We’ve learned that the Christmas Special 2014 will be called (and probably not in honour of Wham) Last Christmas. The Radio Times has given space to the synopsis (Doctor Who: Christmas special synopsis revealed) and I was interested (as a science fiction and as a writer [see my writer blog The Craft of Words]) in the mention of The Thing in connection with the Arctic base.

Arctic base…

The John Carpenter (and others) film The Thing is based on a story by John W Campbell called Who Goes There? and as I wrote in my book on creativity for writers (Opening the Creativity Diamond) is an archetypal base under siege, a story scenario often used in Doctor Who. Interestingly two specific bases under siege are in snowy wastes - Tenth Planet and The Ice Warriors no less.

Funny how things go around!