The BBC just released first look stills from the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special spotlighting the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
The Christmas special (also known as the Holiday special) will premiere on BBC One (UK & Ireland) and Disney+ (everywhere else) on December 25.
Titled “The Church on Ruby Road,” it will mark Gatwa’s first full outing as the Fifteenth Doctor, following his introduction in the third and final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle.”
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Little else is known about the plot of the Doctor Who Christmas special, other than that Millie Gibson will also feature as the Doctor’s new companion, Ruby Sunday.
Doctor Who drops first look at Ncuti Gatwa’s Christmas special
That said, it’s possible for fans to divine at least a few more Doctor Who Christmas special details from the BBC’s new promotional stills, shared via the official Doctor Who X account.
The first image depicts a somber Fifteenth Doctor against a snowy, out-of-focus backdrop. Despite the blur, it’s possible to make out what appears to be a neon shopfront and a lit-up Christmas tree. This seemingly confirms that at least part of the Doctor Who Christmas special takes place on present-day Earth.
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The second image is even more revealing. It spotlights a more cheerful Doctor standing opposite a perplexed Ruby. The duo appears to be tied to an old wooden post in this scene, which indicates they’ll be taken captive at some point in the Doctor Who Christmas special.
However, it’s worth noting that BBC hasn’t confirmed any of these plot details at this stage. As such, you should treat them as pure speculation for now.
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Doctor Who showrunner teases Ncuti Gatwa’s “reset” season
One thing we do know for certain is that the Doctor Who Christmas special will usher in a new era for the franchise. Showrunner Russell T Davies said as much in a recent interview, describing Gatwa’s tenure in the TARDIS as “a reset” for the show.
Davies has since revealed that this approach extends to the Doctor Who villains the Fifteenth Doctor will – and won’t – face. According to the showrunner, iconic baddies the Daleks and the Cybermen won’t appear in Doctor Who Series 14/Season 1, as he “didn’t want to look back too much.”
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For all the latest Doctor Who content, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.
