Originally broadcast on Christmas Day 2007, “Voyage of the Damned” remains a memorable, if somewhat flawed, entry in the Doctor Who canon. As the show celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, revisiting fan-favorite episodes like this one offers a chance to appreciate the ambition and sometimes chaotic energy of the David Tennant era. This episode, aiming for a grand scale disaster movie in space, guest-starring pop icon Kylie Minogue, certainly aimed high. But did it reach its destination? Let’s delve into why “Voyage of the Damned” is both a beloved and critiqued part of Doctor Who history.
“I’m the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord. I’m from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I’m nine hundred and three years old and I’m the man who’s going to save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?”
This iconic boast, delivered with Tennant’s characteristic charm and bravado, sets the tone for an episode that’s all about scale and stakes. Yet, as the original article points out, the Doctor’s confidence is somewhat undermined by the high casualty count. “Voyage of the Damned” is indeed ambitious, attempting to blend the classic disaster movie tropes of “The Poseidon Adventure” with a Doctor Who sci-fi twist, all within a Christmas special format. Layering a corporate conspiracy plot involving the villainous Max Capricorn on top of this already packed premise makes for a dense narrative.
However, this ambition is a double-edged sword. While the episode strives for epic proportions, the limitations of a television budget, especially in 2007, become apparent. Creating a convincing disaster movie experience with limited sets and CGI can be challenging. The script, while energetic, sometimes feels overstuffed. Max Capricorn, despite being positioned as a major antagonist, often comes across as a somewhat one-dimensional villain, lacking the depth and nuance of other Doctor Who antagonists. Similarly, Astrid Peth, played by Kylie Minogue, while charming, feels more like a plot device and a guest star vehicle than a fully developed companion in the mold of Donna Noble, who would soon become a central figure in the Doctor’s life.
Ship-shape…
Despite these shortcomings, the sheer enthusiasm and creativity of writer Russell T Davies are undeniable. “Voyage of the Damned,” even with its imperfections, manages to be captivating Christmas television. It’s a testament to Davies’ ability to blend genres and create engaging narratives, even when stretching the show’s resources.
Christmas Specials and Genre Mashups: A Davies Trademark
Russell T Davies’ era of Doctor Who Christmas specials became known for their genre-bending nature, often drawing inspiration from popular Christmas viewing traditions. “The Christmas Invasion” clearly echoed the blockbuster patriotism of “Independence Day.” “The Runaway Bride” embraced the action-adventure formula of mismatched pairings. “The Next Doctor” dipped into Victorian period drama with steampunk elements. “Voyage of the Damned,” perhaps the most overt in its genre homage, firmly plants itself in the disaster movie territory.
Disaster films, paradoxically, became a staple of British Christmas television. While the premise of watching large numbers of characters meet gruesome ends might seem at odds with festive cheer, these films offer grand spectacle, large-scale set pieces, and relatively straightforward narratives – perfect for relaxed holiday viewing. They provide an escapist thrill and a sense of shared experience, even amidst fictional catastrophe.
On angels
“Voyage of the Damned” subtly acknowledges the oddity of this tradition through Mister Copper, a character whose warped Christmas traditions satirize the sometimes surreal and excessive nature of the holiday season. The idea that “families gather around the table to watch lots of characters die in brutal and visually interesting ways” is presented as a peculiar Christmas custom, mirroring the sometimes inexplicable nature of real-world holiday traditions.
Budgetary Constraints and Narrative Flow
One of the main criticisms leveled against “Voyage of the Damned” is the visual limitations imposed by its television production context. Doctor Who, even with a generous BBC budget, couldn’t fully realize the visual scale of a true disaster-in-space epic. The episode relies on CGI explosions, sequences in corridors, and a single major set piece – the “nuclear storm drive” scene – to convey the unfolding catastrophe.
Port of call…
The narrative pacing of “Voyage of the Damned” suffers from this constraint. The episode could have benefited from more visually impressive disaster sequences akin to the “nuclear storm drive” scene. Instead, it feels like the episode builds towards this single set piece, where a significant number of supporting characters, including Foon, Morvin, and Bannakaffalatta, are eliminated. This climactic moment, while dramatic, unfortunately drains the episode of suspense in its final act. After this point, only Astrid, whose fate is sealed from the moment the Doctor invites her to travel with him, faces mortal danger. The episode loses momentum after this high-body-count sequence, which is arguably its most significant flaw.
