How to watch the Doctor Who holiday special
The Fifteenth Doctor is finally here – at least, for a one-off Christmas special.
After appearing in the third anniversary special through a bit of 'bigeneration', Ncuti Gatwa finally steps up to the plate as The Doctor. He is joined by new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who lives a quiet life with her grandmother and mother until The Doctor shows up. In 'The Church on Ruby Road' they both come face to face with mysterious goblins and must fight their way out of a Christmas adventure.
Although it will take some time before the new season starts Doctor who premieres, we've been waiting an awfully long time to see Gatwa as The Doctor. So it's understandable if we're all excited to watch the Christmas special as soon as possible – and here's how.
How to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special on Disney Plus
Just like with the anniversary specials (and so on Doctor who seasons ahead), Doctor who will stream its Christmas episode on Disney Plus. That means we can probably expect the same kind of release schedule: Disney will release the special at the same time as it airs in the UK, meaning if you watch it on Disney Plus, the new specials will drop at 9:55am on Christmas. PST/12:55 PM EST.
Can I watch the Christmas Doctor Who special on BBC?
YEP! You'll be able to watch Doctor who's 2023 Christmas special on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK from 5:55pm on December 25 (that's Christmas).
What should I have viewed in advance?
As with the Doctor who anniversary specials: Technically nothing – the franchise has been around for 60 years and counting, so there are a lot of them WHO you could catch up, but how can you even choose where to start?
But it's probably helpful to have at least seen the anniversary specials, especially the last one, “The Giggle,” in which the transfer between David Tennant's Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor and Gatwa's Fifteenth. Suffice to say, Gatwa's Doctor is introduced in an unorthodox (and, honestly, less than stellar) way, which will no doubt provide a bit of backstory for the special. Plus, it's just fun to get a sense of what Gatwa already brings to the role: he's a star!
like you Doing want to look back again Doctor who, you'll want to check out the Russell T. Davies section, since he's the new (returning) showrunner; so you are looking for series 1 to series 5. However, these are not visible on Disney Plus, only on Max.
Is there a trailer so I can watch Ncuti Gatwa already?
There is! Here's an early Christmas present, villain:
And here's a special look at his new Sonic Screwdriver: