Doctor Who made its Disney+ debut with the latest season in 2024, and the show will soon be back for its annual festive special, "Joy to the World."
The special comes ahead of a new eight-episode season releasing in 2025, telling more tales with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor.
Doctor Who's 2024 Christmas Special Release Date & Time Plan
In all territories except the U.K. and Ireland, Doctor Who will release its 2024 Christmas special on Disney+ on Wednesday, December 25.
Those looking to enjoy "Joy to the World" live on U.K. TV, as is British Doctor Who tradition, will find the episode on BBC One at 5:10 p.m. GMT.
An exact release time has yet to be confirmed for the Doctor Who special on Disney+ and for BBC iPlayer for those in the U.K. and Ireland.
'Joy to the World' Will Answer an Age-Old Question
"Joy to the World" will take a historic direction with its writer as, in the past, every Doctor Who Christmas special has been written by the incumbent showrunner. But instead of the current lead Russel T. Davis, this year's special is penned by Steven Moffat, who previously ran the sci-fi mainstay from 2010 to 2017.
The special (which runs for 56 minutes) has a special which teases the Time Hotel, a sci-fi location that opens doors to locations across time. This setting will send the Doctor into contact with Nicola Coughlan's new character, Joy:
"When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the earth, just in time for Christmas."
Speaking to the RadioTimes, Moffat teased that "Joy to the World" will answer "that question you've been asking since you were a small child," teasing how it is both a mystery in the real world and the Whoniverse:
"This year, the Doctor will tell you the answer to that question you’ve been asking since you were a small child. The solution to the longest-standing mystery in not merely the Doctor Who universe, but the universe as a whole. Watch on Christmas Day!"
Fans should not expect this revelation to drop any major Doctor Who bombshells such as the famous question about the Doctor's name, but rather that the tale will tie in with some obscure mystery in the real world.
Beyond that, the episode will feature a Silurian, an ancient race of Reptilian humanoids who have been featured in the Whoniverse since 1970.
The Doctor Has a New Companion This Christmas - Cast List
Sex Education and Barbie actor Ncuti Gatwa will reprise the 15th Doctor for "Joy to the World" and next year's Season 2. But one familiar face seemingly absent from Doctor Who's 2024 Christmas special is Millie Gibson, who played companion Ruby Sunday in the latest season.
After the "Empire of Death" finale, the Doctor and Ruby parted ways after the season-long companion was finally reunited with her birth mother. Going into "Joy to the World," the Doctor will tackle a new adventure with one-off companion Joy Almondo, leaving Ruby Sunday aside, for now.
This year's festive adventure will take the Doctor across eras through the Time Hotel with the titular Joy, played by Irish star Nicola Coughlan, best known for her roles in Bridgerton and Derry Girls.
Those who grew attached to Ruby in the latest season needn't worry, as Gibson has already been confirmed to return as a companion in 2025's Season 2 alongside newcomer Varada Sethu (via the official Doctor Who site).
Other actors rounding out the "Joy to the World" cast are Sherlock's Jonathan Aris, Cruella's Joel Fry, and Midnight Taxi's Steph de Whalley:
- The Doctor - Ncuti Gatwa
- Joy Almondo - Nicola Coughlan
- Trev Simpkins - Joel Fry
- Anita Benn - Steph de Whalley
- Hotel Manager - Jonathan Aris
- Hilda Flockhart - Julia Watson
- Basil Flockhart - Peter Benedict
- Sylvia Trench - Niamh Marie Smith
- Edmund Hillary - Phil Baxter
- Tenzing Norgay - Samuel Sherpa-Moore
- Receptionist - Ruchi Rai
- Mr Single - Joshua Leese
- Server - Ell Potter
- Barman - Liam Prince-Donnelly
- Angela Grace - Fiona Marr
