10 Reasons We're Entering A Doctor Who Golden Age

10. The Return Of Christmas Specials

From 2005 to 2017, every series of Doctor Who was accompanied by a Christmas special. From then on, these extra episodes were rebranded as ‘festive’ specials, and were broadcast on New Year's Day rather than Christmas Day.

Former showrunner Chris Chibnall has since confirmed that the decision to move away from the Christmas slot was part of the BBC's strategy to keep the show feeling fresh, rather than any anti-Christmas agenda.

But now the specials are back, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson’s first episode together set to air in December 2023. And though, in truth, the Christmas specials had probably grown a bit stale by 2017, after six years without them, we’re well and truly ready for their return.

In today’s TV landscape, the idea that Christmas Day is a “better” slot than New Year's Day is largely subjective – after all, lots of big dramas premiere on New Year's Day, like Sherlock and Happy Valley. But Christmas Day feels like more of a "stay inside and watch telly" kind of day, especially for family shows, which will allow Doctor Who to capture lots more casual viewers.

There's also something right about having Doctor Who on at Christmas. The specials were a big part of what made RTD1 so successful, and we’re sure they’ll do the same for RTD2.