FormerDoctor Whoshowrunner and writer Steven Moffat teases how the Fifteenth Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) season 14 journey will affect the tone of 2024’s Christmas episode, “Joy to the World”. The upcoming episode will see The Doctor join forces with new one-time companion Joy, played byBridgertonandDerryGirl’sNicola Coughlan, to investigate a hotel that uses time travel to offer rooms throughout human history. The episode will take place after the events ofDoctorWhoseason 14’s conclusion,as the Time Lord parted ways with companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
With the TARDIS set to rematerialize on Christmas Day, Moffat opened up toSFX Magazine(ViaGamesRadar) about the upcomingDoctorWhoseasonal special. While the adventure will hold plenty of humor and lighthearted moments befitting of a holiday-themed adventure,Moffat did promise that the episode will take into account the events of season 14’s finale “Empire of Death”:
It’s got your Christmas whimsy in there, so I suppose it leans toward the slightly more humorous end, to a degree. But actually it gets quite emotional, and there’s also the fun element that, within the context of the wider series, the Doctor has just lost one of his mates.
However, while the Doctor is left to grapple with the ramifications of his and Ruby’s farewell, Moffat did emphasize thatthis wouldn’t stop the episode from having a lighter tone, especially when compared to his previous adventures. Check out the rest of what the longtimeDoctor Whowriter shared about the Christmas episode below:
That puts the Doctor in a particular place, and in the modern show we’ve always honored that. So it’s the Doctor alone – which makes it sound sombre, and it’s really not. It’s whimsical and heartwarming and emotional. It’s not “Blink”. That’s how they review all my episodes – it’s not “Blink”!
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In the wake ofDoctorWhoseason 14, the Doctor is not only alone,but questioning his role in the universe. While he may haveencouraged Ruby to join her new familyand promised to reunite with his own, the Time Lord was turned into an unwitting aid to Sutekh (Gabriel Wolf) and his plot to extinguish all life in the universe. As such, he has seemingly placed himself on a trajectory to stay alone.
However, Coughlan’s Joy is set to compliment the Fifteenth Doctor during this troubling period in theDoctor WhoChristmas episode. While details about her life are still being kept under tight wraps, the new companion has found herself alone during the holidays. With both grappling with loneliness, the pair can perhaps help each other open up once more.
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While it is already confirmed that Gibson will return forDoctorWhoseason 15, it is clear from Moffat’s response that “Joy to the World” will still fully explore the ramifications of season 14’s conclusion. This would fit the standard set by Moffat’s past seasonal episodes, which often explored the after-effects of developments within the main series.
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As such, while Moffat has teased a lighthearted tone, I’m eager to see how the writer reflects the events of Gatwa’s first season ofDoctor Whowithin the episode. With Gatwa’s incarnation travelling alone currently, the episode could offer a chance to see a new side to the Time Lord.
TheDoctor WhoChristmas episode will premiere on the holiday on Disney+ internationally and on BBC One in the UK.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 28, 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.
