 = The Snowmen = 
 
 " The Snowmen " is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who , first broadcast on Christmas Day 2012 on BBC One . It is the eighth Christmas special since the show 's 2005 revival and the first to be within a series . It was written by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Saul Metzstein . 
 The episode is set in the Victorian era and sees the Doctor ( Matt Smith ) brooding with the assistance of Silurian Madame Vastra ( Neve McIntosh ) , her wife Jenny Flint ( Catrin Stewart ) and Sontaran Strax ( Dan Starkey ) , after the loss of companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams in the previous episode , " The Angels Take Manhattan " . He is forced out of hiding to investigate mysterious , sentient snowmen that are building themselves and meets Clara Oswald ( Jenna @-@ Louise Coleman ) , a governess also investigating the snowmen . They discover that the snowmen are being animated by the Great Intelligence ( voice of Ian McKellen ) with the help of a man named Dr Simeon ( Richard E. Grant ) . 
 Building upon the character 's surprise introduction in " Asylum of the Daleks " , " The Snowmen " introduces Clara as the Doctor 's new companion , though ultimately it would be a third version of her character that would travel with the Doctor starting with " The Bells of Saint John " . In addition to Clara , " The Snowmen " also introduces a redesigned TARDIS , revised title sequence and theme music , and sees changes to the Doctor 's costume . The special was produced in August 2012 , with location filming in Newport , Wales and Bristol . It received final ratings of 9 @.@ 87 million viewers in the UK , becoming the fourth most @-@ watched programme of Christmas Day . " The Snowmen " was met with mostly positive reviews from critics , most of whom received the introduction and character of Clara well . However , some felt that Grant and McKellen were underused as villains or the plot was slight because of the focus on characterisation . 
 
 = = Plot = = 
 
 
 = = = Prequels = = = 
 
 To promote the special , three prequels were released . The first was broadcast during the 2012 Children in Need telethon on 16 November 2012 , titled " The Great Detective " . The Silurian Madame Vastra , her human wife Jenny Flint , and the Sontaran Strax ( all returning from " A Good Man Goes to War " ) describe a number of strange phenomena to a shadowed fourth detective . The fourth detective reveals himself to be the Doctor , and tells the group that he has retired . 
 A second prequel , titled " Vastra Investigates " , was released online on 17 December 2012 . At the end of a case , Vastra and Jenny converse with an officer from Scotland Yard and apologise for Strax 's violent wishes for the culprit 's punishment . Vastra explains Strax 's alien origin as well as her own to the officer , much to his astonishment . Vastra reveals that she was awoken by an extension to the London Underground and initially disliked humans , though that changed when she fell in love with Jenny . On the carriage ride home , Jenny notices it is beginning to snow and Vastra notes that the snow should be impossible because there are no clouds in the sky . 
 A third prequel , titled " The Battle of Demon 's Run — Two Days Later " was released on the United States iTunes and Amazon Video stores on 25 March 2013 . Two days after the events of " A Good Man Goes to War " , Vastra and Jenny convince Strax that he is not mortally wounded and invite him to accompany them back to 1800s London . The scene had been filmed as an extra due to the anticipation that fans would ask how Strax was resurrected and came to be in Vastra 's employ . 
 
