Doctor Who moving Christmas special makes director cry every time
Get the tissues ready for Joy to the World.
Among the exciting Christmas TV schedule, plenty of people are looking forward to the Doctor's Who Christmas special, which is set to take us on quite the emotional rollercoaster it seems.
The episode is full of plenty of emotion, so much so that it even causes director Alex Pillai to cry every time he watches it.
Speaking to the BBC, Pillai previewed what audiences can expect from Joy to the World, saying: "I would say laughter, tears, a time travelling conundrum, and a dinosaur! To me that is the logline.
"Steven has written such a powerhouse episode, so much happens and it’s all very understandable.
"You are laughing, but it’s very moving, I cry every time I watch it and I’ve watched it a hundred times easily."
The festive special sees Ncuti Gatwa reprise his role as the Fifteenth Doctor, being joined by Nicola Coughlan as new character Joy. Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat returns to pen the episode, which follows a hotel chain that has got hold of the ability to time travel.
The synopsis for the episode reads: "The episode introduces Joy, starring Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), who checks into a London hotel in 2024, only to discover that her quiet stay is anything but ordinary.
"When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.
"Where has the Doctor been? What is going on in Joy's hotel room? An old enemy of the Doctor's is lurking in the wings and all of human history hangs in the balance. Can the Doctor save Christmas, everywhere, all at once?"
Read more:
- Doctor Who's Steven Moffat teases "humorous" Christmas special with Joy to the World: "It's not Blink"
- Doctor Who season 15 is coming sooner than you think, showrunner says
On his reaction to reading the episode for the first time, Pillai said: "I missed my stop! I was catching a train back from London to where I live, the script arrived, I put on my headphones, and I actually literally thought Steven had written this episode for me because it has all the things I love in Doctor Who and love in drama in general – there’s a love story, there’s a race to the end, and the dialogue is very witty and funny and fast. I just felt very connected to it."
Although there's plenty of emotions within the festive special, Moffat has said that there is humour to be had also. Recently speaking to SFX magazine, Moffat said: "It's got your Christmas whimsy in there, so I suppose it leans toward the slightly more humorous end, to a degree.
"But actually, it gets quite emotional, and there's also the fun element that within the context of the wider series the Doctor has just lost one of his mates."
He added: "It's whimsical and heartwarming and emotional. It's not Blink. That's how they review all my episodes – it's not Blink!"
Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Christmas. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
