Doctor Who returns on BBC One this Christmas Day with a festive special titled ‘Joy to the World’ written by ex-showrunner Steven Moffat.
The episode will see the return of Ncuti Gatwa in the iconic role of The Doctor, with Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan guest starring as Joy, a new companion joining this Christmas.
On 15 November, the BBC previewed a glimpse of the upcoming episode of the long running sci-fi show live as part of Children in Need 2024.
The episode is written by Doctor Who legend Moffat, who served as showrunner from 2010-2017 during the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi eras of the beloved British programme.
Moffat returned to write for the show earlier this year with the episode ‘Boom’ from the first season of the shows new era, making this the second episode he has written for Gatwa’s portrayal of the titular character.
In a recent interview with BBC South East, Moffat shared how he came to write this years’ festive special, claiming current showrunner Russell T Davies reached out and asked him to take the script so he could continue to write for the 2025 season.
Moffat said: “The truth is – I absolutely love doing Doctor Who Christmas because I’m a big fan of Christmas, I absolutely adore Christmas.“
Joy to the World Preview | BBC Children in Need | Doctor Who – Youtube.com
This is the first episode since Gatwa’s first full season in the role which was broadcast earlier this year, ushering in a whole new era of the show with the return of Davies as showrunner.
This was alongside a partnership with Disney, who supplied the programme with a plentiful new budget and accommodated the show on Disney+ for international viewers.
Viewers can expect to see Doctor Who return for another eight episode season some time next year, but not before Gatwa brings joy to the world this Christmas.
Tune in on BBC One or BBC iPlayer this Christmas Day for an exciting new Doctor Who adventure, or on Disney+ outside of the UK.
Feature image credit: @bbcdoctorwho on X
