Doctor Who drops huge details about Ncuti Gatwa’s Christmas special

Leon Miller
Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in the Doctor Who Christmas special

The BBC just revealed a TARDIS full of plot and character beats from the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.”

Set for release on December 25, “The Church on Ruby Road” will mark Ncuti Gatwa’s first full adventure as the Fifteenth Doctor. The Sex Education star will debut prior to this, in the third Doctor Who 60th Anniversary special, “The Giggle.”

Joining him is fellow franchise newcomer Millie Gibson, who portrays the Doctor’s new companion, Ruby Sunday. The role is Gibson’s most high-profile assignment yet and follows her run on British soap Coronation Street.

While stills of Gatwa and Gibson in the Christmas special recently surfaced online, specifics about the festive-themed outing’s story remained scarce – until now.

Doctor Who drops huge details about Ncuti Gatwa’s Christmas special

A new update on the BBC’s official Doctor Who website has unveiled key Christmas special narrative and character information.

Notably, the update includes an official synopsis of the Doctor Who Christmas special’s plot. It reads: “[The Church on Ruby Road] sees the Doctor come face-to-face with the mythical and mysterious goblins as his life collides with Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.

“Little is known about Ruby Sunday as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby. Now living with her mum, Carla, and grandmother, Cherry, her world is about to be turned upside when she encounters the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together…”

The BBC’s update also confirms several of the Doctor Who Christmas special’s cast members. Michelle Greenidge and Angela Wynter play Carla and Cherry, respectively, while TV presenter Davina McCall will appear as herself.

“From Day One in this job, I wanted Doctor Who back on Christmas Day!” Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies said in an accompanying statement. “And with Ncuti, Millie, Davina, and the Goblin King, I hope it’s a feast for all the family!”

Russell T Davies teases Doctor Who Series 14

Davies supplied further Christmas special details in a recent interview with SFX. Of particular interest was the showrunner’s admission that mysteries introduced in “The Church on Ruby Road” will carry over to Doctor Who Series 14.

“Not every question is answered in the Christmas special, “Davies explained. “And that continues all the way through to the most magnificent finale ever shot on planet Earth. No hype! I swear that’s true.”

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About The Author

Leon is a freelance Movies and TV writer at Dexerto. His past writing credits include articles for Polygon, Popverse, The Escapist, Screen Rant, CBR, Cultured Vultures, PanelxPanel, Taste of Cinema, and more. Originally from Australia, Leon is currently based in the UK.