While Doctor Who has been very innovative as of late, the franchise is going to see the return of one fan-favorite seasonal tradition in 2024, and fans are sure to be just as excited by the return as the cast and crew are to do it.
Doctor Who has been around for ages and has taken up a firm and often unmoving spot in the cultural zeitgeist as one of the premiere science fiction shows on TV. In that time, the series has spawned several traditions both in and out of canon and crystalized many of these over time. The franchise has seen a lot of change in recent times, with Jodie Whitaker bringing the first female iteration of the Doctor to life and Ncuti Gatwa becoming the 15th Doctor after one of the most unique regenerations in franchise history.
However, just like Gatwa’s Doctor took some facets from the past, the franchise seems set to do the same with one beloved tradition from years gone by. In a recent interview with Collider, current franchise lead Gatwa responded to a question about his companion Ruby Sunday being absent from the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special by saying, “When we find him, he’s sad. He’s bored and he’s looking for an adventure. He’s lost his best pal!” Franchise boss Russell T. Davies chimed in, saying, “That’s what it’s about in many ways, isn’t it? That he’s missing her.” Ruby, who has been the 15th Doctor’s companion since his debut in the last Christmas special, has taken time away to spend with her family, seemingly marking a return to the Doctor Who tradition of the Christmas special being a one-off adventure for the Doctor.
Previously, the Christmas specials for Doctor Who would see the Doctor separated from their companions and the main plot of their current series to have a smaller, self contained adventure with new characters and would sometimes also incorporate the holiday into the story. While it was a big hit after the show was revived in 2005, this tradition would be broken in more recent times, even remaining absent when the Doctor Who Christmas specials made their return in 2022. However, the addition of the character Joy, an entirely new character made for the Christmas special and portrayed by Nicola Coughlan, seems to support the idea that the old formula will return. Concerning Joy and how she relates to his Doctor, Gatwa expresses that, “She teaches him a lot. What can I say?! They go on a beautiful journey together, where they learn about themselves, and they find themselves. Exactly what the Doctor needs.”
The upcoming Christmas special, titled Joy to the World, will be an important milestone for Gatwa’s Doctor, as it marks a solid year since he debuted in 2023’s The Church on Ruby Road and will also mark a pivotal point of character development for him. While there is a concerning trend being fostered by having another legacy fan-favorite back and available to use as a crutch, Gatwa’s Doctor will have to be in top form to prove that the bigeneration was just an interesting narrative decision, and not a failsafe for the latest version of the character. A solid Christmas special, in the style of the previously disconnected plots, could be just the thing to do it.
While the latest seasons have given fans a lot of new things to enjoy in the franchise, there is a persistent rumor going around that Disney is set to cancel Doctor Who after 2 seasons due to ‘underwhelming’ viewership. While the show might be a mainstay in its native UK market, it seems that the international appeal is just not up to Disney’s admittedly astronomical standards. True fans can only hope that the return to yuletide form helps to show the franchise’s earnest appeal to new viewers when the Christmas special airs this year.