It’s hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner. (Well, they aren’t, but if the retail world has anything to say about it, they are.) With the holidays come all variety of holiday-themed programming. And what says “the holidays” like Doctor Who? BBC America announced today that for this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, Matt Smith, the current Doctor in the decades-running sci-fi series, will be joined by a number of UK comedy stars for an emotional and festive celebration, including Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), Bill Bailey (Black Boots), Arabella Weir (Skins) and Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong & Miller).
Steven Moffat, celebrated lead writer and executive producer of the series, had this to say: “The Doctor at Christmas — nothing is more fun to write. Maybe because it’s so his kind of day — everything’s bright and shiny, everybody’s having a laugh and nobody minds if you wear a really stupid hat. Of all the Doctors, Matt Smith’s the one that was born for this time of year — so it’s the best news possible that he’s heading back down the chimney.”
With the current story line of the series taking place during World War II, it’s appropriate that this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special will take place during the same period. According to BBC America, the special will find Madge Arwell (Skinner) and her two children evacuated to an old home in Dorset, to escape the Blitz. There, they find a certain peculiar young caretaker in a bow tie and a big, blue present waiting for them under the tree. But they have no idea what’s really in store for them as they’re about to find out that a Time Lord knows how to repay his debts.
Production has started on the Doctor Who Christmas Special, but no premiere date has yet been announced. However, the regular-season finale, titled “The Wedding of River Song,” will premiere on BBC America Saturday, Oct. 1.
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Photo: ©BBC BBCW Credit: Adrian Rogers
