8 years later, the longest-running science fiction series revives a strange tradition

There are some American television traditions that are eternal: Super Bowl commercials, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve. In the UK, one of the greatest television traditions is gathering around the television to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special, an annual one-off adventure that has become a staple of the show since its revival in 2005.

But as traditional as the episode may be, the series has taken some risks… with some questionable results. But finally, in 2024, we will see a return to the formula that made the Doctor Who Christmas specials are one such institution.

Doctor WhoChristmas tradition

The Doctor Who Christmas specials tend to follow a checklist with their plot: The Doctor finds himself alone and embarks on a journey with brand new characters that has nothing to do with the main plot at all – bonus points if that adventure is related to the Christmas holiday in some way or another, such as when the Doctor disguised as a “Christmas Star” fends off a spaceship or when the time travel properties of the TARDIS are used to create a version of A Christmas song.

There are occasional exceptions. The first and last episode of a Doctor was usually a Christmas special, to give the reveal appropriate emphasis. David Tennant's first full adventure was “The Christmas Invasion”, the first Doctor Who Christmas special and his farewell took place in the two-part Christmas adventure “The End of Time”.

But in recent years, this formula has been abandoned entirely. In the era of the 13th Doctor, not only did the format of the episode change, now treated essentially like a season premiere, but also the Christmas schedule – instead of on the 25th, the episode was broadcast a week later, on the first day of the new year.

The companions who were present for most of the season were also present in these stories, which meant that they lost what made the specials special particularly first of all.

How Doctor Who changes

The 15th Doctor's first Christmas special was his introductory episode, introducing both him and his companion Ruby Sunday, so a lot is riding on the 'Joy to the World' special in 2024. But everything so far suggests that the episode will return the series to what made its Christmas specials so great. New footage revealed at San Diego Comic-Con revealed Bridgerton The film stars Nicola Coughlan's brand new character Joy, who will accompany the Doctor on his new adventure after Ruby leaves the TARDIS to spend time with her family.

In a recent interview with Collider, Doctor Who Star Ncuti Gatwa revealed that Ruby's absence is part of the plot of the entire episode. “When we find him, he's sad,” he said. “He's bored and looking for an adventure. He's lost his best mate!” Showrunner Russell T. Davies agreed, saying, “That's what it's about in a lot of ways, isn't it? That he misses her.”

“Joy to the World” was also written by Steven Moffat, a long-time Doctor Who Author and former showrunner who wrote some of the best Christmas specials Doctor Who History, including “The Snowmen” and “Twice Upon a Time”.

Doctor Who may have a new star and a new streaming service, but the Christmas special promises to bring back an important part of the series' Golden Age.

“Joy to the World” premieres on Disney+ on December 25, 2024.