The Doctor Who Christmas Special

I've been somewhat negative about "Doctor Who" for several years now - sadly, much of Capaldi's run and all of Whittaker's did nothing for me, and the three most recent specials were something of a mixed bag at best. So I'm enormously happy, and relieved, to be able to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas special.

First things first: the cast. I never really had any doubt that Ncuti Gatwa would make for a fine Doctor (frankly, they've never had a bad actor in the role, and I didn't think they'd start now), but he was far better then I could have hoped - there's a freshness and a charm to his portrayal that is just fun. Then there's Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, who already has the makings of a favourite companion - an Amy Pond, Martha, or Ace.

I very much enjoyed the goblins, and the "Labyrinth"-esque plot (with only the slight disappointment that they didn't have Tilda Swinton as Jareth the Goblin King). And the ship was fantastic - especially the "language of knots". Oh, and "Spelljammer confirmed!" (for those who know...)

And it's really nice to have a happy Doctor for once. Hopefully that will stick.

Basically episodes like this are why I keep on watching the show, even when I'm not particularly enjoying it. Because when it's good, it can be really good. And RTD has excelled himself here.