 = = = Synopsis = = = 
 
 In 1842 England , a young boy builds a snowman , but refuses to play with the other children . The snowman starts speaking to the boy , repeating his assertions that the other children are silly . Fifty years later , the boy has grown up to be Dr. Walter Simeon , proprietor of the Great Intelligence Institute . He hires men to collect samples of snow , which he places in a large snow @-@ filled globe in his laboratory before feeding the men to a group of animated snowmen . The Doctor , still despondent after losing his former companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams , has parked his TARDIS above Victorian London among the clouds . He uses his allies Vastra , Jenny , and Strax to keep people away from him . They also fill their time investigating mysteries throughout the city . 
 Elsewhere , barmaid Clara Oswin Oswald investigates a disturbance outside the tavern she works at and finds the Doctor walking by . He attempts to leave discreetly , but Clara follows him to a coach . Not wishing to become involved in matters , the Doctor instructs Strax to bring him a memory worm that will erase the last hour of Clara 's memories with just a touch . Before they can do so , they are surrounded by snowmen created from snow with psychic properties who attack the group . The Doctor realises that Clara 's thoughts are creating the snowmen and ends the threat by instructing her to think of them melting . Clara cautions the Doctor that if he wipes her memory , she will forget how to deal with the snowmen . The Doctor reluctantly allows her to go and ascends a staircase to the sky to return to the TARDIS . Clara follows him and knocks on the door , but she hides and flees down the staircase when the Doctor answers . Clara returns to her other job as governess for the children of Captain Latimer . She learns that Latimer 's daughter has been having horrible dreams about their previous governess returning from the dead . Clara realises that the pond that contains the old governess ' body is the only thing still frozen around them . She attempts to track down the Doctor but instead attracts the attention of Jenny , who takes her to see Vastra . Vastra tells Clara she gets only one word to impress the Doctor with if she wants his help . Clara chooses the word " Pond " , which shocks the Doctor and arouses his interest . 
 Acting on a tip from Strax , the Doctor visits the Great Intelligence Institute posing as Sherlock Holmes . He confronts Dr. Simeon and find a large glass globe in Simeon 's office that contains psychic snow . The Doctor speaks to the Great Intelligence , the entity that has been speaking to Dr. Simeon since he was a boy . He learns that the Great Intelligence has been controlling the snowmen and has taken interest in Latimer 's pond . The Doctor visits the pond and deduces that the Great Intelligence is using the old governess ' body as a DNA blueprint to form an ice creature that will retain its form and not melt . While Clara is putting the children to bed , the frozen body of the governess breaks into the house . The Doctor fights her off and is joined by Vastra , Jenny and Strax . Dr. Simeon arrives with more snowmen and tells them he wants the governess ' ice body . The Doctor flees with Clara to the roof of the mansion and then to the TARDIS hovering overhead . They are pursued by the ice governess , whom the Doctor traps under a layer of frozen ice crystals . Inside the TARDIS the Doctor gives Clara a TARDIS key , but the ice governess arrives and pulls Clara down off the cloud . 
 The Doctor picks up Clara and takes her back to Latimer 's mansion , placing her under medical care of Strax . He collects the ice fragments from the governess and places them in a souvenir London Underground biscuit tin . He and Vastra travel to Simeon 's lab , where the Doctor notes the Intelligence 's plan to replace humanity with ice creatures and holds up the tin with the necessary DNA . Dr Simeon grabs the tin and opens it only to find the memory worm , which latches on to him . The Doctor states that the Great Intelligence , which has been existing as a mirror of Dr Simeon 's thoughts , will vanish with the erasure of Simeon 's memories . Instead , the Intelligence reveals that it existed long enough that it can now control Simeon 's body , which it uses to attack Vastra and the Doctor . The influence of the Great Intelligence quickly wanes , and Simeon falls dead . Outside , a salt @-@ water rain has started , and the Doctor sees that another psychic ability has taken control of the snow from the Great Intelligence : the Latimer family , crying for Clara . Strax informs the Doctor upon his return to the Latimer mansion that Clara only has moments left , and she passes away as the Doctor returns the TARDIS key to her . At her funeral , the Doctor reads Clara 's full name on her tombstone and realises she is the woman he met in " Asylum of the Daleks " who became a Dalek , whom he refers to as " Soufflé Girl " . He gleefully announces that a person dying twice is an impossibility and , bidding farewell to his allies for now , the Doctor departs in the TARDIS to investigate and find Clara . The episode concludes in contemporary times , where a young woman resembling Clara walks through the same graveyard , pausing by Clara 's tombstone . 
 
