Doctor Who is releasing its Christmas special early and for free in cinemas for select fans

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You could win a screening

Nicola Coughlan in the Doctor Who Christmas special
(Image credit: BBC)

Missing Doctor Who? Well, the upcoming Christmas is getting a special early release for selected fans. As part of Doctor Who and Star Trek’s Friendship is Universal collaboration, which kicked off at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, an early screening is up for grabs.

Fans in the US and the UK are eligible to enter a competition to see the episode screened in their local movie theater for them and 30 others. While the exact date hasn’t been confirmed, it will be before the episode’s air date on the BBC and Disney Plus on Christmas Day. You can enter the competition here before 23:59 pm BST/18:59 pm EDT on 13 October 2024.

Called 'Joy to the World', the new Christmas episode stars Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor as he seeks out Joy (played by Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan) for an adventure. The first clip shows the pair finding each other in a hotel room before their journey, which takes them everywhere from World War Two to the Orient Express.

The episode is written by former showrunner Steven Moffat, who previously told TV Choice it might be his final time writing for the show – for the time being at least. “As I got to the end of Boom, and as I got to the end of Joy To The World [his upcoming Christmas special], I did think, ‘Is that it? Is that the final moment?’,” he told the publication. “I think they both have quite good final moments for the Doctor. I was thinking, ‘Yeah, that could be goodbye.’”

Fay Watson
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.