Showrunner, Russell T Davies, has teased that the Doctor will be on his own for this year’s Christmas special, Joy to the World, so it sounds like it’ll be a story with no regular companion.

That’s not a massive shock, given that Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) temporarily left the TARDIS at the end of Empire of Death, the final episode of Doctor Who Series 14, but it’s nonetheless interesting that Davies has seemingly confirmed that the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) won’t have a companion for the next story.

The writer said:

“I can’t give away much more but work has begun on it already, and it’s mad — it’s one of the maddest Christmas specials you’ll ever see. It’s epic, it goes to so many different places. And it’s a great story of who the Doctor is when he’s alone.”

Bear in mind, too, that the special isn’t written by Davies — it’s written by former showrunner, Steven Moffat, his fiftieth script for the show. And Moffat has mulled over the Doctor being on his own a lot — it’s kind of his thing.

Heck, Heaven Sent is essentially a one-hander, with the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) trying to get back to the outside world in order to save his companion, Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman). The Snowmen showed what the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) was like after having lost his companions. Similarly, they were absent in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. He’s also basically without Clara for the events of The Time of the Doctor.

Oh, and let’s not forget Listen which sees the Doctor going a little crazy when he hasn’t got company…

So Joy to the World sounds like a perfect fit for Moffat!

The Christmas episode is expected to air on 25th December 2024.