Doctor Who's Steven Moffat reveals cut scene from Joy to the World script
The 2024 Christmas special at one point had a whole extra sequence.
Joy to the World, the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special, had a lot going on – from the Time Hotel to the Doctor getting stuck on Earth, from the star seed and the briefcase to those final moments.
However, like with any episode, there are always things that change as the script is going through to development, and the special's writer, Steven Moffat, has revealed what fans missed out on seeing in a scene which was cut out.
Speaking with this month's edition of Doctor Who Magazine, Moffat said of the script's earlier drafts: "There was a whole extra sequence where the Doctor gets a room service tray, because you can't access the upper floors without a proper pass.
"And the Doctor says, 'Oh, give me a tray! The one fault in all security is convenience.' And he pushes the tray against the lift panel, and the lift opens. 'You can always factor in human laziness!'"
Fifteenth Doctor star Ncuti Gatwa previously praised Moffat's script for its "spiritual undercurrent", explaining: "This Christmas ep, I enjoyed so much. I enjoyed the script, Steven Moffat back doing what he does best.
"There's almost kind of a spiritual undercurrent to his scripts, which is really powerful and interesting to have in a sci-fi script."
Joy to the World was Moffat's second script for Russell T Davies's new era of the show, following on from Boom which aired earlier in 2024.
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Moffat previously teased that the Christmas special could be his final ever episode of the show, saying in an interview with TV Choice: "I'm not involved in next year's series. There are other things coming for me, so I might never write for Doctor Who again.
"As I got to the end of Joy to the World, I did think, 'Is that it? My final moment?' So that could be my goodbye. Number 50? I’ll take that."
However, more recently he suggested this may not be the case, writing on X: "Oh and here's a bit of Christmas. Looks good. See you then? Could be my very last one - but when have I said that before?"
Doctor Who Magazine 612 is on sale now from Panini priced £7.99 (UK) and is also available as a digital edition from Pocketmags priced £6.99.
Doctor Who will return for season 15 in 2025. 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
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