Over-Plotting and Villain Motivation
The Max Capricorn plotline further complicates the narrative structure. Capricorn’s motivations and methods are somewhat convoluted. His presence onboard the Starship Titanic when he plans to crash it seems unnecessarily risky. A simpler narrative, focusing solely on a natural disaster, might have streamlined the plot and allowed for greater focus on character development and emotional impact. While Max and the angelic Heavenly Hosts provide clear antagonists for the Doctor to confront, they also contribute to a sense of over-plotting, making “Voyage of the Damned” feel somewhat bloated.
Despite these narrative complexities, “Voyage of the Damned” remains engaging, particularly for casual Christmas viewing. Davies structures his Christmas specials to be accessible to a wide audience, even those with varying levels of attention. Max’s plan is conveniently explained in a single dialogue scene shortly before his demise, ensuring that even viewers who might have missed earlier plot points can still follow the story. The episode is filled with striking visuals and hits the expected blockbuster notes for family entertainment.
Radar love…
Class Conflict and Social Commentary
Interestingly, “Voyage of the Damned” weaves in thematic elements that became increasingly prominent in Davies’ writing, particularly as Doctor Who moved into its fourth season and Davies’ final full season as showrunner. Class-based subtext is subtly explored throughout this spacefaring adventure, which is fitting given the setting on a luxury liner. The Doctor’s early instruction to Astrid to call him “just Doctor, not sir” hints at this underlying theme.
Characters like Foon and Morvin are explicitly positioned as lower class compared to the affluent passengers. They won their tickets in a competition, their knowledge of a galactic soap opera (“By the Light of the Asteroid”) being the key to their temporary social elevation. Their excitement about the trip is tempered by the looming debt incurred from the competition entry fees. The couple even face condescension from the upper-class passengers, who suggest they belong in “steerage,” highlighting the social stratification on the Starship Titanic.
Somebody
Class conflict surfaces in other ways as well. The Stewart is primarily concerned about a first-class passenger’s well-being when the Heavenly Hosts malfunction. The Captain’s decision to participate in Capricorn’s conspiracy is driven by economic desperation, seeking financial security for his family in the face of a terminal illness.
Furthermore, both Max Capricorn and Bannakaffalatta are portrayed as victims of social prejudice due to their cyborg status. This prejudice serves as a metaphor for real-world societal biases against those deemed “different.” Bannakaffalatta initially hides his cyborg nature, and Max attempts to conceal his cyborg identity from his corporate board using holograms. Mister Copper provides further context, mentioning his interactions with “cyborg caravans,” drawing parallels to marginalized groups like modern-day gypsies or travelers, whom he defends as “good people.”
Leveraging his charisma…
The Doctor’s Hubris and Failure: A Recurring Motif
Another key aspect of the Davies era, particularly as the show progressed towards its fourth season, is the exploration of the Tenth Doctor’s hubris and his capacity for failure. While hinted at earlier, arguably as far back as “The Christmas Invasion,” this theme becomes increasingly prominent in season four and the specials leading to Tennant’s departure.
While “The Last of the Time Lords” suggested the potential for the Doctor’s perspective to be flawed, “Voyage of the Damned” directly confronts the Doctor with a stark and undeniable failure. His confident declaration to the survivors is inspiring in the moment, but tragically, only two of those present at that speech ultimately survive the episode.
The Max…
While the Doctor ultimately prevents the destruction of Earth, this outcome feels almost predetermined, especially in a Christmas special set in contemporary Britain. The episode “Turn Left” offers a glimpse into an alternate reality where the Doctor fails, and even in that scenario, the devastation is limited to Southern England, not the entire planet. Therefore, preventing planetary destruction feels like a baseline expectation rather than a significant victory in this context.
The true tragedy of “Voyage of the Damned” lies in the Doctor’s inability to save most of the people he promised to protect. The high death toll, even softened by the sentimental “among the stars” sequence, underscores the Doctor’s failure. Astrid’s death, particularly as the first companion figure to permanently die in the revived series (despite never entering the TARDIS proper), further emphasizes the episode’s somber tone. Even for Christmas tea-time viewing, the episode carries a significant weight of loss and failure for the Doctor.
A Host of problems…
The Doctor’s previous major failure, in “The Parting of the Ways,” was mitigated by a convenient deus ex machina, offering a reset button. “Voyage of the Damned” provides no such easy escape. The Doctor is forced to confront the consequences of his actions without a magical solution.
