#jane tranter

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The 60th Anniversary Specials - Part Two

Excerpts from Russell T. Davies' article in DWM 579:

Hello, faithful readers. I must say, I thought I knew the size, scale, and madness of Doctor Who publicity, but when the announcement of David Tennant and Catherine Tate's return actually made BBC One News - on yer proper terrestrial TV - even I went, "Blimey!" An awful lot of planning went into that press release, timing it with Ncuti's announcement too. The idea goes way back, to Christmas 2020. And then a million emails and setbacks and schedules - not to mention the script! All ending with that photoshoot, the one you can see here, in Studio 1 of Bad Wolf in Cardiff on Tuesday 3 May. Given the pandemic, plus added secrecy, that day was the first time Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson and I had actually seen our friends David and Catherine in person! Much hugging and hooting. And that was just Day One!

The 60th Anniversary Specials each have their own tag, but the #whoBts60th tag is for general photos and behind the scenes information that span multiple episodes.  The full episode list is [ here ]

[radiofreeskaro]

Radio Free Skaro #999 - 10-0-11-0-0 by 02 from Galactic Zero Centre

Radio Free Skaro #999 - 10-0-11-0-0 by 02 from Galactic Zero Centre - Our Official Gallifrey One Preview Show! - Daily podcasts coming this #gally1 weekend, including Episode 1000 with Steven Moffat and Julie Gardner!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/freyburg/rfs999.mp3 Download MP3 It’s that time of year again, our pre-Gallifrey One rundown of the greatest convention on Earth as we go through the schedule with a fine tooth comb, examine which panels and other events we and others are excited about, and as a special bonus this year you’ll get to hear Steven go completely off the rails about UK television stalwart…

[kirjava-stan-account]

Kirjava when she saw that the hdm adaptation made her a fucking basic ass tabby cat instead of a dark smoked-out subtle baddie:

[denimbex1986]

'Sixty years is but the blink of an eye for a time-traveller like The Doctor. But for a television series, a Diamond Anniversary is an extremely rare and impressive occurrence.

BBC’s Doctor Who recently celebrated such a milestone with three one-hour specials which, for the first time, streamed globally on Disney+.

Russell T Davies, fresh from his success on ’80s AIDS miniseries It’s A Sin, returned to the show he brought back so successfully in 2005 to the BBC. Bolstering his team are returning producers Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson, and Jane Tranter, the woman who was instrumental in bringing back Doctor Who in 2005. Bad Wolf, the company founded by Tranter and Gardner in 2015, currently produces the show with BBC Studios.

Another big returning name return was David Tennant, who played the 10th Doctor from 2005-2010 and who also returned for the show’s 50th Anniversary in 2013. Beloved by fans and audiences alike, Tennant’s Doctor was a big ratings draw.

Though, it’s not all returning past glories for Doctor Who. There is a new actor portraying the Time Lord, Ncuti Gatwa, who is taking over the titular role with the the forthcoming season 14, and who made his debut with the specials. The Rwandan-Scottish actor made a name for himself as gay teenager Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education and recently starred as “Artist Ken” in Barbie. His first full season debut in the TARDIS will come in spring 2024, with a premiere date yet to be set.

Not only that, powerhouse streamer Disney+ is now on board to broadcast these new episodes across the world (with the exception of the U.K. and Ireland, where it still airs on BBC)...

What Happened in the 60th Anniversary Specials?

Showrunner Davies brought Tennant back with a cosmic bang and a galactic-sized nod to fan service with an adaptation of a Doctor Who Weekly comic strip first published in 1980.

The first of the three specials, “The Star Beast,” was a 60-minute romp that wonderfully evoked the Tenth Doctor-era, complete with cutesy alien The Meep (think The Mandalorian’s Baby Yoda, but bigger and hairier) and the return of much-loved companion, Donna Noble (played by Catherine Tate, The Office).

Last seen in the Tenth Doctor’s finale in 2010, Donna’s return posed a fatal conundrum for the Doctor: If she remembered her past with the Doctor, she would die. Thankfully, writer Davies had a workaround, meaning that the 60th anniversary celebrations did not result in the death of a companion but, in fact, allowed Donna to live unharmed and enjoy some further adventures in time and space with her best friend.

