Doctor Who Holiday Special Title, Release Date Revealed

Doctor Who fans now know the title and air date of the upcoming Doctor Who Holiday Special. Disney+, the new international streaming home of Doctor Who revealed its holiday watchlist on Monday. Under its list of new episodes, movies, and specials is the Doctor Who Holiday Special. The episode is titled "The Church on Ruby Road," and it's set to debut on December 25th, Christmas Day. The Doctor Who Holiday special will be Ncuti Gatwa's first episode leading the series as the Fifteenth Doctor. The episode title may be a reference to the Doctor's new companion, Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.

"Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honored to be cast as the Doctor's companion," Gibson said in a statement 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!"

Making a watchlist, c̶h̶e̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ streaming everything twice! 🎁 What are you crossing off the #SeasonsStreamings list first? pic.twitter.com/fDnmVDIgMj

— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) November 6, 2023

What is the 2023 Doctor Who Holiday Special?

The 2023 Doctor Who Holiday Special marks a return to the tradition of airing the specials on Christmas Day for the first time since 2017. Previous Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall felt that the show had run out of good Christmas-themed stories to tell and instead aired the three "Festive Specials" produced under his watch – a loose trilogy of Dalek-focused stories titled "Resolution," Revolution of the Daleks," and "Eve of the Daleks" – on New Year's Day instead.

After the BBC announced Russell T Davies' return to Doctor Who, the showrunner was quick to say that he'd be bringing the Christmas Specials back. "The Church on Ruby Road" is the first time he's written one of the specials.

"For the first time ever, I'm writing a Christmas Special… at Christmas!" Davies told Doctor Who Magazine. "The 2023 script has been long since signed off. The new one is for end-of-year 2024!"

The Doctor Who Holiday Special will follow David Tennant's run as the Fourteenth Doctor in three Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials. Gatwa and Gibson's debuts in "The Church on Ruby Road" will lead into Doctor Who Season 14 in 2023, which has already wrapped filming, and then Doctor Who Season 15, which is in production now.

Now is the perfect time to jump into past seasons of Doctor Who, which are streaming on a different service. You can get caught up with our Doctor Who streaming binge guide. Doctor Who begins streaming on Disney+ on November 25th.