Quote Unquote:Amy Pond: "Time can be rewritten…"
Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Toby Haynes
Producer: Sanne Wohlenberg
Original Air Date: 25th December 2010
Monster/Villain: Kazran Sardick (redeemed)
Settings: Sardick Town (44th Century)
Synopsis: Amy and Rory are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way the Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?
Overnight Viewing Figures: 10.3 million
Official BARB Figures: T.B.A.
Notable Features:
- Probably hinting at Series Six’s theme of “Silence will fall”, in Abigail’s Song (which she sings in the climax of the episode) the final line is, “Silence will fall all around.”
- The story is based somewhat on the Charles Dickens tale of the same name – Kazran Sardick is the character that represents Ebenezer Scrooge, The Doctor as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Amy Pond as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
- This is the first episode to feature Arthur Darvill’s name in the opening titles.
- Steven Moffat had the idea of the shark being scary and able to swim out of water from his own childhood fears of the same thing happening.
- This is the first Christmas special since 2005’s ‘The Christmas Invasion’ to actually feature The Doctor’s regular companions of the time.
- Katherine Jenkins got the call telling her she had the part on her 30th birthday and described it as, “The best birthday present ever.”
- On-set, when referring to it, the shark was known as “Clive” in order to keep what the creature was secret from anyone outside the crew who might have overheard. Despite this, the shark was actually a female.
- The Eleventh Doctor’s fez makes a welcome return - the first appearance being in ‘The Big Bang’.