 = = = Continuity = = = 
 
 The Second Doctor previously encountered the Great Intelligence in the serials The Abominable Snowmen ( 1967 ) , set in the 1930s , and The Web of Fear ( 1968 ) , set in the 1960s . In these stories , the Great Intelligence uses robot Yeti as its physical presence . The events of The Web of Fear are alluded to by the Doctor in " The Snowmen " when he presents the London Underground biscuit tin to the Great Intelligence in Dr Simeon 's laboratory ; the Intelligence states , " I do not understand these markings " , in reference to the 1967 London Underground map design on the tin . The Doctor remarks that the Underground is a " key strategic weakness in metropolitan living " , referring to ( and possibly setting in motion ) the future Yeti attack on London via the Underground . 
 Coleman previously played Oswin Oswald in " Asylum of the Daleks " , though the connection between the two characters is not clarified until Clara reveals she has an interest in soufflés , a trait that Oswin 's character also had . The Doctor , after meeting Clara , wistfully replies " those were the days " when she asks why he isn 't staying to get acquainted with her , which are the same words he tells Craig Owens ( " Closing Time " ) when Craig comments that the Doctor always wins . The final scenes at the graveyard establish that Clara shares the same name as Oswin , leading the Doctor to surmise they are the same person . As seen on her gravestone , Clara 's birthdate is 23 November , the date Doctor Who was first transmitted in 1963 . 
 
 = = Production = = 
 
 
 = = = Writing and design changes = = = 
 
 Writer Steven Moffat stated that he wanted an " epic " quality to the Christmas special . The story would also show how the Doctor had responded to losing his previous companions ; Moffat said that " I think he 's probably reached the point in his life where he 's saying , ' Friendship for me is just postponed bereavement — I want to be on my own for a while ' . " Moffat compared the withdrawn Doctor seen at the onset of the episode to the first appearances of the First Doctor ( William Hartnell ) in 1963 and the Ninth Doctor ( Christopher Eccleston ) in 2005 . He also attributed the idea of a retired Doctor to a plot proposed by Douglas Adams in the 1970s , but rejected by the production team at the time . Continuing the theme introduced with the series ' first five episodes , " The Snowmen " was promoted like a movie . A movie poster was released in the Radio Times , showing the Doctor and Clara ascending the ladder to the TARDIS . 
 The episode saw several major design changes for the series . " The Snowmen " is the debut of a redesigned TARDIS interior , as well as a new title sequence and variation of the theme tune . The new title sequence features a brief glimpse of the Doctor 's face , the first time since Survival , the final serial of the classic series in 1989 , that the Doctor 's face has been seen in the title sequence . Moffat had noticed that the TARDIS ' design was getting " progressively whimsical " and resembled more of a " magical place " rather than a machine . It was designed by series production designer Michael Pickwood , who stated that the new interior was also supposed to be " darker and moodier " and provide an easier access to the " gallery " of the ship when shooting . 
 The Doctor also wears a one @-@ off costume , Victorian @-@ themed , which Smith described as " a bit Artful Dodger meets the Doctor " . Moffat described the new outfit as a " progression " as the Doctor was in " a different phase of his life now " and felt more " grown @-@ up " and fatherlike . The costume was designed by Howard Burden for this episode . " The Snowmen " also contains several references to Sherlock Holmes , including the Doctor dressing up as him . Moffat is co @-@ creator of the BBC series Sherlock , for which Smith auditioned for the role of Doctor Watson before being cast as the Doctor . In addition , the incidental music during the scene bears a resemblance to the Sherlock theme . 
 
