'Doctor Who' Christmas Special "Joy to the World" Promises Dinosaurs for the Holidays

Nothing says Merry Christmas like....dinosaurs? That's the vibe in the latest clip from Doctor Who's forthcoming festive special "Joy to the World," which features Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, a guest appearance by Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan, and a seemingly very angry Tyrannosaurus Rex. But given that previous holiday episodes from this franchise have featured everything from machine gun-toting robot Santas and brain-eating dream crabs to the space version of the Titanic, this isn't actually as weird as it might sound.

While former showrunner Chris Chibnall was never all that into the whole "Festive Special" idea — preferring to be more inclusive by dropping his extra episodes on New Year's Day and telling stories that had little to do with the holiday — Russell T. Davies loves a Christmas episode. Gatwa's introduction in "The Church on Ruby Road" aside, he tends to use the festive installment to lean into the show's more light-hearted, sillier side. (Though, to be fair, even Fifteen's inaugural adventure did feature singing goblins.)

Davies also likes to use these episodes as companion-light installments, giving the Doctor a standalone adventure with a new friend instead of another story with his regular traveling partner. Coughlan's Joy is the latest in a long tradition that includes Kylie Minogue, David Morrissey, and Catherine Tate (before she was properly made a full-time companion).