Overview
- For the first time since 2005, there is no Christmas or New Year’s Doctor Who special in 2025, a break observers call notable for a show long tied to the festive schedule.
- Premiering on Dec. 25, 2005, The Christmas Invasion introduced David Tennant’s Doctor and drew roughly 9.84 million viewers, setting expectations for annual holiday episodes.
- The episode’s enduring reputation rests on its unapologetically seasonal tone, from robot Santas and a lethal Christmas tree to themes of family, community, and renewal.
- Holiday outings remained a centerpiece through the late 2000s, peaking with 2007’s Voyage of the Damned topping 13 million viewers, with a scheduling shift to New Year’s beginning in 2018.
- Coverage notes a special is planned for 2026 and points fans to recent spin-off programming and a robust back catalog available on Disney+, Amazon, and Apple.