75%

Ever since I saw Time and the Rani I wished that there would come a day when I would see the TARDIS crash landing as I imagined it. I can appreciate that the technology wasn't there back in 1987, then again the sixth Doctor could have been given a better exit (I had always anticipated Mel standing outside a room quietly calling to the Doctor to get a move on, then there is a loud explosion which flings Mel back and the camera take the viewer through the door to the rubble beyond and the Doctor's hand can be seen sticking out from the wreckage of a machine). At last, that day has come!

I enjoyed this adventure, its nice to watch a Christmas special that isn't saturated with touchy-feely emotion. As the story unfolded I came away with the impression that Russell T Davies wanted to avoid the usual Christmas special we come to expect of other shows (okay, usually the US shows). There are some wonderful touches in the story such as the scaffolding surrounding the Big Ben clock tower, the return of Harriet Jones - now Prime Minister, the afore-mentioned TARDIS landing, the subtle references to the TARDIS telepathic circuits, UNIT and the odd little nod here and there.

On the other hand, while it made me smile at the right moment I found the build up of the Harriet Jones (Prime Minister) joke a piece of poor writing. Jones is a good character, and the hint that Earth isn't going to rely upon the Doctor always being in the right place at the right time is brilliant...even though it is setting the scene for Davies' own project - Torchwood. The battle between the leader of the Sycorax and the Doctor comes to an unsatisfying end - don't you just hate those "twists"? I know I don't like them, but its a minor quibble. Overall, I enjoyed Tennant's first full adventure more than I enjoyed Eccleston's and I would rank it as the first good debut since Pertwee's.

I had spent the past few weeks wondering if there would a sneak preview of the 2006, so I was quite delighted at the teaser trailer tagged on at the end of The Christmas Invasion. I must say Elisabeth Sladen is looking as good as ever, though the Cyberman sequence had a hint of Dalek about it...hopefully not. We will all have to wait and see.