After a few years either AWOL or in a New Year's slot, Doctor Who is now firmly back where it belongs on the festive schedule, and this year’s episode looks to be a cracker. So keep reading as we explain how to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special online from anywhere and potentially for FREE.
Watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special online
Response to Ncuti Gatwa’s debut series was mixed, but if there was one thing every critic and fan seemed to agree on it’s that the actor put in a stellar turn as the Fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor. We bid goodbye to companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) in the closing moments of last season’s finale, and so, as it is with so many of the show’s holiday specials, we find the Time Lord travelling alone for this seasonal outing. That’s not to say he won't have company though, with Nicola Coughlan’s Joy along for the ride.
Checking into a hotel for a quiet Christmas retreat, Joy finds it anything but when she opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel concealed within, unleashing danger, dinosaurs and even an old enemy of The Doctor. So begins an adventure that threatens all of history and it’s down to The Doctor and Joy to save all of Christmas, everywhere, all at once.
Reviews from critics who got to unwrap their present early have been glowing, with our sister site GamesRadar calling ‘Joy to the World’ “exactly what we asked Santa for this Christmas – a fun, festive special that is overflowing with charm and comedy,” so read on for how to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special online, from anywhere and potentially for FREE.
Can I watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special for FREE?
Gone are the days of Brits getting to watch Doctor Who Christmas Specials before the rest of the world, but the good news is they're still the only ones who can do so completely FREE when joy to the world lands on on BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day, December 25 at 5.10 pm GMT.
Not at home over the holidays? Use a VPN to access you usual streaming services from abroad and watch Doctor Who for free.
How to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special from abroad
For those away from home looking to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special on iPlayer you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal due to regional restrictions, and you might think you have to pay for Disney Plus. Luckily, there’s an easy solution to help you access iPlayer.
Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN.
Use a VPN to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special from anywhere:
How to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special online in the UK
How to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special online around the world
How to watch the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special online in the US, Australia and Canada and beyond
International viewers can stream the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas Special on Disney Plus.
'Joy to the World' will hit the streamer simultaneously with its UK release, meaning it'll arrive either Wednesday, December 25 or Thursday, December 26 depending on your timezone.
For those in the US and Canada, that means 9:10 a.m. PT / 12:10 p.m. ET on Dec. 25 while in Australia its 4:10 am AEDT on Dec. 26.
In the US, Disney Plus costs from $9.99 per month, Canadian prices start at CA$8.99 while for Aussies its AU$13.99. For more information on pricing around the world, including the bundle deals on offer, check out our Disney Plus price guide.
Brit abroad? Anyone travelling overseas who wants to watch their usual iPlayer service from abroad, instead of paying for Disney Plus, can do so by using a VPN.
What you need to know about the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special trailer
When is the the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special release date?
The Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special goes out on Christmas Day, December 25 at 5:10pm GMT on BBC One in the UK. It will be available to stream for free for Brits on BBC iPlayer and globally on Disney Plus at the same time (9:10 a.m. PT / 12:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 am AEDT (Dec. 26))
Who is in the cast of the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special?
- Ncuti Gatwa as The Fifteenth Doctor
- Nicola Coughlan as Joy
- Steph de Whalley as Anita
- Jonathan Aris as Melnak
- Joel Fry as Trev
- Peter Benedict as Basil
- Julia Watson as Hilda
- Niamh Marie Smith as Sylvia
What can we expect from the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special?
The official synopsis from the BBC reads: "The episode introduces Joy, starring Nicola Coughlan, who checks into a London hotel in 2024, only to discover that her quiet stay is anything but ordinary. When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.Where has the Doctor been? What is going on in Joy’s hotel room? An old enemy of the Doctor’s is lurking in the wings and all of human history hangs in the balance. Can the Doctor save Christmas, everywhere, all at once?"
Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor): "We find the Doctor at the start of this episode alone. He’s lost his companion and he’s on the hunt for some milk! He’s landed in a very exciting hotel, and then the adventure ensues. He’s obviously still dealing with losing Ruby, who is back at home with her family, and he’s trying to fill that void with an adventure, and it is a big one!"
Russell T Davies (Showrunner): "A huge range of things. I think our design department has never had to create so many sets from so many different places. Part of the reason for that is that it’s set in a Time Hotel, which can open up a portal to anywhere. Once Steven Moffat comes up with an idea like that then his imagination goes anywhere. There was steam and sweat coming out of the design department at many stages but it’s ended up, as a result, looking absolutely glorious. It’s quite the combination between being both a madcap story but equally heartbreaking, and that’s what Steven does. It’s amazing."
What makes Doctor Who at Christmas so special?
Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor): "It feels very nice to be back with a Christmas special. It’s got such a joyous, lovely, warm Christmassy feel. There is so much heart in this story which touches on loss, love and humour, which is exactly what you want for a Christmas Day adventure with the Doctor. I can’t wait for the audience to see it, it’s very joyous."
Nicola Coughlan (Joy): "I think it’s the perfect family show, because it’s funny, it’s heartfelt and it’s adventurous. It’s just pure excitement, and joy, and I think this episode in particular has a really beautiful message underpinning it which is all down to Steven Moffat’s writing. It’s a perfect cocktail of all those things."
Steven Moffat (Writer): "I think the Doctor, as a character, lives in the same space in a child’s head as Santa Claus; that strange man from somewhere else who is grumpy with the adults and loves kids and really just wants to play. They were always related in my head – at the very least friends and colleagues. I thought the Doctor probably did shifts in the toy workshop. When I was a kid the only thing I loved as much as Doctor Who was Christmas Day so for me it’s a perfect fit."
Russell T Davies (Showrunner): "Christmas is just built into the show. It’s a family show – it’s entertaining, it’s fun. Also, Doctor Who is a good old-fashioned melodrama. All the best Christmas stories have ghosts and monsters, and then all of a sudden there’s a danger at the edge of it."
Are there any other Doctor Who Christmas specials?
Rather a lot actually. The Doctor Who Christmas Specials have been a fixture of the BBC's festive schedule since the revival began in 2005, moving to New Year's Day during the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) era. All can be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer. A couple of years have been missed, but the full breakdown of holiday episodes is as follows:
-
Tenth Doctor (David Tennant):
- 'The Christmas Invasion' (2005)
- 'The Runaway Bride' (2006)
- 'Voyage of the Damned' (2007)
- 'The Next Doctor' (2008)
- 'The End of Time' (2009)
-
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith):
- 'A Christmas Carol' (2010)
- 'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe' (2011)
- 'The Snowmen' (2012)
- 'The Time of the Doctor' (2013)
-
Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi):
- 'Last Christmas' (2014)
- 'The Husbands of River Song' (2015)
- 'The Return of Doctor Mysterio' (2016)
- 'Twice Upon a Time' (2017)
-
Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker):
- 'Resolution' (2019)
- 'Revolution of the Daleks' (2021)
- 'Eve of the Daleks' (2022)
-
Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa):
- 'The Church on Ruby Road' (2023)
- 'Joy to the World' (2024)
