After setting up the Time Hotel the Doctor is staying at—a business of myriad gateways currently set to send guests to every Christmas in history—we’re quickly whisked through a bunch of those doorways as he follows a strange suitcase hopping between handcuffed,

Since Voyage of the Damned, 16 Doctor Who Christmas and New Year specials have aired (with Joy to the World being the 17th), and everyone will have their own list of what they think makes a perfect one. Some of those things will be tangible, like a starry companion, and others will be a little harder to put your finger on.

Not only does it see the return of Ncuti Gatwa's debonair and canonically queer Fifteenth Doctor, not only does it feature Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan in the title role, but also this particular Christmas special is penned and executive produced by former series showrunner Steven Moffat.

One of the great ironies of Doctor Who is that the one episode that most people tend to watch – the big, broad appeal Christmas special – is often the least inspiring. I am still haunted by the year,