N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

In A Christmas Carol the Doctor displays a cavalier attitude towards terrifying children worthy of Robert Holmes.

His description of the face spiders to young Kazran Sardick is quite marvellous.

“Do you know there’s a thing called a face spider? It’s just like a tiny baby’s head with spider legs and it’s specifically evolved to scuttle up the backs of bedroom cupboards.”

The Doctor, A Christmas Carol

It’s even better when he doubles down on it to reveal they sleep in mattresses.

The Doctor’s reassuring stories are not the only gem here, of course. Although I’ve never been convinced by the shark, I am rather fond of the fish that swim in the fog, which means I’m only being fussy about the scale of the flying scales.

Elsewhere, Amy and Rory engage in a bit of honeymoon roleplay, we watch as the Doctor changes someone’s memories to make them a “better” person – that’s some power he wields, that! – and we rejoice as music saves the day. (Indeed, Abigail’s song is lovely.)

But, if truth be told, A Christmas Carol would be worth it simply for the scenes Matt Smith shares with Michael Gambon. I’d have been happy enough if the story was simply a two-hander along the lines of their first scenes together.

Well, that – and the face spiders.