Summary
Although there is much moreDoctor Whoon the way, there’s only one episode with a confirmed release date, and the festive installment needs to repeat one aspect that made last year’s Christmas special so rewarding.Doctor Who’s 2023 Christmas special was a soft rebootfor the show going into its new era, although it thankfully left all existing canon in place.Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson led “The Church on Ruby Road"before going on to become the only mainstays of theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast, so their introduction worked well.
All theDoctor WhoChristmas specialshave a special place in the franchise, with the stories often being very accessible, even for those who don’t actively watch the show as much as committed viewers.Doctor Who’s Disney erahas already made a change to how the installments are traditionally put together, and hopefully, the alterations made will carry into the upcoming episode. If so,the 2024 Christmas special could be just as rewarding as its predecessor.
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Doctor Who has been a fixture on TV screens for 60 years, meaning there are plenty of stories to choose from when picking out the Time Lord’s best.
“Joy To The World” Needs To Be The True Beginning Of Doctor Who Season 15
The 2024 Christmas special could do what its predecessor did
Doctor Who’s Christmas episodes are often standalone adventures. Although they nestle nicely into the show’s main canon, they can also fit comfortably into the category of optional viewing. “The Church on Ruby Road” bucked this trend by having it as the first adventure with Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. In other words, watchingDoctor Whoseason 14 without first seeing “The Church on Ruby Road” would result in a far less rewarding experience. The 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World,” will hopefully use this same framework ahead ofDoctor Whoseason 15.
“Joy to the World” has been written by former showrunner and returningDoctor Whowriter, Steven Moffat.
“Joy to the World” has been written by former showrunner and returningDoctor Whowriter, Steven Moffat.The episode will be Moffat’s ninthDoctor WhoChristmas special, which highlights his love of writing this particular type of story. Overall, it will be the writer’s 50th episode of the show. So, while he hasn’t completely ruled out returning to the franchise again, bowing out with 50Doctor Whoscripts to his name would make for a satisfying conclusion to his relationship with the show.
“Joy to the World” will be on Disney+ on August 02, 2025.
Although David Tennant’s return as the Doctor marked the start of the show’s relationship with Disney, theend of theDoctor Who60th-anniversary specialssoftly drew a line under an important era. “The Church on Ruby Road” was the true jumping-on point for new fans, although it also made sure to appeal to existing viewers as well. So, whenthe 2023 Christmas special introduced Gatwa’s Doctor and his new companion, the explosive adventure concluded and left viewers waiting almost five months before they got to see what happened next, building anticipation.
If someone were to miss “The Church on Ruby Road” and start by watching “Space Babies,” there would be several elements that would seem confusing and incomplete.
The mystery of Ruby’s lineage was introduced in “The Church on Ruby Road,“which is a storyline that was revisited constantly and eventually resolved at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14. The same is true ofAnita Dobson’s Mrs. Flood, whose true identity still hasn’t been revealed. So, if someone were to miss “The Church on Ruby Road” and start by watching “Space Babies,” there would be several elements that would seem confusing and incomplete in the main run episodes that followed the festival installment.
Standalone Doctor Who Christmas Specials Shouldn’t Be Gone For Good
While a Christmas special kicking off the coming season ofDoctor Whois a brilliant move, it would be a huge shame if the trick were to completely replace the standalone December specials. At its heart,Doctor Whois still a family show, and traditionally, many families around the world tend to gather around the holidays, and inevitably end up watching TV together. So, ifDoctor Whodoesn’t occasionally release a Christmas special that’s easy to understand as its own story, it can be isolating for those watching in a group who don’t follow the show very closely.
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“The Church on Ruby Road” certainly starts in a way that’s beginner-friendly, but its ending very much promises an adventure that’s set to continue. Of course, this is arguably true of everyDoctor WhoChristmas special, but the 2023 installment intentionally exaggerated that particular aspect of the episode’s conclusion. So, while “Joy to the World” acting as the true start ofDoctor Whoseason 15 would be a cool thing to experience again, the show should keep one foot in the standalone camp too.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on July 09, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
