After the three handover specials between him and David Tennant, Ncuti Gatwa will get to enjoy his first adventure as The Doctor in the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special which airs on Christmas Day.
UK: BBC One | iPlayer (free with license fee)
US: Disney Plus
AU: Disney Plus
Joined on his debut adventure by new companion Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa was teed up for this role in the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials but is now taking the title fully from David Tennant.
This new adventure involves goblins and an introduction to Gibson's companion Ruby Sunday, but little else is known about the Christmas Special just yet. This is the first festive episode Doctor Who has enjoyed since 2017, though, so it's a big entry into the Christmas TV line-up.
So here's how to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special, whether you live in the UK or elsewhere, and want to watch it online or on TV.
How to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special in the UK
In the UK, you can watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special live online or on TV.
On TV, you'll have to tune into BBC One on Christmas Day (that's Monday, December 25) at exactly 5:55 pm which is when the special will begin. Online, you can use iPlayer's live TV function to stream from BBC One at exactly the same time. iPlayer works on smart TVs, computers, tablets, phones and many more screens.
If you miss the Christmas Special, you can catch up using iPlayer with its video-on-demand service.
How to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special in the US
In the US, there's unfortunately no way of watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special using cable TV; instead, you will have to stream it online. But thankfully, it releases at exactly the same time as in the UK.
You can watch the new Doctor Who episode using Disney Plus, where it'll be uploaded at the same time it airs in the UK. That converts to 12:55 pm ET / 9:55 am PT.
Disney Plus costs $7.99 per month for its ad-enabled tier and $13.99 monthly for its ad-free one, with annual options for $79.99 and $139.99 respectively. Many people choose to sign up as part of the Disney Bundle which combines Disney Plus with Hulu for $9.99 per month, or with Hulu and ESPN Plus for $12.99 per month.
How to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special in Australia
As in the US (and most regions outside of the UK), the Doctor Who Christmas Special will be released on Disney Plus day and date with its UK release. That's 4:55 am on Tuesday, December 26, due to how time zones work.
Disney Plus costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year for a subscription, and at the time of writing, there's no ad-enabled streaming tier.
