Six years after David Tennant saw off the Sycorax in his pyjamas in the first Doctor Who Christmas special, the show has become as much a fixture of BBC1’s festive schedule as the Queen’s Speech. And this second seasonal special from the pen of show-runner Steven Moffat was a perfect metaphor for Christmas Day itself: a flurry of excitement at the beginning, a bit bloated around the middle, but ultimately satisfying in the end as it reinforced the value of family and close friendships.

Thoughts (and spoilers) below …