Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by James Strong
“I’m the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord. I’m 903 years old and I’m the man who’s going to save your lives and all six-billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?”
There are two types of Doctor Who. The first is the show that is unlike any other on television, and the second is the show that can be like EVERY OTHER show and film that exists. Voyage of the Damned definitely falls into the second category: it’s the most unoriginal plot you could possibly have, yet it remains a satisfying Christmas meal.
The list of films and shows that are ripped off will end up as long as your arm: Titanic, The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno…and let’s throw in Doctor Who’s very own The Robots of Death for good measure. Killer robots, a cyborg evil villain living secretly in the bowels of the ship, a rag-tag bunch of survivors working to escape and survive…it was all written on the back of a napkin, probably after a really good party.
What makes it succeed is utter conviction: a cast on top of their game, astonishing production values for television, and a mix that is absolutely perfect for Christmas Day viewing. Russell Davies, growing up with the cheesy disaster films of the 1970s…and classic Doctor Who of the 1970s…writes a script that provides us with the ultimate comfort food. Davies takes special delight in playing up not only the cliches of the genre, but the cliches of Doctor Who’s now annual Christmas tradition…with a deserted London, and the Doctor actually SAVING a London landmark from extra-terrestrial destruction.
And yet…what is absolutely shocking about Voyage of the Damned is how dark everything becomes. The deaths are unexpected and shocking…the Doctor doesn’t manage to save everyone, and the outrageous elements are balanced by moments of quiet despair. There is also a an element of surprising reality in the characters: the death of the Van Hoffs (one not being able to live without the other), the gratitude-yet-unchanging-corporate-greed of Rickston Slade…these supposed caricatures end up being very much real people, with real feelings and real failings. Even pop star Kylie Minogue holds her own…though she’s rather swamped by the rest of the powerful ensemble cast.
Anchoring it all is David Tennant, in every way the Doctor we want and need in such an adventure: commanding, confident, hilarious, poignant, strong. His final scene with the magnificent Clive Swift, on the snow-swept grassy plain outside of London, highlights once again his terrible loneliness…counterpointed with his unfailing optimism in the best qualities of humanity.
Voyage of the Damned is the least demanding of the Christmas specials…and yet, it ends up being a satisfying mix of the absurd and the sublime. Christmas isn’t the time for stories as dark and complex as The Satan Pit or Blink — Christmas is about sitting down and sharing the Doctor Who experience. Everything we all love about this series is on display in Voyage of the Damned, and it successfully takes the audience on a roller-coaster adventure, with some surprising emotional impact thrown in for good measure. It will never reach the top of any best story poll…but it’s the Doctor Who equivalent of a sumptuous, if occasionally overblown, Christmas dinner. One that deserves to be shared with friends and family. :-)
8
Revised Rating: 9
After repeated viewings, the richness of this production continues to amaze me. The dialogue especially is full of gems that can be missed on a single viewing. It’s truly a big, fat Christmas pudding of delight, this special…
