A Doctor Who Christmas episode in the year 2023? Yes, please! We’ve missed you so badly. Please don’t go anywhere ever again.
Not since 2017’s “Twice Upon a Time” have we had a holiday-dedicated episode, which is such a shame, because no other fantasy show can come up with the same brand of yuletide sci-fi and sweetness than Doctor Who. My personal favorites are “The Runaway Bride” and “A Christmas Carol,” but I digress. We’re not here to look back but forward, to an all-new special starring the freshly minted Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) in his first fully-fledged adventure.
Season 14 opens with the holiday special “The Church on Ruby Road,” which sees The Doctor run into who will likely be his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). The trailer doesn’t tease much of anything, but it looks like this episode will serve as Ruby’s origin story and that she’ll be teaming up with The Doctor to fight off some adorable but (as is the case with cute creatures here) menacing goblins.
Where to watch Doctor Who Holiday Special: The Church on Ruby Road
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road will be available to stream on Christmasday, December 25, on Disney+.
There’s only one way to watch Doctor Who Holiday Special: The Church on Ruby Road, and that’s on Disney+.
Doctor Who Holiday Special: The Church on Ruby Road on Disney+
Disney+ is quickly rising to be the streamer of choice in the US, but in case you’re not subscribed yet, here’s a rundown:
Disney+
The on-demand streaming service Disney+ gives you access to thousands of films and TV shows not just from Disney itself, but from partner studios like Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and ABC. It's a giant umbrella of content for a fairly reasonable price of $7.99/month with ads and $13.99/month without, but if you want even more, Disney+ offers premium add-ons you can stack to your plan, as well as the famous Trio bundle, which gives you Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at a discounted price.
Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials on Disney+
Christmas celebrations in the Whovian world actually started way earlier with the release of the three-episode 60th Anniversary Specials in early November. The delightfully weird installments, titled “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” and “The Giggle,” are all available to watch on Disney+.
If you’re coming into “The Church of Ruby Road” fresh, you might want to brush up by watching “The Giggle,” at the very least, which is where the Fifteenth Doctor makes his, let’s say, unique debut.
Disney+
The on-demand streaming service Disney+ gives you access to thousands of films and TV shows not just from Disney itself, but from partner studios like Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and ABC. It's a giant umbrella of content for a fairly reasonable price of $7.99/month with ads and $13.99/month without, but if you want even more, Disney+ offers premium add-ons you can stack to your plan, as well as the famous Trio bundle, which gives you Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at a discounted price.
The previous episodes of Doctor Who are available on Max and Britbox
However, if you’d like a more thorough recap, you can watch seasons 9 through 13 on Max, which is where the show used to be available to stream before being acquired by Disney.
Max
While best known for streaming epic shows like Succession, Game of Thrones, and The White Lotus, Max rounds its selection with blockbusters from Warner Bros., news from CNN, reality shows from Discovery, and for an additional fee, live sports from B/R. Max’s plans begin at $10/month, but if you already have HBO, you should check with your TV provider to see if it can give you Max at no additional cost.
And if you’d like to go even further down the line and watch Classic Who, beginning with the very First Doctor, then you can start your marathon on BritBox.
Britbox
Home to some of the best telly Great Britain has to offer, Britbox is an ad-free on-demand streaming service that's compatible with most media players, including smartphones and TVs. For $9/month, you get access to BBC shows like Luther, Sherwood, and Downton Abbey, as well as ITV gems like Stonehouse, Channel 4 classics like The IT Crowd, and a host of Britbox-produced documentaries, mysteries, dramas, and sitcoms.