 = = = Casting = = = 
 
 This episode marks the return of Jenna @-@ Louise Coleman , who previously appeared in the series opener , " Asylum of the Daleks " . Coleman was cast because of her chemistry with Matt Smith , and especially because she was able to talk faster than him . She auditioned for the role of Clara , not Oswin from " Asylum " , as the concept of the two characters being the same only occurred to Moffat whilst casting for Clara . The production team requested that the press and fans who attended advanced screenings keep Coleman 's appearance a secret until " Asylum " was broadcast ; the effort was ultimately successful . Moffat stated that the introduction of a new companion made " the show feel different " and brought the story to " a new beginning " with a different person meeting the Doctor . Smith said that Clara was different from her predecessor Amy Pond ( Karen Gillan ) , which allowed the audience to see a different side of the Doctor . Coleman described her as resourceful and not intimidated , citing the reason for following the Doctor at the beginning as pursuing answers . The Clara who would become a travelling companion of the Doctor would not debut until the Spring premiere , " The Bells of Saint John " ; save for a brief cameo at the end of " The Snowmen " . Coleman stated that she played each version as individuals with " trust that there would be a payoff " to her mystery . 
 Also returning to the series are Neve McIntosh as Madame Vastra , Dan Starkey as Strax and Catrin Stewart as Jenny . All three previously appeared in " A Good Man Goes to War " and reprised their roles both in this episode and in the prequels . They returned due to the popularity of Vastra and Jenny ; Moffat considered a spin @-@ off featuring them , though he did not have the time to do it . Instead , he decided to bring them back in the main series . Richard E. Grant had previously played the Doctor on two occasions , as an alternative Tenth Doctor in the spoof charity special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death , which was written by Moffat and as an alternative Ninth Doctor in the animated story Scream of the Shalka which had been intended to be a continuation of the series before it was revived in 2005 . Smith commented that Grant was " born to be a Who villain . He pitches it on that perfect level and tone " . Grant 's appearance in Doctor Who was teased by the BBC via Twitter , announcing his appearance at midnight 5 August 2012 . Tom Ward was drawn to his role because of the quality of the script , and also stated his young children were pleased that he appeared in the programme . The Great Intelligence was voiced by Sir Ian McKellen . The two children Clara is governess to , Digby and Francesca , were played by real @-@ life brother and sister Joseph and Ellie Darcey @-@ Alden . 
 
 = = = Filming and effects = = = 
 
 " The Snowmen " was originally intended to be produced in the fourth production block of the series and be the first episode Coleman shot as her character ; however , it did not begin filming until the week of 6 August 2012 , after Coleman had worked on later episodes while Moffat was writing the Christmas special . The read @-@ through had taken place on 2 August 2012 . This was the first Christmas special to be filmed in BBC Wales ' new Roath Lock studios . Scenes featuring Coleman and several guest stars in a Victorian setting were filmed in Newport , Wales , while Coleman and Smith were also spotted filming in Bristol two weeks later on 21 August . Some scenes which used snow props were filmed in Portland Square , Bristol , where filming took place overnight on 21 – 22 August 2012 . Bristol was chosen because it had Victorian @-@ era architecture . Pickwood stated that his favourite set is the London Street with the back of the pub , which he said was based on a sixteenth @-@ century building in Oxford . The locations were blocked off and sprayed with fake snow . 
 The TARDIS on the cloud was achieved through a mix of fog on the studio floor and post @-@ production special effects . Director Saul Metzstein explained that it was difficult to achieve the desired look for the snowmen ; the first ones he likened to Zippy from Rainbow which was too " cute " of an appearance , and so the effects team created more menacing CGI faces . Clara 's introduction to the TARDIS introduced two novel effects for the show . The first was a single @-@ shot camera tracking from a few feet away from the TARDIS to its interior , with the implication of the TARDIS 's trans @-@ dimensional nature shown to the audience . In the following shot , the camera does a complete circle of the TARDIS console , an effect not seen since the early days of the show . Metzstein wanted to include this shot to further emphasize the " bigger on the inside than the outside " nature of the time machine . 
 In addition to the three prequel mini @-@ episodes , the cast also filmed an additional promotional video , " Songtaran Carols , " which the BBC uploaded during the days leading up to the broadcast . The video featured Starkey singing modified versions of several Christmas songs in character as Strax as his castmates look on , before everyone breaks character and begins laughing . 
 
 = = Broadcast and reception = = 
 
 " The Snowmen " aired on BBC One on 25 December 2012 at 5 : 15 pm , the same day on BBC America in the US and Space in Canada and the next day on ABC1 in Australia and on Prime in New Zealand . UK overnight ratings showed that the special had been watched by 7 @.@ 6 million viewers , coming in sixth for the night . Final consolidated figures ( not including BBC iPlayer viewers ) showed that the episode was watched by 9 @.@ 87 million viewers , coming in fourth for the night . It also received an Appreciation Index figure of 87 , higher than most of the Doctor Who Christmas specials . The iPlayer version had 1 @,@ 467 @,@ 220 views , making it the most popular TV show on iPlayer over Christmas . The US airing was seen by 1 @.@ 43 million viewers , with a 0 @.@ 6 rating in the demographic of adults aged 18 – 49 . 
 
