Disney and the BBC have released a trailer for the latest Doctor Who Christmas special, titled “Joy to the World,” bringing holiday cheer to fans of the iconic series.
The special stars Ncuti Gatwa alongside Bridgerton favourite Nicola Coughlan. The story follows Coughlan’s character as she checks into a London hotel in 2024, where she discovers a secret doorway to the mysterious Time Hotel—encountering danger, dinosaurs, and the Doctor along the way. As Christmas approaches, a deadly scheme unfolds across Earth.
Gatwa returns in his role as the Doctor, while Coughlan, globally recognized as Penelope Featherington in Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” makes her much-anticipated appearance in the Whoniverse after previous hints about her involvement. The cast also includes Steph de Whalley (Anita), Jonathan Aris (Melnak), Joel Fry (Trev), Peter Benedict (Basil), Julia Watson (Hilda), and Niamh Marie Smith (Sylvia).
This Christmas special will lead into the second season of Doctor Who under the renewed Disney-BBC partnership, with Russell T Davies returning as showrunner. The current agreement has not yet been extended beyond this second season.
Last year, to commemorate the show’s 60th anniversary and mark Davies’ return, three special episodes aired featuring beloved actors David Tennant and Catherine Tate, followed by Gatwa’s introduction in the Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road, which received mixed critical response.
Joy to the World is written and executive produced by Steven Moffat, with Alex Sanjiv Pillai (Bridgerton) directing. Additional executive producers include Davies as showrunner, along with Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter.
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