Now the sparks have died down and David Tennant has been and gone, all eyes are on the event of the festive season: the Doctor Who Christmas special. With Russell T Davies taking the lead as showrunner once more, the pressure is on to deliver an episode that introduces us to a new Doctor, a new companion and (of course) delivers a hefty dose of the festive spirit.
With only a few weeks to go until the big day, here's what we know about Ncuti Gatwa's inaugural episode...
How did the Doctor regenerate?
At the end of The Giggle (the last of the three episodes featuring David Tennant), we watched as the Doctor was attacked by the villainous Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris). He was shot through the heart (or hearts) but rather than regenerating into Ncuti Gatwa, the Doctor underwent something called ‘bi-generation’: aka the ability to split himself in two.
Thus, viewers watched as David Tennant’s Doctor went on to settle down with Donna’s family on Earth – while Gatwa’s Doctor jumped back into the Tardis for more adventures in time and space, beginning with the Christmas Special on December 25.
We don’t know an awful lot about Gatwa’s version of the Doctor yet, save for the fact that his new sonic screwdriver is entirely different from pretty much every model that’s gone before it (circular!) his Tardis has a jukebox inside it and he’s been spotted rocking three or four different outfits already.
What do we know about the special?
Titled ‘The Church on Ruby Road’, this is Gatwa’s first outing as the Doctor and sees him returning to Earth (naturally) for a Christmas adventure. Written by Russell T Davies, it promises to be, according to him, “a reinvention”.
“Reinvention of the show, brand new, but not a reboot,” he said to SFX Magazine. “It's the same old show, everything starts again, everything's seen through the eyes of Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and it's that lovely feeling of a new era beginning.”
“It kind of goes into territory we've never touched before. In many ways that's more… fresher than special two. We've never done this before.”
Who’s the baddie?
Apparently, a tribe of goblins in a pirate ship. Yes, you heard right: a teaser video shows the Doctor and companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) infiltrating a flying ship, only to find a horde of goblins singing a rather catchy ditty about eating a human baby they’ve managed to capture.
There is also, as showrunner Russell T Davies hinted, a “Goblin King” for the pair to face: though quite what they want is still a mystery. Why goblins? "I was just a bit jealous that all those other shows were getting a bigger tase of the pie, so this Christmas the enemy is goblins,” he told the Radio Times.
What do we know about his new companion?
New Doctor, new companion. And yes, Ruby Sunday sounds like a Bond girl, but don’t let that spoil the fun. Played by Millie Gibson (best known for playing Kelly Neelan in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street), she’ll be introduced in the special.
As per the trailer, the pair meet in a nightclub – Ruby is shown watching the Doctor as he throws shapes on the dancefloor. But she has a mysterious past.
“Little is known about Ruby Sunday as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby. Now living with her mum Carla, and grandmother Cherry, her world is about to be turned upside when she encounters the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together,” the episode’s logline teases. Intriguing.
Will David Tennant make an appearance?
When we left him, David Tennant’s Doctor was enjoying some much-deserved R&R away from saving the universe. He’s settled down with Donna’s family and old companion Mel (Bonnie Langford) and seems to have hung up his pinstriped suit for good – so the chances of seeing him in the special are slim. After all, it’s Gatwa’s time to shine now, but he might well make an appearance further down the line. Two Doctors are better than one…
Is there a trailer?
Why of course; watch it here.
