Meet the cast of the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2016

To be honest if you’re reading this you’re 99% likely to know, but just in case: Capaldi plays the twelfth incarnation of time-travelling alien The Doctor, the main character in the series. In this adventure, he meets a young boy with a superhero obsession, unintentionally changing his life forever.

Where do you know him from?

Again, probably Doctor Who, though in general Capaldi has had a long and varied career including series like The Hour, Neverwhere, Torchwood and Skins. His best-known role prior to Doctor Who was probably in political satire The Thick Of It, where he played foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker.

Matt Lucas: Nardole

Who does he play?

An assistant to the Doctor’s wife River Song (Alex Kingston) in last year’s Christmas special, Nardole is back as a companion in his own right this time around, and is set to appear in some future Doctor Who episodes in series 10 next year.

Where do you know him from?

Lucas is best known for his collaborations with David Walliams on sketch series Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, though he’s also had a long career working solo. Recently he’s appeared in films like Bridesmaids and Alice in Wonderland, as well as writing and starring in experimental BBC comedy Pompidou.