The Doctor Who Christmas Specials are now a hallowed tradition (look, I'm allowed the odd pun, OK?). They join the long list of Christmas specials that were shown as a regular part of the British Christmas TV landscape - 'The Morcombe & Wise Show', 'Only Fools and Horses', 'The Last of the Summer Wine', 'The Two Ronnies'. These classics have now been supplanted by 'Doctor Who'.
Speculation is always rife as to the plot and locations used by the Christmas Special, and 2011 was no exception. When you shoot in a public place like a museum, someone will talk! It is inevitable. The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby is home to the Panton family's beautiful Avro Lancaster B. Mk VII, NX611, 'Just Jane', and when it became known that the Centre AND the WW2 bomber were to feature in the Christmas Special, following on from Series 7, the local press, in the form of the 'Skegness Standard' did their best to find out details. Filming took place on the night of 2nd/3rd October, 2011, and also the following day. Alexander Armstrong played the part of Flight Lieutenant Reg Arwell, the pilot of a badly damaged Lancaster, who is, presumably, returning from a raid. A member of his crew arrives in the cockpit to tell him that 'Anderson's pretty bad'. Despite the fact that they are lost somewhere over the English Channel, Reg tells the crew member to tell Anderson that 'He'll be home for Christmas'. Left alone, he looks at the photograph of Madge, his wife, and says 'Sorry..' I understand that it was quite a squeeze to get all the film crew into the Lancaster, as well as the actors!
The Doctor first meets Madge three years earlier, when he falls to Earth in an alien space suit, and hilarity ensues. Later, when Madge conceals the supposed death of her husband from her children to give them a good Christmas, the Doctor reappears as 'the caretaker' at a deserted Dorset house where everyone is to spend the holidays, in order to give them as good a time as possible.
There are MANY references to 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe', by C.S Lewis, which is also set in wartime England, and the magical forest of Androzani trees where most of the action is played out is just one of them.
Somehow, everyone is saved from the drenching acid rain, come to reduce the forest to liquid fuel, and Madge flings an alien vessel, and all in it, into the Time Vortex, and back to the country estate. Amazingly, Reg's Lancaster has been pulled along behind them, and there he is, safe and sound, running from the Lancaster, which is parked in front of the country house, towards his family.
I have a couple of major continuity problems with this Special. Firstly, the Lancaster is shown taking part in a raid just before Christmas, 1941. Now when I was at RAF Waddington, I was told by a veteran (and confirmed it) that the very first production Lancasters were issued to No. 44 Squadron at Waddington, in September, but deliveries did not get rolling until December, 1941, and the VERY FIRST raid - a sortie to drop mines in enemy waters - took place on 3rd MARCH, 1942! So, the timeline as scripted is all wrong. I can give people a break when it comes to the color of their mother-in-law's eyes, or their father's favorite ice cream, BUT when it comes to aviation faux pas in a BBC TV drama - no quarter is given!
The second problem comes when Madge and her two children, and the Doctor, are leaving the house to run and greet Reg. This scene was shot at Stradey Castle, Llanelli, Wales, which is a private residence, set on sloping ground and in front of dark woods. When Reg is shown shouting with joy and running towards his family, with the Lancaster parked behind him, it is bright and sunny, and the ground is that amazing 'Lincolnshire flat', which goes on for miles and miles. There obviously a major geographic and weather disconnect, here. Also, as a good Lancaster pilot, why isn't he concerned for his men? After all, there are seven men in a Lancaster crew, and one of them, 'Anderson' is supposed to be badly wounded! This continuity disaster is just left to one side.
Ah, well, I suppose I'll forgive everyone in BBC Wales, as this was supposed to be at Christmas, and they DID put a Lancaster in my stocking!
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