Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: doctor who, steven moffat

Doctor Who Christmas Special Not "Blink": Steven Moffat Reassures Fans

Steven Moffat reassured fans the Doctor Who special "Joy to the World" won't be "Blink," adding that it has "your Christmas whimsy in there."

With less than a month to go until Showrunner Russell T. Davies' Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor) and Nicola Coughlan-starring Doctor Who Christmas Special, "Joy to the World" ("Joy to the Worlds"?) hits our screens, writer and ex-showrunner Steven Moffat seems to want to ease some fans' concerns. Those concerns? That the Doctor's holiday adventure could end up putting a lot of heartbreak and pain in our Christmas stockings – clearly keeping 2007's Weeping Angels-introducing "Blink" and 2024's Doctor-on-a-landmine-centered "BOOM!" in mind.

"It's got your Christmas whimsy in there, so I suppose it leans toward the slightly more humorous end, to a degree," Moffat shared with SFX Magazine. "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." As you may recall, Ruby bid farewell to the Doctor (for now), meaning our hero is flying solo for the holidays – but not for long. "That puts the Doctor in a particular place, and in the modern show, we've always honoured 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'!" Moffat added.

Doctor Who Christmas Special: "Joy to the World" (Official Overview)

Along with Gatwa and Coughlan, the special also stars Steph de Whalley as Anita, Jonathan Aris as Melnak, Joel Fry as Trev, Peter Benedict as Basil, Julia Watson as Hilda, and Niamh Marie Smith as Sylvia. Produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television and set to hit Disney+, BBC One, and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day, here's a look at the overview released in the BBC's holiday rundown:

Ham and cheese toastie and a pumpkin latte? The Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, returns this Christmas for a time-hopping trip through the history of Earth.

The episode introduces Joy, starring Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), who checks into a London hotel in 2024, only to discover that her quiet stay is anything but ordinary. When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.

Where has the Doctor been? What is going on in Joy's hotel room? An old enemy of the Doctor's is lurking in the wings, and all of human history hangs in the balance. Can the Doctor save Christmas – everywhere, all at once?

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!