The main question, though, was just why the Fourteenth Doctor, played by Tennant, had the same face and body of the Tenth Doctor, also played by Tennant. This was an unprecedented move in the history, or Whostory, of the show. Special number two, “Wild Blue Yonder,” traveled to the end of the universe and delved into the uncanny, but still posed the query as to why that particular face returned. (It’s a good face, we weren’t complaining).

Fans would have to wait until the third and final special, “The Giggle,” before the mystery was finally revealed. And it was all down to Donna. She surmised that he changed his face and then found her to “come home.” The Doctor commented, “I’ve never been so happy in my life,” as he sat with the Noble family, not fighting aliens and enjoying a spot of lunch.

The Final Special Had More Up Its Intergalactic Sleeve

Aside from the return of fan favorite Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and ’80s-era companion Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford), there was an even bigger returnee waiting in the wings.

Making an all-singing, all-dancing return to Doctor Who was the formidable villain, The Toymaker. Played by Neil Patrick Harris (best known for portraying Barney Stinson on the CBS series, How I Met Your Mother), the Toymaker made his debut opposite the First Doctor (William Hartnell) in the 1966 four-part serial, “The Celestial Toymaker.”

The character was originally played by English actor Michael Gough, who would go on to play Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred in the four Batman films directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. Though, it’s hard to picture Gough pulling off NPH’s manic routine to The Spice Girls’ 1997 hit, “Spice Up Your Life”.

And then there was the first appearance of the new Doctor, Gatwa. But this was no simple regeneration, as seen in Doctor Who so many times previously. Just as the return of a previous actor to play a new regeneration of the Doctor was unprecedented, Davies debuted another new element in the show’s mythology: “bigeneration.” This left fans shocked as the Fourteenth Doctor, seemingly regenerating as per usual, actually split into two, revealing Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor standing, looking at one another just as surprised as the millions of Whovians watching across the globe.

What is Bigeneration and What Does it Mean for the Future?

As is explained in the behind-the-scenes show Doctor Who Unleashed, “instead of a new body taking over from the old body, the new body separates from the old body, and both are left alive.”

This means that there are two distinct Doctors roaming the universe at the same time. While it might take some time for Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor to pick up the keys to his TARDIS and start planet-hopping, as he seems quite happy to kick back in England for a while, it’s possible — nay, highly likely — that the Gatwa and Tennant Doctors will meet again.

For the time being, though, Davies has stated that there are “no plans” for a Fourteenth Doctor return, adding that he’s “parked” on Earth with Donna Noble for a “happy life.”

Interestingly, Davies has also suggested that this has even bigger implications for Doctor Who. This bigeneration has created a new timeline where all previous incarnations have been affected, with every Doctor continuing to exist after their own regeneration. Davies may be joking when he refers to this as a “Doctorverse,” but he has established “The Whoniverse” (bringing in previous spinoffs such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures) so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that audiences could witness various team-ups featuring Gatwa with previous Doctors at any moment. Or, perhaps more spinoff series could be on the way featuring the past Doctors on their own...'

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Bad Wolf's Jane Tranter Confirms New Doctor Who Spin-Off Is Currently in Post-Production

Bad Wolf's Jane Tranter Confirms New #DoctorWho Spin-Off Is Currently in Post-Production

Jane Tranter of Bad Wolf, one of the production companies behind Doctor Who, has confirmed that upcoming spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea, is being edited — and so is Doctor Who Series 15! She enthused: “We announced last week that we’re doing The War Between The Land And The Sea, which is the first time there’s a mini series within the whole universe. So we’re thrilled that the…

[icewarrior2000]

Boom

(Series 14, Episode 3)

Summary: Moffat continues his obsession with religious military types as the TARDIS arrives on a planet devastated by a pointless war and the Doctor immediately steps on a landmine.  He spends the entire episode standing on it and my back was aching just watching him standing on one leg for that long.  Spoiler: he doesn’t explode.

Watch because: Ncuti Gatwa basically stood still for 45 minutes and still managed to have me spellbound.

Original Air Date: 18 May 2024.

Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa.

Companions: Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).

Writer: Steven Moffat.

Director: Julie Anne Robinson.

Producer: Vicki Delow.Executive Producer: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Anne Robinson & Steven Moffat.

[purplewillowchicken]

Even back in 2007 David was thinking about Michael!

Dr Who Confidential. He asked Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter if they could name every actor who played the Doctor. David says Michael Sheen wasn't it.

