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

Doctor Who Mystery Deepens: Disney+ Teases "Joy to the Worlds" No Typo

Disney+ is dropping ten-ton hints that its key art poster listing the Doctor Who Christmas Special as "Joy to the Worlds" ISN'T a typo.

If you've been following our coverage of Doctor Who Day coverage, then you know that we had some thing interesting happen regarding the upcoming Christmas Special for Showrunner Russell T. Davies' Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor) and Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday)-starring Doctor Who. Set for Christmas Day, the Steven Moffat-penned and Nicola Coughlan-starring epic is titled "Joy to the World" – at least we think it is. Here's the thing: Disney+ released a key art poster for the Christmas Special that has the title "Joy to the Worlds" – with "world" being pluralized. At first, we thought that it was a misprint – with a chance that could mean more than that. Based on what's been happening over on Disney+'s Instagram account for the long-running series, it doesn't look like it was a typo…

Here's a rundown of some of the responses that those running the account gave to those bringing up the slight but potentially important difference in the two show titles – and then, let the speculation begin:

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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