Christmas Station originally started with the whole extended family gathered around the table at Christmas dinner, with The Doctor at the head of the table, and then various stories of problems getting there would be shared. It was ok, but I decided this was a better way. It meant that The Doctor and Rose didn’t feature in the story, but that doesn’t really matter. This series is now far more about the next generation anyway. As it was always meant to be.

Earl Gregory was meant to be a one off character nearly a year ago, but actually I liked him so much he has re-appeared more than once. This is a lovely chance to bring him into a story again. It meant that I had three couples, Chris and Carya, Davie and Brenda, and Sukie and Earl. Davie and Chris’s stern injunctions to Earl about behaving himself with their sister are a running theme through all of the stories involving him, of course. Some readers have asked how come the twins are taking that parental role with Sukie, and why isn’t their dad giving Earl these lectures. Of course, their dad is Human and doesn’t knock about in the TARDIS. Chris and Davie are the ones who have the contact with Earl and lay down the law with him. And since he is from the twenty-six century when both of them have somewhat legendary status, it is a law he fears.

Christmas Station is something of a tack-fest, of course. But can’t you just see it happening once humans get out into space? It’s bound to happen. If you want proof, look at the third Santa Clause film, where the North Pole becomes commercialised in a way very similar to my Christmas Station. I hadn’t seen that film before I wrote this story, incidentally. But if I had, I couldn’t have made it more tacky.

Davie and Brenda fall foul of the robot Santas just like The Doctor encountered in Christmas Invasion and Runaway Bride. Sukie and Earl get kidnapped by a sleigh driven by a robot Santa, just like Donna in the taxi driven by a robot in the same Runaway Bride. Chris and Carya get chased by the killer Christmas tree from the same sources. There’s a theme here! Davie and Brenda nearly being sucked out into space has a bit of a resonance from Voyage of the Damned, too. This is a Christmas special in the tradition of Doctor Who Christmas specials!

And yes, it is a terrible thing to do to a replica of the Madonna of the Rocks. Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist it.

The Santas turning out to belong to a character called B’Tallia Vance only makes sense if you’ve read my Ten series, where The Doctor twice encounters a woman by that name, who used to be a man, and who fancies The Doctor so much she goes to extreme lengths to get him. I have never been satisfied with the reason why the Robot Santas turned up in Christmas Invasion. It really wasn’t explained very well. So the idea they come from her works for me.