I thought that was the Doctor? Or at least it was the last three times someone on here made that joke. Decades old Simpsons references! Its like Have I got News for You on here sometimes.

I agree with your point but The Hulkbuster Iron Man Suit has been in the comics for over 20 years.

I've never made that joke about The Doctor (I like the sunglasses and guitar!). Surely doing so would be missing the point of the gag which is that a new 'cooler' character is suddenly introduced and forced down your throat?

Oh yeah. Pretty similar though, aren't they?

Yeah but they changed it rather a lot from its original look in the comics to AOU. But it kind of makes the point even more!

Yeah I know! It kept being repeated on the episode threads but like you say...it doesnt make any sense. I'm not sure it applies to River. She seems to be a fall back option Moffat can go to when he run's out of ideas.

"We all know it?" Giving it a chance, then?

As for Xmas specials, personally still rate A Christmas Carol as my favourite of them all and Re: SM I enjoyed The Snowmen, Time of the Doctor and Last Christmas very much. What was the other one, I can't remember? (Actually, didn't think that one was *terrible* like most people on DS seem to!)

Oh dear, is that the best they can come up with? River Song?! Wont they let anyone die in this series??? She was great with David, and OK with Matt I suppose. But this is going too far this time.....oh well I hope this explains how she first met the Doctor. She did say that he (David) looked a lot younger when he first met her in that library!

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe?

I too think A Christmas Carol is the best Christmas special so far (partly because it was based on the Dickens story and I'm a sucker for Charles Dickens) but generally I'm never overly excited for the specials. They do their purpose, however, at just being a fun and festive romp (except for The End of Time).

This one looks like the usual silliness but I'm looking forward to seeing Capaldi and Kingston together and I'm sure it'll be an enjoyable hour.

I was constructing similar bulky robot models in the early 1980s with Macross.
Never watched the animations but loved the models.

We've already seen how River first met the Doctor.

Also, River Song's timeline is out of sequence as we know, so she doesn't have to be back from the dead.

Do you watch the show between your frowning at its ideas?

I actually came on to see what we thought of the timeslot it's been given: 5.15pm on Christmas Day.

Is that not one of its earliest ever slots? One extreme to the other it seems!

At any rate the show isn't served well by being on at a time where it doesn't finish until way past the watershed, so I shant grumble at it.

I wander if the writers will bother to remember that he hasn't seen her for 900 years, or they will just conveniently forget about it, Once Again.

Where else have the writers forgotten he hasn't seen River in 900 years, this being the first time we've seen him meet her since Trenzalore?!

5:15 on Xmas day, far too early, they may as well not bother doing the Xmas special if this is the way it gets treated

Well, Strictly isn't moving from its early evening slot and Call the Midwife is up against Coronation Street.

At least ITV's competition is The Nation's Favourite Disney Song. Not much to worry about there.

I know I'm stating the obvious here, but I don't think anyone mentioned it yet so: The 'many husbands' no doubt refers to the many versions of the Doctor. And with that I don't expect to see surprise appearances by ex Doctors, it will just be about River adjusting to them.

5.15pm is too early - can't see the overnights being very good (i think the Paul OGrady dog programe might win the timeslot)

According to DigiGuide, Paul O'Grady is not on until Boxing Day. Doctor Who's competition is The Nation's Favourite Disney Song.

acording to a poster on the ratings thread in the TV section it looks like the disney show and Gradys dog programe have been switched (disney show is on at 6pm boxing day)

I hope 'I Wan'na Be Like You' wins.

Another christmas special that looks like it will have lots of christmas reference points hammered in... So we've had Snowmen and christmas trees coming to life, a christmas star from the top of the tree that is actually a spaceship, a re-imagining of a christmas carol... Oh and Santa Claus in last years one.
Lets visit Amy and Rory in New York when they are dragged down by age and bitterness, just so they can intone the sacred words... "you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot, merry christmas your arse, I pray god its our last..." or have the Doctor visit Noddy Holder in 1972 to tell him those lyrics he's about to throw away are his pension fund

The time slot is surprisingly early but I suppose when you've got SCD, Call The Midwife and Eastenders to fit in DW was always going to lose out. SCD is the only one that could go earlier and it's so popular as family viewing they wouldn't waste it in the earlier time slot.

Actually, Moffat has said it's the least Christmassy Christmas Special yet - heavy with Christmas at the beginning, but then they head off on a tangent.

Can't wait to see River again. I'm hugely relieved she's just River from another point in her life, and not some contrived "back from the dead" version. I don't understand why she hasn't been used more to be honest. He can meet her any time, any place, and we don't need an explanation. Plus she always said she'd met multiple doctors, so it's nice to have actually seen her meet (at least!) three!