Stories Television Doctor Who Series 7A The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe 2 images Overview Characters How to Watch Reviews 10 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 1 Transcript Overview First aired Sunday, December 25, 2011 Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Farren Blackburn Runtime 60 minutes Story Type Christmas Time Travel Past Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth UK Viewers 10.77 million Appreciation Index 84 Synopsis Christmas Eve, 1938. Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel, the Eleventh Doctor, who promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. Crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the English Channel, she wishes to give her children the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are greeted by the Doctor, who acts as their madcap caretaker. However, a mysterious Christmas gift from him leads them into a wintry, magical world. Madge must learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible... and that wishes can come true. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save Characters Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith Madge Arwell Androzani trees Reg Arwell Lily Arwell First Appearance Cyril Arwell Wooden Queen Show All Characters (7) How to watch The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Complete Seventh Series [Steelbook] Blu-Ray The 10 Christmas Specials DVD The 10 Christmas Specials Blu-Ray The Time of the Doctor + Other Eleventh Doctor Christmas Specials DVD The Time of the Doctor + Other Eleventh Doctor Christmas Specials Blu-Ray The Complete Seventh Series DVD The Complete Seventh Series Blu-Ray The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe DVD The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 10 reviews 3 June 2025 · 202 words Review by Jann 1 New Who Review #88 The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe ❄️ This story was sad. It was a nice story about the doctor bringing this family a Christmas present to androzani. I liked the story and I thought it was very sad. The child actors were good this time round especially Lily Arwell. It had some funny moments too which was perfect for Christmas. This is one of the best Christmas specials up to this point. The planet itself was beautiful It was all covered in snow it was beautiful. It had me crying in areas where madge said "please don't make me watch him die" the pure emotion from Claire skinner in that scene really translated over and made me cry I really felt for her and for her children. Of course because it's a Christmas special it has to have a happy ending. Turns out madge's husband wasn't actually dead and managed to follow her home. The final end scene with the doctor with Amy and Rory seeing them after 2 years was nice he thought they thought he was dead and he had to make sure they knew. Overall a beautiful story and a perfect episode to watch on Christmas day. 7/10 Jann View profile Like Liked 1 16 April 2025 · 4 words Review by GGVICTOR Spoilers This review contains spoilers! Eu odeio criança cara GGVICTOR View profile Like Liked 0 11 April 2025 · 126 words Review by zachbot3000 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! Why do I always weep when Madge steers the trees home?????? One of the best scripts Moffat ever wrote. So charged full of sweet tender emotion, my heart flutters with every scene. Almost every line is either a funny joke or a cutting human truth packaged perfectly. Just absolute banger after banger of lines where Moffat goes "huh have you noticed the underlining meaning of this old phrase we say all the time?" And it works on me every time!!!! Everyone is acting aces throughout. Matt Smith does a beautiful wacky performance and knows how to undercut it at the right time. And Madge. Oh, Madge. The best mom there ever was. Madge remains the only person to be absolutely unimpressed with the TARDIS taking off. zachbot3000 View profile Like Liked 0 25 February 2025 · 17 words Review by ThePlumPudding 1 okay so i know he was busy but at a certain point a line must be drawn ThePlumPudding View profile Like Liked 1 1 February 2025 · 40 words Review by silvertongue 1 Completely nonsensical, and I normally don’t mind that in Doctor Who (sometimes I love it) as long as it’s well written and well executed. Sadly, this is neither. Also some of the worst CGI. The ending is very sweet, though. silvertongue View profile Like Liked 1 Show All Reviews (10) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating848 members 2.42 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1787 Favourited 40 Reviewed 10 Saved 2 Skipped 2 Related Stories Minisodes Prequel to The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe Rating: 3.05 Story Skipped Minisode Reviews(4) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Minisodes Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they’re going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what’s the point in them being happy if they’re going to be sad later? The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later. — The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe Transcript Needs checking [Prequel] (On a spaceship, the Doctor is making a phone call to the TARDIS.) DOCTOR [OC]: Amy. Amy? Hello? Amy, it's me, the Doctor. Hello. Bit of a situation.COMPUTER: Intruder alert.DOCTOR: I've got my finger on a button, which is fine, but as soon as I take my finger off the button the spaceship is going to explode. (Sparks.)DOCTOR: Argh. Which is good in one way, because the spaceship in question is about to attack the Earth, but bad in another way, because I'm on the spaceship and I'm going to get all smithereened. Now, plan. I'm going to send you the coordinates so you can fly the TARDIS here and rescue me. Only three flaws in this plan as far as I can see. One, I don't have the coordinates. Two, you can't fly the TARDIS. Three, oh dear, you're not even there. You left ages ago. Oh, well. I think I just wanted a chat before all the smithereens. Merry Christmas, Amelia. (He closes his eyes and releases the red button. The spaceship starts to go KaBOOM!) [Earth orbit] Show Full Transcript Open in new window
