which ghost River didn't, increasing the chance of slipping up at some point.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

When the Doctor said, "I can always see you," I didn't take that to mean that she's been constantly following him around since "Forest of the Dead." I figured it was more poetic than that. Like, he can always see her when she's around, even when she thinks he can't, and when she isn't around, he sees her in his memory anyway.

 

[RoJoHen]

When the Doctor said, "I can always see you," I didn't take that to mean that she's been constantly following him around since "Forest of the Dead." I figured it was more poetic than that. Like, he can always see her when she's around, even when she thinks he can't, and when she isn't around, he sees her in his memory anyway.

Yeah, it doesn't really make sense otherwise.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I'd prefer we never actually see the last of River, she's fun as an occasional guest. The phantom version from TNOTD was "after" her death in the Library, right?

It was, yes. Which is really strange when you think about how the Doctor says he could always see her.

No it isn't. It really, really isn't.

It's just not meant to imply that she's literally hanging around talking to him as a sort of Timey Marty Hopkirk.

 

[Richard Baker]

I'm still trying to get over "sonic trowel"

I still like it over the Sonic Sunglasses. It is a device, not a fashion accessory...

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I'm still trying to get over "sonic trowel"

I still like it over the Sonic Sunglasses. It is a device, not a fashion accessory...

It's a scientific instrument, not a water pistol.

 

[ATimson]

I'm still trying to get over "sonic trowel"

I still like it over the Sonic Sunglasses. It is a device, not a fashion accessory...

As much as I don't like the sonic sunglasses, they do solve what I feel is their major failing: no display. Yes, the Doctor can hold it up to his ear and magically turn its warbles into data, but I can't help but think a screen would still be more useful occasionally.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Well, Eleven would often wand his sonic over something and then look at the glowey middle bit. It was effectively a display for HIM, at least.

Mark

 

[Ithekro]

His Sonic was thought activated, so maybe it gave a mental display as well.

 

[Samurai8472]

Doctor Who Magazine reveals more details on the special.

It's a "shameless romp".

- It takes place immediately after "The Angels Take Manhattan" in River's chronology...as in the very next thing she does after she writes the Melody Malone book


-At some point in the special River steals the TARDIS, and The Doctor Has to act surprised at the ship being bigger on the inside., presumbly River thinks The Doctor is missing when she finds the TARDIS and treats Twelve like her companion for a bit longer and The Doctor just keeps up an act


-River's story is brought to as definitive an end as it could be in this one...though Moffat confirms there's always wiggle room to write more (especially since he's staying on now). It was also RTD's idea to bring her back.

The Doctor will mimic how companions act with the "Bigger On the inside" moment. Only he overdoes it.

 

[The Wormhole]

His Sonic was thought activated, so maybe it gave a mental display as well.

Except, even in The Eleventh Hour when he's using the RTD era screwdriver he still uses it the same way as his own, whips it out, "reads" it after scanning something.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Doctor Who Magazine reveals more details on the special.

It's a "shameless romp".

- It takes place immediately after "The Angels Take Manhattan" in River's chronology...as in the very next thing she does after she writes the Melody Malone book


-At some point in the special River steals the TARDIS, and The Doctor Has to act surprised at the ship being bigger on the inside., presumbly River thinks The Doctor is missing when she finds the TARDIS and treats Twelve like her companion for a bit longer and The Doctor just keeps up an act


-River's story is brought to as definitive an end as it could be in this one...though Moffat confirms there's always wiggle room to write more (especially since he's staying on now). It was also RTD's idea to bring her back.

The Doctor will mimic how companions act with the "Bigger On the inside" moment. Only he overdoes it.

Moffat's staying ugh!!!!

 

[Samurai8472]

Photos from the London premiere of the Christmas Special


http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/doctor-who-christmas-special-london.html


Spoiler photos near the bottom

Greg Davies is a TALL guy!

Capaldi is 6'0

Kingston is 5'7

Davies must be like 6'5

Spoiler: Spoiler

So it looks like River get's her Library screwdriver here

I guess the eleventh doctor mini episode "Last Night" gets invalidated

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Alex is wearing heels. You sure she's 5'7" ?

 

[The Wormhole]

Alex is wearing heels. You sure she's 5'7" ?

That's her height according to IMDB.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Alex is wearing heels. You sure she's 5'7" ?

That's her height according to IMDB.

See, she looks 3" shorter than Capaldi in that photo. Take off the 3"-4" heels...I don't know.

 

[intrinsical]

Looks like I need to embargo myself from this forum till Christmas day.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The preview videos look typically goofy. I've learned to not watch the Christmas Specials with my family as I have to deal with the "You actually watch this stuff?".

 

[Samurai8472]

It seems to be advertised as a harmless Christmas romp. It would probably make RTD's proud

So if you're watching with family that say things like "This is kids stuff" you might want to skip it.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

My six year-old girl signed out of Doctor Who this year after being scared not only behind the couch, but into crying-nightmare territory within the first three episodes (as well as the face huggers LAST Christmas). I'm hoping this one will be more favorable to family viewing with youngsters - she loved "helping" the Twelfth Doctor at the DW Experience in Cardiff, I'd hate for the show to be too scary for her now.

Mark