Former showrunner, Steven Moffat, has hinted that this year’s Christmas episode, Joy to the World, will connect to the Doctor Who Series 15 finale.

Moffat has written Joy to the World, his 50th script for the programme, while the Series 15 conclusion is expected to have been written by current showrunner, Russell T Davies.

Talking to TV Choice magazine, Steven said:

“Bizarrely enough, I have read the finale of [Series 15] – for reasons that will become apparent.”

So how might the two be linked? If Series 14 is anything to go by, we might look to the Doctor’s companions. The Church on Ruby Road set up the mystery of Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), which unravelled largely in season finale, The Legend of Ruby Sunday/ Empire of Death.

But the new companion, played by Varada Sethu, isn’t supposed to debut until the the Series 15 premiere. Instead, it sounds like Joy to the World will have a one-off companion — possibly Nicola Coughlan’s as-yet-unnamed character, as we know Coughlan will be acting opposite Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.

Let the speculation begin!

Joy to the World is expected to air on 25th December 2024, while Series 15 will start in 2025.