Time travel and ghosts of Christmases past [Doctor Who]

Matt Smith (right) as The Doctor, introduces Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon) and a frozen beauty (Katherine Jenkins) to the meaning of Christmas in Doctor Who "A Christmas Carol." ©2010 BBC

Christmas specials are one of my favorite parts of the season. Whether it’s a holiday special about Santa’s favorite reindeer or a holiday-themed episode of my favorite television show, I love seeing a feel-good Christmas story. As a fan of Doctor Who, I’m especially fond of how the time-traveler celebrates Christmas.

And when The Doctor (Matt Smith) celebrates Christmas, he does it right. In the aptly named “A Christmas Carol,” the Doctor serves up a Dickens-inspired holiday story.

The tale begins with a crashing space liner on which the Doctor’s companions, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill), are trapped. To save the space liner, the Doctor must convince Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon) to use the spire to open up the clouds and allow the ship to land.

You can see where this is going, can’t you? The miserly Scrooge character must be shown the true meaning of Christmas. And without any ghosts readily available, the Doctor improvises in the way he knows best. He travels into the past and teaches a young Kazran about love and self-sacrifice.

At its best, Doctor Who tells emotionally packed stories that transcend sci-fi. In fact, many have pointed out that Doctor Who may better be described as a fairy tale. And in his current incarnation, that is certainly true. The fantasy quality of the series comes through here, as the Doctor helps an evil king find kindness in his heart by rescuing a sleeping beauty.

The “sleeping beauty” in this tale is Abigail Pettigrew (played by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins). Frozen as “security” for her family’s debt to Kazran’s father, Abigail is released by the Doctor and introduced to a young Kazran, who is instantly smitten. So they promise Abigail to visit her every Christmas Eve.

All seems to be going well, as we see the old Kazran looking through photos and reliving “new” memories he never had before. But after several years Abigail reveals a secret to Kazran, now a young man, who then locks her away forever.

While there are a few crazy moments in the story (including a “one-shark open sleigh”), “A Christmas Carol” tells a wonderful holiday story that is filled with emotion. This may be one of the best Christmas specials I’ve seen from a television series.

Beginning with David Tennant’s first appearance in “The Christmas Invasion” (2005), the Doctor’s Christmas specials have become something of a tradition in the UK. But for Doctor Who fans in the United States, Christmas has always come late. We have had to wait until spring — or later — to view these episodes (which often had little to do with the holiday itself). This year, however, BBC America aired the first simulcast for a Doctor Who Christmas special.

This effort to bring Doctor Who to America in time for Christmas has given fans on two continents reason to celebrate. Let’s hope it’s the start of a new holiday tradition.