Season 2, Christmas Special. 25 Dec 06. BBC 1, 7.00 pm
WRITER: Russell T. Davies DIRECTOR: Euros Lyn
CAST: David Tennant (The Doctor), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), Sarah Parish (The Empress Of Racknoss), Don Gilet (Lance Bennett), Howard Atfield (Geoff Noble), Jaqueline King (Sylvia Noble), Trevor Georges (Vicar), Rhodri Meiler (Rhodri), Krystal Archer (Nerys), Glen Wilson (Taxi Driver), Zafirah Boateng (Little Girl), Paul Kasey (Robot Santa #1) & George Cottle (Robot Santa #2)
The Doctor is perplexed to find a bride standing in the TARDIS and his attempt to return her home only attracts the attention of the Empress Of Racnoss...It's already a fixture of the holiday season: the Doctor Who Christmas Special. The second seasonal adventure, again from Russell T. Davies, is a more personable affair than last year's The Christmas Invasion and benefits immensely from David Tennant's involvement from the start.
The Runaway Bride is essentially a knockabout series of chase sequences that eventually settles into the usual Doctor Who intergalactic mystery with a nemesis to defeat. Catherine Tate plays Donna Noble, a spiky thirtysomething whose wedding is interrupted by her being teleported into the TARDIS. Once aboard, her confusion turns to anger and disbelief, in introductory scenes that could have been tedious but are fast-paced and enjoyable. It will be interesting to see if Davies can perform the same trick twice -– as the very next episode will introduce The Doctor's new companion proper.
Russell T. Davies defies most criticisms with this episode, as it does pretty much exactly what you'd expect. As with last year, it's not particularly festive (Robot Santa's and a killer Christmas Tree make a return, but that's about the only concession made) but it's breathlessly told and involves enough special-effects and good performances to make it worthwhile.
Comedian Catherine Tate is the big name guest star this episode (stunt-casting is becoming par for the course following Peter Kay, it seems) but her performance is the most uneven. Her early moments are grating and annoying, although she becomes more palatable by the end. This development was clearly the intention, but Tate's particular brand of screechy histrionics makes Donna an unwelcome temporary addition to the show.
David Tennant is far better, now completely at home in the role and having great fun. It helps that he gets some range to play; from the emotional (ruminating on the loss of Rose, his alienation at a wedding reception), to a sinister side unseen since the brooding days of Christopher Ecclestone in the episode's fiery finale.
Sarah Parish makes a notable villainess, hamming it up for all she's worth as the half-woman, half-spider Empress Of Racnoss. Parish just rasps and bares her fangs a lot, so it's hardly a stretch, but with characters like hers there's very else called for. Elsewhere, Don Gilet is good value as Lance Bennett, Donna's fiancé.
Technically, The Runaway Bride is the best example of Doctor Who's visual abilities yet. There is a stunning chase sequence where the TARDIS flies down a motorway after a taxi that wouldn't look out of place in a big-budget film, while the creature design for the Empress Of Racknoss is also of a high quality. She may not move very much, but the integration of Parish's body onto a giant spider is seamless. Other moments, such as a star-shaped spaceship, the birth of planet Earth and the climactic flood sequences are also amongst the best visuals achieved on the show.
To summarise, this is a technically unsurpassed episode with enough spark and written imagination to hold your interest whenever Catherine Tate irritates or the story looks to be heading into well-trodden territory. It's unfortunate that the Robot Santa's and Killer Christmas Tree seem to betray a paucity of ideas from Davies, and I'm still waiting for a Christmas Special that evokes the season properly (who gets married in December!), but there's no denying the sheer exuberant charm of The Runaway Bride and it's sly sense of humour (Donna's excuses for never witnessing last year's Sycorax spaceship or the Dalek versus Cybermen battle are a hoot).
The episode is by no means perfect, but it's easily one of the most enjoyable episodes in recent memory. Plus, judging from the clips for next year shown at the end... roll on season 3!