[vintage1981]

New Whoniverse Spin-Off 'The War Between The Land And The Sea' announced at San Diego Comic-Con

Friday 26th July, the BBC and Disney Branded Television jointly announce their first brand new Doctor Who spin-off titled The War Between The Land And The Sea, during San Diego Comic-Con.  

Leading the five-part series is Russell Tovey (Feud, American Horror Story: NYC) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface, Loki). The series will also see the return of UNIT alumni Jemma Redgrave (Doctor Who, Grantchester) who will reprise her role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Alexander Devrient (Doctor Who, Ted Lasso) as Colonel Ibrahim.

When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war. Created by Doctor Who showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies, who wrote the spinoff with Pete McTighe (A Discovery of Witches, The Pact, Doctor Who), the series features the triumphant return of the Sea Devils, classic Doctor Who villains first seen in 1972.

Davies said: I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.

Filming begins next month and will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, director of two Doctor Who season one episodes: 73 Yards and Dot and Bubble. The series will air exclusively on Disney+ where available and BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K.

The War Between The Land And The Sea is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC. In addition to Davies, executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.

[pers-books]

October 30, 2023

As over 800 episodes of Doctor Who land on BBC iPlayer on 1st November, they will all sit in one place – The Whoniverse. Closely followed by the first original Whoniverse series...

The Whoniverse

Welcome to the world where you can find every Doctor, every companion, and terrifyingly, hundreds of monsters that have appeared in Doctor Who. From the 1st November, The Whoniverse will become the official name, and dedicated home, for all shows within the orbit of Doctor Who which will live on BBC iPlayer.

Tales of the TARDIS

These Doctor Who legends step back into character to reflect on their adventures and in the process they discover something new, leaving viewers with a new insight into the story of each timeless pair.

With new scenes written by Showrunner Russell T Davies, and previous Doctor Who writers Phil Ford and Pete McTighe, TALES OF THE TARDIS allows fans to rediscover the stories they love whilst inviting new viewers to explore the vast mythology of the Doctor.

Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Showrunner says:

“The word Whoniverse was invented by fans, so it’s time to give it official status. And TALES OF THE TARDIS is one of the greatest delights of my career - to see old Doctors and companions reunited, still fighting the good fight, is a perfect way to celebrate the Doctor’s 60th birthday!”

Dan McGolpin, Director of iPlayer and Channels added:

“I’m delighted to welcome TALES OF THE TARDIS exclusively to BBC iPlayer, the home of Doctor Who, which is consistently one of our most popular programmes every single week of the year. TALES OF THE TARDIS will sit within The Whoniverse and features brand new and incredibly moving scenes with well-loved characters; it will be a fantastic starting point for a new generation to discover some of the most classic episodes and a joyous way for longstanding fans to catch up with old friends.”

TALES OF THE TARDIS is a Bad Wolf and BBC Studios production for BBC iPlayer. Executive Produced by Russell T Davies, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson and Joel Collins. It is produced by Scott Handcock and directed by Joshua M. G. Thomas. The episodes are written by Russell T Davies, Phil Ford, and Pete McTighe.

[zyxthstuff]

So people have talked about how difficult the production of first series of Doctor Who was.

And here's from RTD himself.

This is from Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale Final Chapter

Meanwhile Chris Eccleston has also been vague talking about the bad experience during first series, which he mentioned that the first block of filming in particular was the issue. And to be fair to him, he only talked about that because people kept asking.

So it's interesting to read from both sides and it also gave more context to the “Sack Russell T. Davies, sack Jane Tranter, sack Phil Collinson, sack Julie Gardner, and I’ll come back. So, can you arrange that?”

(Which meant he didn't want to work with them. Didn't mean he literally wanted people to sack them for him.)

[radiofreeskaro]

Radio Free Skaro #961 - Kiss Kiss Boom Boom

Radio Free Skaro #961 - Kiss Kiss Boom Boom - #Doctor Who "Boom" review! - Pertwee's Burgers! - STATS! - And more!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/freyburg/rfs961.mp3 Download MP3 Steven Moffat returns to the world of Doctor Who with Boom, a tension-filled episode with land mines, Anglican Marines, many a trope from his previous era, and more! The Three Who Rule are well-known Moffat-ites to be sure, but did this measure up to their thoughts and prayers? Plus the media blitz continues with Hollywood Reporter,…

[denimbex1986]

'Disney+ and BBC have announced premiere dates for the three new Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.

