Note: Doctor Who TV’s pre-air reviews aim to be as detail-free as we reasonably can while still offering a critique, but as everyone’s spoiler sensibilities are different, we advise you read on at your own discretion.

Oh, are we back?

Apologies for the slight lateness in delivery of this advance review, but the BBC keeping everyone waiting seems to be a running theme with Doctor Who of late… Yes it really has been a whole year since our last episode. It’s fair to say then that a lot more than usual rides on this year’s festive outing. It’s no longer just the Christmas pudding after a full series meal; it’s the only real dish on the table.

First things first despite being billed as a Christmas special and airing on Christmas Day, this isn’t really a special in the style of most past outings. A lovely and lengthy pre-title sequence (with shades of “The Eleventh Hour”) brings us the most overt festive moment, but other than that there’s nothing else that smacks you in the face. It’s something that could be broadcast at any time of the year.

The main premise sees the Doctor in New York City encountering a young boy at Christmas and inadvertently giving him superpowers. Fast-forward many, many years and the city is now being protected by an adult version who has adopted a full-on superhero persona (despite the Doctor’s warnings against it). Meanwhile, a young reporter discovers horrifying plans for Earth’s leaders are afoot, involving brain-swapping aliens.

Moffat has made no secret that this is basically his attempt at doing Superman in the Doctor Who universe. But this is the ‘Man of Steel’ done more in the way of the fun, colourful and goofy Christopher Reeve films, rather than the grimdark offerings currently available by Zack Snyder. While the superhero genre doesn’t sound like a natural fit to incorporate into Doctor Who, Moffat against the odds manages to just about make it work.

Moffat sticking so close to superhero classics is both a blessing and a curse however. Everything is lovingly familiar, but as the saying goes, familiarity can also breed a bit of contempt. There’s not quite enough to distinguish and place a unique enough Doctor Who stamp on it. Moffat even lifts lines straight from the source material. And if you’re not into superheroes, this is still going to be a tough sell.

Our “Superman” in question is actually “The Ghost,” or out of disguise, the mild-mannered Grant, played as an adult by Justin Chatwin and Logan Hoffman as a boy. Both actors bring an endearing quality to Grant, though Chatwin as a superhero is corny, if deliberately so. Of course no Superman homage would be complete without a Lois Lane. Here we have Lucy filling the void, portrayed by Charity Wakefield (with a slightly dodgy “New York” twang). Lucy’s pairing with Grant (or the Ghost) is really at the heart of the special and their hidden love for each other. So much so that the actual villainous plot takes a bit of a back seat to it.

A superhero needs a villain to battle, and we actually get two: Dr Sim and Mr Brock, actors Aleksandar Jovanovi and Adetomiwa Edun, respectively. There’s not a great deal of depth from either, but there’s a fair amount of scenery chewing. Dr Sim sees the more memorable performance of the duo, but that’s mainly down to Jovanovi’s thick accent accentuating everything.

How could we forget the Doctor himself? Reuniting with Capaldi for the first time again in so long is wonderful (we’ll just ignore Class, as the BBC did). There’s just not a great deal to challenge Capaldi’s acting talents, but what we get to see is a little more of the adventurous and fun side of the Time Lord. Some latter moments do show a sense of inner anger and sadness (and a link to last year).

Fitting less obviously into the whole picture is Nardole. The decision to bring back Matt Lucas’ (now credited in the opening titles) from last year’s “The Husbands of River Song” is no doubt a contentious one. He was quite frankly, utterly forgettable making little impact other than being the butt of a few jokes before being offed (sort of). Moffat barely explains his return (and new body). If you weren’t a fan of the character before it’s doubtful Lucas will do much here to change your mind. He still serves as little more than comic relief for kids, though he gets one nice scene at the very end, which shows slightly more to him.

Returning director Ed Bazalgette (“The Girl Who Died” and “The Woman Who Lived”) ably leans into the comic-flavourings, including some scenes that split into actual on-screen panels. The visual effects work is largely disappointing unfortunately. Taken as a Christopher Reeve Superman homage, the superhero effects are true to form, but as those movies came out in the 70’s and 80s things have moved on. Many superhero shows have also proved things can look great even on a TV budget. The soundtrack, once again by Murray Gold, has thankfully improved from the reused Smith era themes seen in the preview clip. However there’s still some forced ‘comedic’ music in places (yes, almost all of them involving Nardole).

Wrapping up then, it’s somewhat inevitable that after such a long time away this year’s one and only Doctor Who episode can’t possibly live up to expectations, and hype from other media outlets. But judged simply as a lighter one-off special, it’s an entertaining hour with enough heart to make it perfectly passable until the next long wait for Series 10…