 = = = Critical reception = = = 
 
 The episode received mostly positive reviews . Dan Martin of The Guardian called it " actually the best Christmas Special since ' The Christmas Invasion ' " and the first to be " actually scary " , with " everything we like " about Doctor Who and Christmas . He praised Coleman 's introduction as Clara and the gang of Vastra , Jenny , and Strax . IGN 's Matt Risley gave " The Snowmen " a score of 9 @.@ 4 out of 10 , describing it as " a rollicking , riveting masterclass in storytelling " which " refreshingly " lacked traditional Christmas references " in favour of some sparkling dialogue , gorgeous set design and fascinating characterisation " . While he felt that Grant and McKellen were underused , he was very positive towards Coleman 's " unpredictable " Clara . Radio Times reviewer Patrick Mulkern was pleased with the return of the Great Intelligence despite an inconsistency in the timeline he found , and praised the " lovely images " and direction of the special , though he felt the variation of the theme music " lacks the menace " of the original . While he was positive towards Clara , he was " unmoved by her death " as it was " plainly silly " that she did not look injured . 
 Nick Setchfield of SFX gave the special four and a half out of five stars , writing that " the power of emotion saves the day again " was appropriate in light of the festivities and many fairytales referenced in the story . Setchfield was positive towards the " terrific " comedy with Strax , Coleman and the " surprisingly underused " Grant , as well as the new title sequence and TARDIS . While he wrote that the subtle callback of the Great Intelligence was " a tad more interesting than the usual ' So , we meet again ! ' schtick " , he ultimately felt their threat " never quite comes into sharp relief " . Neela Debnath of The Independent wrote that " The Snowmen " was stronger than the previous year 's " The Doctor , the Widow , and the Wardrobe " as it was connected to the overall story of the series , but " still has a way to go if it is to live up to ' A Christmas Carol ' " . Despite feeling that it was " enjoyable " , she noted that " the story feels truncated and rushed " 
 The Mirror 's Jon Cooper also praised Coleman and the new side of the Doctor that was shown , comparing it to Rose Tyler ( Billie Piper ) challenging the Ninth Doctor ( Christopher Eccleston ) . However , he felt the character @-@ heavy story was to the detriment of the plot , which was " a classic Who set @-@ up that ultimately suffers from a lack of explanation [ and ] more set @-@ pieces than a coherent whole " . He felt that the episode may not have been accessible for casual viewers , but offered much for fans in time for the programme 's fiftieth anniversary . Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph gave " The Snowmen " three out of five stars , disappointed that it was not as scary as it had been hyped to be . While he was positive towards Smith and the TARDIS on the cloud , he criticised Strax and the " Sudoku @-@ like complexity " of the script . 
 The episode was nominated for the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation ( Short Form ) , alongside " Asylum of the Daleks " and " The Angels Take Manhattan " , but lost to the Game of Thrones episode " Blackwater " . 
 
 = = DVD release = = 
 
 " The Snowmen " was initially released as a standalone on DVD and Blu @-@ ray in the UK and North America . It was later included as part of the DVD / Blu @-@ ray box set Doctor Who : The Complete Seventh Series in September 2013 . 
 It has subsequently been reissued in several box set compilations , most recently alongside the Christmas specials between " The Christmas Invasion " and " Last Christmas " inclusive in a boxset titled Doctor Who – The 10 Christmas Specials on 19 October 2015 . 
 
 = = Soundtrack = = 
 
 Selected pieces of score from " The Snowmen " and the preceding Christmas special , as composed by Murray Gold , were included on a soundtrack released on 21 October 2013 by Silva Screen Records . 
 
 