The first special, The Star Beast, will premiere November 25, followed by Wild Blue Yonder on December 2 and The Giggle on December 9. The specials reunite the 14th Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Temple-Noble (Catherine Tate) as they come face-to-face with their most terrifying villain yet: the Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris in his Doctor Who debut. All will premiere on Disney+ globally except in the UK and Ireland, where they will air on the BBC.

We’re also getting an expanded look at the specials in a new trailer...

Additional new cast includes Yasmin Finney as Rose Temple-Noble, Miriam Margolyes as the voice of the Meep and Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham, as well as returning characters Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, Karl Collins as Shaun Temple, and Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.

Doctor Who is the longest running action-adventure television series in the world spanning 60 years and winning over 100 awards. This quintessentially British show has a huge global following, with 9.6m fans across social platforms/channels and 100m video views on YouTube in the last year alone.

Doctor Who is produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios. Russell T. Davies returns as showrunner, and also serves as a writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. The 60th anniversary specials are written by Davies and directed by Rachel Talalay, Tom Kingsley, and Chanya Button, respectively. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.

Ncuti Gatwa takes control of the TARDIS as the 15th Doctor in the new season, which will stream globally in 2024 on Disney+ and on the BBC in the UK and Ireland.'

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

The War Between The Land And The Sea: Is A Doctor Who Spin-Off With the Sea Devils in the Works?

The War Between The Land And The Sea: Is A #DoctorWho Spin-Off With the Sea Devils in the Works?

There are more rumours of a Doctor Who spin-off show featuring the Sea Devils — but these don’t hail from newspapers, but instead a production listings site which includes a few further details, including the series’ supposed name. The War Between The Land And The Sea is described as a “spin-off of the fantasy-action saga Doctor Who, that will feature the Sea Devils” (the “fantasy-action” term…

[icewarrior2000]

The Devil's Chord

(Series 14, Episode 2)

Summary: Full disclosure here: I just don’t get the Beatles.  If I had access to a time machine, there are literally millions of other artists I would go and see live, but I think I’m in the minority here.  ANYWAY, an evil being named Maestro pops out of a piano and starts stealing music, making all songs super bland and terrible, but they can be defeated if you find the right chord.  Step up Lennon and McCartney, the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived (*sceptical sighing*) who manage to find it. Maestro is banished and, because I am a lover of big, camp musical numbers, I enjoyed the twist at the end.

Watch because: Jinkx Monsoon just eats up the scenery as Maestro.

Original Air Date: 11 May 2024.

Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa.

Companions: Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).

Writer: Russell T Davies.

Director: Ben Chessell.

Producer: Chris May.

Executive Producer: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins & Phil Collinson.

[tindogpodcast]

TDP 1329: #DoctorWho Christmas 2025 Joy To The World REVIEW

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

312 – "Joy to the World" Doctor Who episode

Promotional poster, featuring the caption "Joy to the Worlds"

Cast

Doctor

Ncuti Gatwa – Fifteenth Doctor

Companion

Nicola Coughlan – Joy Almondo

Others

Millie Gibson – Ruby Sunday

Joel Fry – Trev Simpkins

Steph de Whalley – Anita Benn

Jonathan Aris – Hotel Manager

Peter Benedict – Basil Flockhart

Julia Watson – Hilda Flockhart

Niamh Marie Smith – Sylvia Trench

Phil Baxter – Edmund Hillary

Samuel Sherpa-Moore – Tenzing Norgay

Ruchi Rai – Receptionist

Joshua Leese – Mr Single

Ell Potter – Server

Liam Prince-Donnelly – Barman

Fiona Marr – Angela Grace

Production Directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai Written by Steven Moffat Script editor David Cheung Produced by Alison Sterling Executive producer(s)

Russell T Davies

Julie Gardner

Jane Tranter

Joel Collins

Phil Collinson

Steven Moffat

Music by Murray Gold Running time 54 minutes First broadcast 25 December 2024 Chronology

← Preceded by "Empire of Death" Followed by → —

List of episodes (2005–present)

"Joy to the World" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One and released on Disney+ on 25 December 2024 as the fifteenth Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005.

