Posted in: BBC, Disney+, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney, doctor who

Doctor Who Christmas Special Won't Be Getting Early Disney+ Debut

Set for Christmas Day, the Doctor Who Christmas Special "Joy to the World" will drop on Disney+, BBC iPlayer & BBC One at the same time.

Unfortunately, we have some bad news to pass along to fans of Showrunner Russell T. Davies' Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor) and Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday)-starring Doctor Who. As much as we know that they were excited about the prospect of the upcoming Steven Moffat-penned, Nicola Coughlan-starring Doctor Who Christmas Special "Joy to the World" streaming on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer first and then on BBC One hours later, it looks like they're about to get coal in their stockings. OF COURSE, WE'RE KIDDING! Unlike the first season of the "New Who," which saw new episodes released in exactly that manner, this year's Christmas special has been confirmed to be released at the same time on Christmas Day on Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and BBC One (figure it will probably be around 7 pm UK GMT time, so 2 pm US EST). To honor the occasion, the BBC was even kind enough to share a new official image from the special.

Here's a look at the announcement that went out about the upcoming Christmas Special, followed by a look back at some highlights that eventually led to the big reveal:

Doctor Who: The Road to "Joy to the World"

In November 2023, Coughlan checked in personally via video to let fans know that they can expect to see her in the 2024 Christmas Special as a guest star in the "Joy to the World":

"Happy New Year's Eve! And the point is – there, right behind us, that's one of the sets from the Christmas 2024 episode of Doctor Who! The future! Right there ♥️ But what terrible secrets does it hide..? (etc)," Davies wrote in an Instagram post on December 31, 2023, dropping one of the earliest clues to what's to come:

In March of this year, social media posts included screencaps of Producer Alison Sterling's CV that listed the 2024 Christmas Special – with Pillai directing and Moffat penning the script. Shortly after, the listing was removed – but not replaced with a "corrected" writer. During the Radio Times Covers Party that same month, Moffat looked to shut down the idea of his returning to the long-running series. "It would be career madness, even by my standard, to go back into a junior capacity on a show I used to run. I would have to be insane to do that!" Moffat added – eventually proving that he truly was insane by penning the Season 1 episode, "BOOM."

Two months later, Moffat confirmed to TV Choice that he was writing the Pillai-directed "Joy to the World" – which would be the writer and ex-showrunner's 50th Doctor Who script. "I should probably introduce that one from an armchair, 'Here we are — number 50,'" Moffat shared. "But I'm not involved in next year's series. There are other things coming for me, so I might never write for 'Doctor Who' again. As I got to the end of 'Joy to the World,' I did think, 'Is that it? My final moment?' So that could be my goodbye. Number 50? I'll take that."

Near the end of the video above (kicking in at around the 8:45 mark) offering a behind-the-scenes look at "Empire of Death," Davies notes, "Now the Doctor voyages forward, and guess what always happens to the Doctor every so often – Christmas! Here comes Christmas. I can't give away much more, but work has begun on it already, and it's mad; it's one of the maddest Christmas specials you'll ever see. It's epic; it goes to so many different places. And it's a great story of who the Doctor is when he's alone."

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