First Review: Dr Who: The Runaway Bride

As you may remember, last week I immersed myself in the world of Captain Jack Harkness and his Torchwood gang. Coming to terms with a darker, landlocked and mostly straight-laced pitch was a somewhat disconcerting experience. This week I was reminded of all that can be righted in the universe when Russell T. Davies plants his tongue firmly in his cheek.

The Runaway Bride is the 2006 Christmas episode of Dr Who, and in festive tradition this adventure seeks a point of difference from the series anthology. This task is single-handedly achieved by the inspired casting of comedian Catherine Tate.

Tate’s zany, chameleon performances are more well-known than her dramatic outings in Wild West, Bleak House and Miss Marple mysteries. So it is a delight to watch her in a character role more fleshed-out than a sketch series can afford.

Temporarily sandwiched between ‘Billie Piper’s ‘Rose’ and Freema Agyeman’s forthcoming ‘Martha’, Tate plays Donna, a bride rudely teleported mid-ceremony from her altar to the TARDIS -and she is seriously pissed. Both Tate and Who’s David Tennant have a field day as their characters struggle to make sense of being thrown together.

Ludicrously decked out in full white regalia, Donna screams for Who to get her to the church on time. “The TARDIS?” she yells, “The TARDIS! That’s not even a proper word! You’re just saying things!”

Soon landing back on Earth, Donna is kidnapped by a band of evil Santas (the same dastardly culprits from the 2005 Xmas Special) and a farcical pursuit follows on the Metroway. Punctuated by a high-octane soundtrack, this sequence is a nod to big screen car chases, brimming in energetic zest thanks to Tate and Tennant’s chemistry.

With its inane concoctions of evil Christmas decorations, big-budget effects and iconic London landmarks (this time it’s the Thames), Davies knows this terrain like the back of his masterful hand. Look out for a villainess’ outfit worthy of the finest Sleaze Ball costume or Grace Jones video. It’s high-camp, comic lunacy. All the reasons we love this franchise are celebrated, manipulated and elevated.

I’m not sure the weekly yardstick to TEN’s Torchwood is one which Davies intended, but therein lays the black hole logic of Aussie network programming.

Finally, when Who entertains the idea of Donna joining him for more adventures you’ll simply want to yell “yes, pleeeeez!” to your plasma screen. But alas, sometimes Christmas is a time for gifts that won’t keep on giving no matter how hard we wish.

“The Runaway Bride” screens 8:30pm Thursday June 28 on ABC TV.