I have a confession to make - I absolutely love "The Feast of Steven". Admittedly, as a part of the epic serial "The Daleks' Master Plan", it sticks out like a sore thumb. While the rest of the story is so dark that even companions die, "The Feast of Steven" is an incredibly light-hearted break that's honestly nothing but pure silliness.
And that's exactly why I love it. As the only Doctor Who episode broadcast on Christmas Day - at least until "The Christmas Invasion", exactly 40 years later - it's allowed to be a little bit silly, even in a story as dark as "The Daleks' Master Plan". Or perhaps even especially in a story as dark as "Master Plan".
Don't get me wrong, the darkness works for the overall story brilliantly. But it is nice seeing the TARDIS crew have a break from all the horrors for a while. Especially Sara Kingdom, who goes through so much and is only a companion for this story, at least on-screen. So to have her involved in an episode that's nothing but pure farce is refreshing. Especially when that episode ends with her getting to celebrate Christmas with her new friends.
A message to the viewers
This brings me to something very special. Just yesterday, a newly animated recreation of the scene was released by Josh Snares on YouTube. Josh Snares has presented some fantastic documentaries on Doctor Who, especially those covering missing episodes and fan-made recreations.
But Snares has also worked on a few animations himself. These have usually been focused on adding a visual element to some of Big Finish's audio stories. Examples include the fantastic multi-Doctor adventure "Out of Time" starring David Tennant and Tom Baker, or the Sixth Doctor's last adventure "The Brink of Death".
But this time, he's animated a short piece of missing Doctor Who history: the ending of "The Feast of Steven". It's a lovely little moment, one that even breaks the fourth wall, so it's a real joy finally getting to see it in some shape or form. Watching the above animation, it's hard to deny the Christmasy feeling that it brings.
So Merry Christmas to Josh Snares and Lucy Crewe for helping to bring this lost moment to life. And of course, Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays, this is the 21st century, after all) to all of you at home!