This episode directly links this failure to the Doctor’s arrogance. Mister Copper repeatedly tries to inform the Doctor of Astrid’s death, but the Doctor, in a display of hubris, refuses to accept it, proclaiming, “I can do anything!” This outburst, while characteristic of the Tenth Doctor’s confidence, is ultimately proven false. His rage and denial cannot alter the tragic outcome.
The crossover…
Foreshadowing Tennant’s Finale and the Doctor’s Morality
“Voyage of the Damned” is crucial in setting the stage for the remainder of David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor. Episodes like “Midnight” and “The Waters of Mars” directly build upon the themes of the Doctor’s arrogance and its consequences, exploring the darker implications of his immense power and responsibility. “Voyage of the Damned” serves as a foundational episode in this thematic arc, foreshadowing the Doctor’s later, even more profound moral challenges.
The episode subtly hints at the ethical dilemmas the Doctor will face later. Mister Copper’s observation about the survival of the greedy capitalist passenger raises a crucial question: “Of all the people to survive, he’s not the one you would have chosen, is he? But if you could choose, Doctor… if you decide who lives and who dies… that would make you a monster.” This line foreshadows the central conflict of “The Waters of Mars,” where the Doctor grapples with the temptation to manipulate fixed points in time and decide who lives and dies.
Free-wheeling…
The episode implicitly questions the nature of heroism. Is the Doctor a hero simply by saving whoever he can, perhaps by chance or proximity to the TARDIS, as suggested by “The Fires of Pompeii”? Or does the act of consciously deciding who is “worthy” of saving, as in “The Waters of Mars,” transform him into something else – a judge rather than a savior?
British Identity and Festive Irony
“Voyage of the Damned” also subtly connects back to the patriotic undertones of “The Christmas Invasion.” Is the Doctor’s hubris ironically mirrored in a slightly exaggerated celebration of British exceptionalism? Or is this nationalistic element simply a way to create a sense of festive comfort and familiarity for the audience on Christmas Day? The episode certainly presents examples of British resilience, with Wilf and the Queen steadfastly remaining in London despite alien invasions.
Winging it…
The Doctor himself participates in this nationalistic humor when Mister Copper mentions “Great France” and “Great Germany.” The Doctor quickly corrects him, asserting, “Only Britain is Great.” The episode even highlights the strength of the British pound sterling in the interstellar economy, further reinforcing this playful, if slightly ironic, sense of British pride.
Mister Copper’s final scene, where he expresses a desire to travel with the Doctor, feels somewhat tonally dissonant. The Doctor’s abrupt rejection, stating “I travel alone. It’s best that way,” while intended to emphasize his emotional isolation, could also be interpreted as dismissive. While it underscores the Doctor’s evolving character arc, it slightly diminishes Mister Copper’s likeability in his final moments.
Silent (night) running…
Connections to Doctor Who History and Douglas Adams
“Voyage of the Damned” also demonstrates Russell T Davies’ expansive approach to Doctor Who’s history. The introduction of Wilf, played by Bernard Cribbins, who had previously played a companion in the Peter Cushing Doctor Who films, is a notable example. While those films were not considered part of the series’ main continuity, Davies subtly acknowledges their place in the broader Doctor Who narrative. This inclusive approach extends to other elements, such as Steven Moffat later borrowing the technicolor Dalek design from the Cushing films.
Starship Titanic…
The episode’s premise, centered around the Starship Titanic, also appears to be a nod to Douglas Adams’ “Starship Titanic” game. Adams, who served as script editor during Graham Williams’ era – a period often viewed less favorably by fans – is thus subtly honored. Davies’ willingness to incorporate elements from all eras of Doctor Who, even those less universally praised, reinforces his inclusive vision for the franchise. This approach is further evidenced by his inclusion of elements from “The TV Movie” continuity and references to more obscure parts of Doctor Who lore.
A White Christmas…
In conclusion, “Voyage Of The Damned Doctor Who” is a flawed yet fascinating episode. Despite its narrative and budgetary limitations, it remains a memorable Christmas special due to its ambition, thematic depth, and its role in setting up key character arcs for the Tenth Doctor. It exemplifies Russell T Davies’ willingness to blend genres, explore complex themes, and embrace the entirety of Doctor Who’s rich and sometimes contradictory history. While not a perfect episode, “Voyage of the Damned” is undoubtedly an intriguing and important piece of the Doctor Who puzzle.
