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.

Doctor Who comes to BBC AMERICA this Christmas Day at 9:00 p.m. EST with a festive Dickens-inspired adventure, “A Christmas Carol.” See Michael Gambon as a Scrooge-like character and… well, just watch. It will give you goosebumps.

Matt Smith as the new Doctor.

Two weeks is nothing. It’s 14 days, a fortnight.

The good news is BBC America has officially announced Doctor Who is coming to America. The bad news: the U.S. premiere of the fifth season — and the introduction of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor — won’t begin until Saturday, April 17th.

The new era of the BBC’s iconic BAFTA-winning drama, Doctor Who will  include 13 episodes and premiere two weeks after it airs in the UK. Smith debuts as the new, Eleventh incarnation of the famous Time Lord alongside a new traveling companion, the enigmatic Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

“Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes – and Doctor Who. In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can’t wait to meet his new Doctor!” comments Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC America.

BAFTA-winning writer Steven Moffat, creator of some of the most frightening and award-winning Doctor Who episodes to date, takes over as lead writer and executive producer.  Writers for the new series include Richard Curtis (Love Actually), Chris Chibnall (Torchwood), Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Torchwood), Mark Gatiss and Simon Nye.

Guest stars include SAG Award winner Alex Kingston, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo and Tony Curran.

Traveling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as “The Eleventh Hour,” written by Steven Moffat, “The Beast Below,” also by Moffat and “Victory of the Daleks” by Mark Gatiss.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars courtesy of BBC America

BBC America has announced the imminent arrival of the final Doctor Who episodes starring David Tennant as the Doctor. Television’s longest running science fiction series, shot in HD, has just three episodes to go before a new Doctor arrives on screen next year.

The next special, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars airs on BBC AMERICA, Saturday December 19, 9:00pm ET/PT. It stars Tennant and British stage and screen actress Lindsay Duncan as Adelaide, his “cleverest and most strong-minded companion.”

All will be revealed as the Doctor and his companion Adelaide face terror on the Red Planet in one of the scariest adventures yet. Peter O’Brien guest stars as Ed, Adelaide’s second-in-command at the base.

The Waters of Mars is written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford and directed by Graeme Harper. The executive producers are Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner.

The remaining episodes, starring Tennant, will air over the holiday season as a two-part special. Airdates will be released in early December. Tennant shot a total of four specials before exiting the role – Planet of the Dead was the first one to air, last July, on BBC America.