I can't believe this is by Steven Moffat. I was expecting it would be good! This is not doctor who. I was buying loads of stuff to get more evidence about it and it actually sounded cool. the actual episode was a big mistake. The doctor goes into America and brings a superhero to life. what is this? SUPERMAN???? You can leave this one out guys. It is not what you were expecting it would be.

If this, the latest special, is any indication, then new show runner Chris Chibnall can't get here quick enough. This is without question, the worst special episode of the New Who and inarguably the single worst episode of the run yet. And I am in no way a Moffat hater. Last year's special, with the exception of the horrid Matt Lucas, was the best ever. Moffat has shepherded, in my opinion, one of the show's finest eras and has written shome of the show's finest scripts. This is not one, and it's extremely low quality in all respects was shocking. This is Moffat Doctor Who? Was it supposed to parody the super hero genre, or pay homage to it? You simply don't know. I feel it would have been better if Moffat had turned this over to someone with a better grasp of the genre, because he seemingly has none. The superheroics are extremely lame as is the very generic menace. Of all the characters that could have been brought back from previous seasons, we get the astonishingly obnoxious and hateable Nardole, played by the equally obnoxious and hateable Matt Lucas. And the moment he asked for the little boy's room? That was without doubt, the single most disturbing television moment of 2016. I simply cannot believe that passed the script editing process. What's next for the show, an appearance by Gary Glitter? I sincerely hope the series did not jump the shark. But even if it didn't, this one had the show strapping on the skis. An absolute new low for Doctor Who, a total insult to the fans and the hard work of Peter Capaldi. I pray it doesn't get worse than this. Jerry Warren's "Wild World of Batwoman" did superheroes better. And yes, I know how horrific that sounds. Doctor Who may be in for his greatest threat yet, Moffat's final season.

I've been a Whovian for the better part of half a century. I go back to Patrick Troughton.I have thoroughly enjoyed this rebooted Doctor Who since Ecclestone. I think that Tennant and Smith were fantastic. Their companions have been superb also.I have tried to enjoy Capaldi's tetchy incarnation but its been a challenge. That challenge has been getting bigger since Clara left us. I do hope the coming season breathes new life into the franchise.But if this 'special' is anything to go by, my hopes are dwindling. First the premise. Aliens invading the Earth.... Oh wait. That wasn't the premise this time. Just a byline. Almost a distraction from the actual premise which was just a weak rip off of Lois and Clark.I waited a few days before writing this review because I wanted to see it a second time... It didn't help.Since Clara left us its been downhill.And can somebody tell me what Matt Lucas' irritating character adds to the program?

There was really nothing that excited me about the return of Doctor Who for the Christmas special; generally they are only so-so episodes, and too often they overplay the seasonal aspect and throw lots of glitter-like aspects into the mix (by which I mean stuff that looks nice from a distance but is a mess and an annoyance when you get to it – source, I have a small daughter and lots of things with glitter stuck to them, and over everything else). On top of that the promotional poster looked cheap and silly – much like the superhero costume itself; and the title (The Return of Doctor Mysterio) screamed of cheese. So, like Doctor Who generally, I almost come at it now with a much lower bar for what will work for me – ie if it is not awful, then it must be one of the good episodes.And by that yardstick, this Christmas special was quite enjoyable. It featured a topical (if overdone) genre of superheroes, had some sinister creature elements, showed restraint in a lot of areas, and generally was interesting in what it did with the characters. Generally it was greeted by those around me in the same way – satisfied indifference, which I do think is sometimes what this show is happy with – particularly in these big seasonal event shows. However this is not to say that the special is a good watch, because it isn't, and there is a lot to be irritated by. It wastes the aliens – it has some sinister images and ideas but doesn't follow them up, and the invasion plot really has limited menace. It does have a nice romantic plot but it doesn't do it that well, it is very much BBC sitcom level (and that is not a good thing). I liked the restraint it showed regarding the seasonal stuff, and that Matt Lucas was not a big part of it and was really limited in his impact (enough to be a good addition, not enough to be too annoying).In the end it is an okay Christmas special but suffers from the same issue that much of Doctor Who – it really doesn't know what it wants to do, and feels produced by committee. The mix of content doesn't always work, and as usual we end with the Doctor being all dark and alone – something Capaldi can work with, but is never really fleshed out as it should be. In the context of Christmas Day though, it did work well enough to pass muster thanks to the state of the audience, and the low expectations/requirements the vast majority will have brought with them.