In the episode, the fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor discovers a strange hotel at Christmastime that has harnessed the power of time travel and finds a mysterious briefcase. While investigating, he meets new companion Joy Almondo (guest star Nicola Coughlan) who helps him solve the mystery.

"Joy to the World" was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai. It was filmed in October and November 2023.

Plot

[edit]

The Doctor arrives at the Time Hotel, an establishment in the year 4202 that allows guests to visit various points in history, several of which the Doctor visits during the episode. The Doctor enlists the aid of Trev, a worker at the hotel, as he investigates a mysterious man holding a briefcase. As each new person is tricked into taking the briefcase, it takes control of them, and the previous carrier disintegrates. Trev's Silurian manager arrives in Joy Almondo's London hotel room in 2024 with the briefcase, and the Doctor following him.

The briefcase takes control of Joy, and the Doctor opens it, finding a strange device inside. The briefcase is about to disintegrate Joy, when a Doctor from the future arrives from the Time Hotel and gives them an override code. The future Doctor then returns to the Time Hotel with Joy, stranding the current Doctor in 2024. He takes a job working at Joy's hotel, befriending the manager Anita, and awaiting an opportunity to get back to the Time Hotel the following Christmas.

A year later, the Doctor re-enters the Time Hotel, and gives his past self the code (which he'd obtained by the bootstrap paradox), then departs with Joy. They open a door to the distant past, where the Doctor frees Joy from the briefcase by provoking her anger at being unable to be with her dying mother due to COVID-19 lockdown. The briefcase reveals itself to be of Villengard origin, with plans to detonate a "star seed" to use as an energy source, using the hotel's time travel to allow it to grow in the past.

The briefcase is eaten by a Tyrannosaurus rex, and the Doctor and Joy flee. Trev, who connected psychically to Villengard's system before he died, contacts the Doctor through his sonic screwdriver. Trev reveals the briefcase's location, and the Doctor finds it sealed in a shrine. The Doctor is able to open it, but Joy takes the briefcase outside, and lets the star seed enter her. Joy and the other people killed by the seed pilot it into space, where it detonates safely. At various points in time, the star gives hope and comfort to those who see it, including Joy's dying mother and Ruby Sunday. The Doctor sees that that the star was also the Star of Bethlehem.

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat penned the episode.

Russell T Davies, the Doctor Who showrunner, initially began writing the 2024 Christmas special. Davies had sent a portion of the script to former showrunner Steven Moffat to get his opinion on it. At the time, Davies was in discussions with Moffat to have him write a script for the fifteenth series. When Davies realised he was too busy to complete the script, he shelved it and asked Moffat to write the Christmas episode instead.[1] Moffat considered writing a farce, but decided against it, believing that such an episode would be better suited mid-series.[2] Despite this, he said the episode still had a comedic tone with emotional elements.[3]

Here's the pitch that got me the job. You know in just about every hotel room you've been in there's a locked door? It's weird, but there always is. Okay. We're about to blow apart the truth of that. In the far future there is a place called the Time hotel, and the Time Hotel has realised something brilliant, which is following the discovery of time travel they have an opportunity to sell all the rooms they failed to sell the last time. So they have built extensions into more or less every hotel room in history, and you get access to it occasionally.

— Steven Moffat, "The Joy Bringer", SFX 3 December 2024[3]

Half the script had been completed before Davies informed Moffat that Ruby Sunday wouldn't be in the special.[1] The character of Anita originally only had around ten lines but her presence was increased after the production team became fond of her.[4] Moffat had finished writing the episode by 20 July 2023.[5] Working titles for the episode included "The Time Hotel" and "Christmas, Everywhere All at Once".[6] The story further explores the "Villengard Corporation", a recurring fictional weapons manufacturing company that has been mentioned in a number of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes. The Doctor last confronted Villengard in the fourteenth series episode "Boom" (2024).[7][8] It is the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special to be written by Moffat who once again assumed an executive producer role during production of the episode.[2][9]

Casting

[edit]

