It’s Christmas in Doctor Who land again—holiday fun times for all, including dinosaurs. This year’s Christmas special comes from longtime Who writer Steven Moffat, who once again has a Who character bantering with themself. (Who can forget Amy Pond flirting with herself? Not I.) Somehow, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) ends up talking to a future version of himself, who is most frustratingly vague about what he needs to do next. “You have to be mysterious all the time! That’s why everyone leaves you! That is why you were always alone!” the Doctor yells at the Doctor, presumably referencing the end of the previous season (and a lot of other bits of his history as well).
“Joy to the World” stars Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan as Joy, who really, really likes it when the Doctor compliments her name. According to the very brief synopsis, “When Joy checks into a London hotel in 2024, she opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel — discovering danger, dinosaurs, and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.”
The episode also features Our Flag Means Death‘s Frenchie, Joel Fry, as well as Steph de Whalley, Jonathan Aris, Peter Benedict, Julia Watson, and Niamh Marie Smith. It’s directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and, of course, Russell T. Davies is the showrunner.
The Christmas spirit arrives December 25th on Disney+.
