Christmas Doctor Who is 'a bit of a love story'

Christmas Doctor Who is 'a bit of a love story'
Christmas Doctor Who is 'a bit of a love story' (Image credit: BBC/Adrian Rogers)

Love is in the air for the stars of the Doctor Who Christmas Day special. The Snowmen sees the Time Lord, played by Matt Smith, reunited with his new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. The actress, who made a surprise appearance in an earlier episode Asylum of the Daleks, admitted the Christmas Day show was a 'bit of a love story', but with a 'quite dark' edge. She said: "I think there is definitely a romantic tone to this particular episode." Matt added: "It can change every week, that's the beauty of it. One week it's a love story, one week it's an action adventure." The episode, written by show supremo Steven Moffat, is set on Christmas Eve 1892 and sees the Doctor up against an army of snowmen led by the villainous Doctor Simeon, played by Richard E Grant. Steven said there was something inherently festive about the Timelord. He said: "Doctor Who is the story of an alien wizard who comes to help people in need, so you instinctively think he is best mates with Santa Claus, don't you? You do think the two of them belong in the same world and have a drink together occasionally." The writer, who is also responsible for the hit re-imagining of Sherlock, stayed tight-lipped about plans for the 50th anniversary of the show next year - apart from promising it would be 'immense'. But matt did admit to a name for a dream co-star for an anniversary special, saying: "Let's just go all out there - I'm going to say Javier Bardem." He said Bardem, who played the villain in the last Bond film, would be 'a really brilliant Doctor'.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.