In November 2023, Nicola Coughlan was announced to be appearing in an undisclosed role of an upcoming Doctor Who episode.[10] It was later revealed that Coughlan would star in the 2024 Christmas episode as the Doctor's one-off companion,[11] Joy Almondo, a guest at a hotel who "gets caught up in [the Doctor's] adventures."[12] Initial reports indicated that Millie Gibson, who portrays the Doctor's current companion Ruby Sunday, would not appear in the special.[13] Gibson however, made a brief cameo appearance near the end of the episode.[14]. Joel Fry was cast to play Trev, an employee at the Time Hotel while Jonathan Aris portrayed the hotel's manager.[12] Steph de Whalley appeared as Anita, the manager of another hotel whom the Doctor spends a year with.[15]

Niamh Marie Smith played Sylvia Trench, a passenger on the Orient Express in 1962, whom Moffat confirmed as the same character as the love interest of James Bond in the films Dr. No (1962) and From Russia with Love (1963).[16][17] Historical figures Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were depicted, at a 1953 Mount Everest base camp, by Phil Baxter and Samuel Sherpa-Moore, respectively.[18] Sherpa-Moore is Norgay's great-great nephew.[19] Peter Benedict and Julia Watson appeared as Basil and Hilda, guests at the Queen's Hotel in Manchester during World War II.[20] The guest cast also included Ruchi Rai, Joshua Leese, Ell Potter, and Liam Prince-Donnelly.[12]

Filming

[edit]

Set design for the episode was underway at Wolf Studios Wales by 11 October 2023. The Mesozoic Era room was built on a gimbal that allowed the set to tilt to give the effect that it was being eaten by a dinosaur. The art department was working on graphic design by 17 October. The graphics team took fifteen 11-hour days to create enough artwork to fill the Doctor's hotel room. Seven different briefcases were purchased by the props department for use in the episode. A team at Millennium FX designed the Silurian prosthetics.[5]

Principal photography began on 23 October, with recording extending into November.[5] "Joy to the World" was directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai[21] in the first filming block of the fifteenth series.[22] For the Sandringham Hotel, the production team chose to purchase two floors of an actual hotel, but had to build the lobby on a soundstage. The top of the Orient Express set was built in front of a green screen and placed on rubber tyres to allow the special effects team to replicate the look of a moving train. Mika Orasmaa was the episodes director of photography.[4]

Release and reception

[edit]

Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer) 80%[23] Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score) 7.3/10[23] Review scores Source Rating A.V. Club B–[24] Bleeding Cool 10/10[25] Empire [26] GamesRadar+ [27] The Guardian [28] IGN [29] Radio Times [30] The Telegraph [31]

Broadcast and promotion

[edit]

"Joy to the World" was broadcast on BBC One and released on BBC iPlayer on 25 December 2024 at 5:10 PM GMT.[11][32] In the United States the episode was released simultaneously on Disney+ at 9:10 AM PT.[33] Disney also handled international distribution of the episode outside of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.[34]

A clip and trailer for the episode was released on 15 November as part of the 2024 Children in Need broadcast.[35] The press screening took place in the week prior to broadcast,[36] which was hosted by Angellica Bell.[37] Promotional posters released by Disney captioned the poster with "Joy to the Worlds", mirroring the title "Joy to the World".[38]

Ratings

[edit]

In the UK, Doctor Who was the sixth most-watched programme on Christmas Day, receiving 4.11 million viewers overnight.[39]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[23]

Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Michael Hogan referred to "Joy to the World" as "the best Christmas adventure for more than a decade." He further elaborated by saying that "there's something here for all generations to enjoy" and praising the guest cast, namely Nicola Coughlan, Steph de Walley, and Joel Fry.[31] Authoring a review for Radio Times, Louise Griffin also praised the guest cast but felt that Coughlan had been underused.[30]

IGN's Robert Anderson wrote that the special "masterfully blends the show's signature whimsy with heartfelt storytelling, delivering a cozy, deeply human tale about the transformative power of friendship" and that "Moffat's excellent script is central to the episode's success."[29] The writing was also applauded by Adi Tantimedh, who writing for Bleeding Cool, said "Moffat pins down the core of what makes Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor different from all his predecessors."[25]

Stephen Robinson with the A.V. Club criticised the Doctor's characterization, saying the "there are key moments in the story that directly contradict the Doctor's former growth" and that "he's a mix of the 'lonely god' from Russell T Davies' first run and Steven Moffat's 'madman in a box,' and the effect is discordant."[24] Emily Murray from GamesRadar+ also criticised a portion of the episode, writing that the "villains quite frankly feel like an afterthought and feel threadbare."[27]

A new Tin Dog Podcast