The Doctor Who Christmas Special has become a fixture of the festive television schedule. Here’s how to watch the Time Lord’s Christmas adventure in 2023.
In the modern era of Doctor Who (2005 onwards), there has been a special episode broadcast on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day in the UK almost every year.
This year is no different, with a brand new special called The Church of Ruby Road due to be broadcast on December 25.
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This will be the first full length episode to feature the latest (and 15th) actor to carry the Lime Lord’s long legacy. Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie, Sex Education) will a be joined by a newly-introduced companion Ruby Sunday (played by former Corrie star Millie Gibson).
This Christmas special will set the stage for the pair’s run in the next proper season of Doctor Who, set to air in 2024. The Christmas special will see a new villain introduced too in the shape of the mean-looking Goblin King. Don’t worry, it will be Christmassy, still.
“You always have to be aware that the new audience is coming in, so you kind of start from scratch and I personally think it should be as Christmassy as possible,” said writer Russell T. Davies in a recent Q&A. “We have snow, we’ve got a church… this one’s about a fable, you know, the foundling on the church doorstep in the snow.
The special, which follows the recently-aired 60th anniversary episodes, will be a reboot of sorts for the long-running sci-fi series. You can see a trailer for The Church of Ruby Road below.
How to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special
In the UK, the Doctor Who Christmas Special will continue to be aired on BBC One and the iPlayer in the United Kingdom. The episode will air at 5:55pm UK time on Christmas Day, December 25.
Internationally, the episode will be available to Disney+ subscribers in countries like Australia and the United States.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
