Doctor Who Christmas Special Clip Has Goblin Pirates Singing About Eating a Baby

The first Doctor Who Christmas Special features Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor.

By Jamie Lovett

The BBC has released the first clip from the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special. The clip reveals a song sung by the goblin pirates gleaned in the Doctor Who Christmas Special trailer. However, the goblins aren't singing Christmas Carols. They're singing a song about eating the baby they've seemingly kidnapped. Meanwhile, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), look on from above. They will presumably find a way to rescue the child before the goblin king devours it in a gruesome Christmas feast. You can watch the new Doctor Who Christmas Special clip below.

The 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special is titled "The Church on Ruby Road." It's the first Doctor Who Christmas special since 2017. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies reinstated the tradition and wrote the episode, which makes it his first Christmas Special.

When will Ncuti Gatwa debut on Doctor Who?

Gatwa's Doctor debuted during the last Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special. The Christmas Special is his first episode as the sole Doctor, and it introduces Gibson as Ruby. "Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honored to be cast as the Doctor's companion," said Gibson when the BBC announced her Doctor Who casting. "It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have traveled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa's side, I just can't wait to get started."

Gatwa added: "Millie just is the companion. She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun, I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!"

More recently, Gibson hinted a new dynamic between the Doctor and his traveling companion in an interview with Total Film. "She is very cool," Gibson said of Ruby. "I've said this before, but I think her dynamic with the Doctor is very much like two girls at school gossiping. They're very cliquey. I think the Doctor's not had that sort of dynamic before. It's really beautiful to see come alive when you do watch it."

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What is the 2023 Doctor Who Holiday Special?

The Doctor Who Holiday Special follows David Tennant's return as the Fourteenth Doctor. Gatwa and Gibson's debuts in "The Church on Ruby Road" comes ahead of Doctor Who's new season, which will be its first streaming on Disney+ in 2024. The season has already wrapped filming, and Gatwa and Gibson are currently filming.their second Doctor Who season. That season will presumably debut in 2025.

Gatwa's debut should be the perfect jumping-on-point for new Doctor Who fans, but anyone looking to catch up on modern Doctor Who should check out our Doctor Who streaming binge guide.

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