"Doctor Who" The Runaway Bride (2006)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Euros Lyn

Writer:

Russell T. Davies (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

25 December 2006 (Season 3, Episode 0)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A young Bride on the eve of her wedding finds herself mysteriously transported to the TARDIS. The Doctor must discover what her connection is with the Empress of Racnoss's plan to destroy the world.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Fantasy Episode | Alien | Time Lord | Tardis

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Sarah Parish	...	Empress
Don Gilet	...	Lance Bennett
Howard Attfield	...	Geoff Noble
Jacqueline King	...	Sylvia Noble
Trevor Michael Georges	...	Vicar (as Trevor Georges)
Glen Wilson	...	Taxi driver
Krystal Archer	...	Nerys
Rhodri Meilir	...	Rhodri
Zafirah Boateng	...	Little girl
Paul Kasey	...	Robot Santa

Runtime:

60 min | 60 min (3 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

According to the BBC's podcast commentary for this episode, the scene in which Donna finds Rose's top originally showed the Doctor angrily throwing the top out the TARDIS doors and intro space. According to produced Julie Gardner (a participant in the commentary) the scene was cut as being too melodramatic.

Quotes:

[part of the TARDIS console explodes]
The Doctor: [hitting the console with a hammer] Behave!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: (#11.7)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Love Don't Roam

Cheeky Christmas Special

First aired on Christmas Day 2006, I really enjoyed this episode.

Tennant plays the Doctor with his tongue so firmly in his cheek he's almost blowing raspberries at the "die hard" fans who cannot enjoy an episode unless they can find fault with it and prove their devoted fanaticism.

I wasn't sure about Catherine Tate as The Bride at first. However, once I got past the "Am I bovvered?" voice in my head I really enjoyed her performance as a sharp-tongued nice-but-dim Essex girl trying to make it to the alter on time.

Doctor Who is quite formulaeic (each episode is a variation of the same theme) - aliens attack, Earth is under threat, the Doctor saves the world, girl in tow to give him simpering look and viewers feel the air of melancholy as we all know the Doctor must remain a solitary being... This episode is no different (hope I haven't ruined the plot!!) but Tennant and Tate spark together very effectively - there are some laugh out loud moments in this episode, some great special effects and I felt the previous reviewers judgement was narrow-mindedly harsh. TV like this is made to entertain, and this episode certainly does!