Well it is Christmas time again, and that means family, friends, presents and Doctor Who. … Well it does in my household.

As you would remember from my previous post concerning this year’s Christmas Special, I was expecting “The Next Doctor” to be a story about a con man using The Doctor’s reputation for profit. After all, this would not be the first time the production team would be influenced by the various Doctor Who audio adventures of Big Finish.

I am pleased to say, I was wrong, we were treated to a unique story filled with strong, memorable performances.

Join me beyond the spoiler alert to learn more about what I thought of this episode.

David Morrissey – What can I say, he was great. While he may not be a future regeneration of The Doctor, thanks to the infostamp, Jackson Lake was “The Next Doctor”. As The Doctor points out, the infostamp just provided the information; the heroism, courage, and imagination were Mr. Lake’s.

I loved how Jackson attempted to re-create The Doctor’s gadgets. He clearly had gaps in his memories concerning these items, but his mind did the best it could.

Sonic screwdriver – It could make a noise, well sort of.

Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style – If nothing else, this TARDIS provided the same sense of freedom as the original, and hey the balloon was blue.

Mr. Morrissey gave a strong performance. He demonstrated an unexpected vulnerability as he acknowledged his lost memories. I really wanted to believe he was suffering from post regeneration amnesia.

As I wrap this post up, I would like to say that the rest of the cast also provided strong performances. Velile Tshabalala’s Rosita was just as much a companion as Ace or Rose or Martha. Dervla Kirwan’s Miss Hartigan was very creepy.

When all is said and done this is my second favorite Christmas special next to The Christmas Invasion. It was nice to see all ten Doctors in the infostamp projection. Will we see more of the 8th Doctor in the upcoming specials??? Time will tell, it usually does.

Thankfully the next special will be here soon enough. Easter brings The Planet of the Dead.