[This story contains spoilers from the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special, “Joy to the World.”]
Doctor Who fans around the world are in a joyous mood now that the latest Christmas Special has aired on Disney+. The annual event this year saw the return of its lead actor Ncuti Gatwa (Netflix’s Sex Education), who was joined by guest star Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan. Also returning to the Doctor Who fold was writer and former Sherlock showrunner Steven Moffat, who has penned some of the show’s most memorable moments since its return in 2005.
The special, festively titled “Joy to the World” and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai (Riverdale, Bridgerton), saw the Fifteenth Doctor (Gatwa) on his own, after a harrowing season finale earlier this year, and checking in at the Time Hotel in 4202. The venue offers holiday packages to anywhere in time one may want to go, such as London during the Blitz or the assassination of JFK.
In the hotel, the Time Lord teams up with the titular Joy, played by Coughlan, after she finds herself chained to a case which could bring about the end of the universe. Of course, this being Christmas, that doesn’t happen.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies and the episode’s writer Moffat to discuss all things “Joy,” including all those Easter eggs, why they included that COVID line and that surprise ending. The spoiler-filled second half of our interview is below.
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The Time Hotel is packed full of fun Easter Eggs. Were these planned from the beginning of the process?
STEVEN MOFFAT Yeah. That’s in the script. I made some suggestions of what doors we could have.
I spotted the ‘Hobbit’ door; do you think Peter Jackson [Lord of the Rings director] might pick up on that? He does watch.
MOFFAT (Laughs) Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah.
And what were the other doors that you suggested?
MOFFAT Well, the Leaning Tower of Pisa gag, obviously. That’s hilarious. Oh, the submarine door! There were a bunch of things. Then we had to put shops in, so there’s “Mr Benn’s clothes shop” [Mr Benn was an animated children’s show from the BBC in the early 1970s where the titular character would visit a fancy-dress costume shop, enter a magic door and experience a new world relevant to the costume he chose.] The bar is called DeTamble’s after Henry DeTamble in The Time Traveler’s Wife [which was adapted for film in 2009 and also a television series which Moffat showran for HBO in 2022.] I liked the Dodo Burgers. They finally got time travel, so you could go back in time and eat Dodos. I thought that was good.” (Both laugh.)
RUSSELL T DAVIES Who books the submarine room? Wait a minute, wait a minute. I’d book the submarine room. (Laughs) When you think about it…, actually, okay, it’s Christmas.
The Time Hotel is such a fertile idea. Do you think there’s a scope to see it again in future episodes?
DAVIES A spinoff! You could do a spinoff for that, Steven?
MOFFAT That’s a show, isn’t it? I mean, that’s Mr. Benn for a new generation. You could absolutely bring back the Time Hotel. I can’t imagine the Doctor being able to resist going there!
Poor Trev, what did he do to deserve that? I would have liked to have seen him again! [Comedic actor Joel Fry plays affable security guard Trev, who doesn’t last long after the Doctor turns up at his place of work.]
MOFFAT Doctor Who is a children’s show and it’s Christmas — you’ve got to kill the innocent! (Laughs)
Was the COVID-19 pandemic, its fallout and public anger, something that’s been on your mind and wanted to get out there? [A scene features Joy telling the Doctor how she lost her mother to COVID, but couldn’t be there in person while “awful” people partied; a reference to politicians in the U.K. who did not observe restrictions at the time.]
MOFFAT Well, I think a certain amount of outrage was on the minds of very, very many people. But it’s not something you want to make a huge point about. It was just looking for a reason that means something about why someone’s sad on Christmas Day. I’ve heard that version of that story so many times. So many times.
I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know someone who has that story, or who has that story themselves. It’s a piece of our history now. Our very recent history; it’s defined us. So, if someone’s going to be angry on Christmas Day, why not that? That was a good reason. It’s the first thing that came to mind: Why would you be angry on Christmas Day?
I think it was something else in the very first draft, I can’t remember what. And then I was sitting there thinking, “Why would you be angry on Christmas Day?’ And I thought, ‘Well, oh my God, that’s it!” Once you’ve thought of that one, you’re not going to leave it behind. That’s why you would be angry on Christmas Day.
DAVIES I think it reaches the point where it’s irresponsible if you didn’t mention it. Huge part of our recent history.
MOFFAT Absolutely.
Did you have any hesitation about visiting Bethlehem at the birth of, I presume, Mr Christ? [The ending of “Joy to the World” sees the Doctor appearing in Bethlehem, in the year “0001,” as we witness Joy becoming a very visible star to all around.]
MOFFAT It’s a Christmas Day special. I think it’s fair to acknowledge where he came from! I think that’s all right. And that’s a lovely story, so why not?
I like the idea that lovely Joy led the people to the manger. I think that’s a great idea. It’s sweet and it’s lovely. A lot of kids will have been in their nativity plays and they’ll think about that.
DAVIES I’m going to write a story set in Bethlehem one day — Mary had twins!
MOFFAT Evil genius!
DAVIES Literally. There’s a film!
MOFFAT The other one’s called Judas. It’s a terrible truth.
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English (US) ·