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The holidays are here again, and that means we were treated to another Christmas Special!

Join Erika, Kat, Lynne, and Tansy as we discuss the Moffat-penned Christmas special "Joy to the World!"

So, what are your thoughts on "Joy to the World?" Did you enjoy the Doctor's time with Anita on his slow go around? Were you excited like we were about Joel Fry's appearance? Where would you visit in the Time Hotel?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^K

Joel Fry is Justin, the Narrator in the Big Finish story Doctor Who: No Place

The holidays are here again, and that means we were treated to another Christmas Special!

Join Erika, Kat, Lynne, and Tansy as we discuss the Moffat-penned Christmas special "Joy to the World!"

So, what are your thoughts on "Joy to the World?" Did you enjoy the Doctor's time with Anita on his slow go around? Were you excited like we were about Joel Fry's appearance? Where would you visit in the Time Hotel?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^K

Joel Fry is Justin, the Narrator in the Big Finish story Doctor Who: No Place

The holidays are here again, and that means we were treated to another Christmas Special!

Join Erika, Kat, Lynne, and Tansy as we discuss the Moffat-penned Christmas special "Joy to the World!"

So, what are your thoughts on "Joy to the World?" Did you enjoy the Doctor's time with Anita on his slow go around? Were you excited like we were about Joel Fry's appearance? Where would you visit in the Time Hotel?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^K

Joel Fry is Justin, the Narrator in the Big Finish story Doctor Who: No Place

The holidays are here again, and that means we were treated to another Christmas Special!

Join Erika, Kat, Lynne, and Tansy as we discuss the Moffat-penned Christmas special "Joy to the World!"

So, what are your thoughts on "Joy to the World?" Did you enjoy the Doctor's time with Anita on his slow go around? Were you excited like we were about Joel Fry's appearance? Where would you visit in the Time Hotel?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^K

Joel Fry is Justin, the Narrator in the Big Finish story Doctor Who: No Place

The holidays are here again, and that means we were treated to another Christmas Special!

Join Erika, Kat, Lynne, and Tansy as we discuss the Moffat-penned Christmas special "Joy to the World!"

So, what are your thoughts on "Joy to the World?" Did you enjoy the Doctor's time with Anita on his slow go around? Were you excited like we were about Joel Fry's appearance? Where would you visit in the Time Hotel?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^K

Joel Fry is Justin, the Narrator in the Big Finish story Doctor Who: No Place

Join Brent, Michele and James as they take a look back at Doctor Who in 2024. From Tales of the TARDIS through to the return of Sutekh to Doctor Who comics to Big Finish plays – it’s all here.

A very Happy New Year to all you wonderful listeners and be sure to join us again in 2025 for Episode 388 – our predictions Episode!

As always, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing us at the campervan at feedback@thedoctorwhopodcast.com, Tweeting us or by jumping onto our Facebook Page and Group.

Enjoy the show!

Join Brent, Michele and James as they take a look back at Doctor Who in 2024. From Tales of the TARDIS through to the return of Sutekh to Doctor Who comics to Big Finish plays – it’s all here.

A very Happy New Year to all you wonderful listeners and be sure to join us again in 2025 for Episode 388 – our predictions Episode!

As always, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing us at the campervan at feedback@thedoctorwhopodcast.com, Tweeting us or by jumping onto our Facebook Page and Group.

Enjoy the show!

Join Brent, Michele and James as they take a look back at Doctor Who in 2024. From Tales of the TARDIS through to the return of Sutekh to Doctor Who comics to Big Finish plays – it’s all here.

A very Happy New Year to all you wonderful listeners and be sure to join us again in 2025 for Episode 388 – our predictions Episode!

As always, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing us at the campervan at feedback@thedoctorwhopodcast.com, Tweeting us or by jumping onto our Facebook Page and Group.

Enjoy the show!

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

    this version is 20 mins nlong not 6 sorry for earlier release  

Waffle On New Years Eve Special 2024

Happy New Year to you all and Meds, Kell and Peter thought they woud give you a special gift to see the New Year in. Recorded a few months ago the lads decided to make a special episode and its been sittying in the library desperate to get out. So if you cant be bothered with the normal dismal tv options why not crack open a drink and listen to us and see the new year in. 

Heres to a Waffley 2025, thanks for staying with us you all are amazing.

 

Waffle On New Years Eve Special 2024

Happy New Year to you all and Meds, Kell and Peter thought they woud give you a special gift to see the New Year in. Recorded a few months ago the lads decided to make a special episode and its been sittying in the library desperate to get out. So if you cant be bothered with the normal dismal tv options why not crack open a drink and listen to us and see the new year in. 

Heres to a Waffley 2025, thanks for staying with us you all are amazing.

 

Waffle On New Years Eve Special 2024

Happy New Year to you all and Meds, Kell and Peter thought they woud give you a special gift to see the New Year in. Recorded a few months ago the lads decided to make a special episode and its been sittying in the library desperate to get out. So if you cant be bothered with the normal dismal tv options why not crack open a drink and listen to us and see the new year in. 

Heres to a Waffley 2025, thanks for staying with us you all are amazing.

 

WE'RE BACK!! After a lengthy hiatus, Who & Company returns with a very special guest! Writer/director/actor Matthew Jacobs joins us to discuss his film/TV career, the creation of the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, and his new venture - writing for Big Finish!

Then Matthew selects his Pick of the Month - the ABC/Family Channel action/adventure series, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles! Matthew discusses writing for the show, meetings with George Lucas, how scripts get chosen in a writers' room, and much more!

And get the brand new Matthew Jacobs Big Finish audio play, Puccini and the Doctor - part of the Deadly Strangers box set only at www.bigfinish.com.

Part two of my review of the year which covers July to December, the new series re-watch resumes next week.

 

You may wish to contribute to the show’s running costs, it’s Patreon is here https://www.patreon.com/tdrury

or buy me a coffee here https://ko-fi.com/timdrury

 

The show is also on Facebook please join the group for exclusive behind the scenes insights and of course also discuss and feedback on the show https://www.facebook.com/groups/187162411486307/

 

If you want to send me comments or feedback you can email them to tdrury2003@yahoo.co.uk

or contact me on twitter where I'm @tdrury or send me a friend request and your comments to facebook where I'm Tim Drury and look like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdrury/3711029536/in/set-72157621161239599/ in case you were wondering.

 

WE'RE BACK!! After a lengthy hiatus, Who & Company returns with a very special guest! Writer/director/actor Matthew Jacobs joins us to discuss his film/TV career, the creation of the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, and his new venture - writing for Big Finish!

Then Matthew selects his Pick of the Month - the ABC/Family Channel action/adventure series, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles! Matthew discusses writing for the show, meetings with George Lucas, how scripts get chosen in a writers' room, and much more!

And get the brand new Matthew Jacobs Big Finish audio play, Puccini and the Doctor - part of the Deadly Strangers box set only at www.bigfinish.com.

Part two of my review of the year which covers July to December, the new series re-watch resumes next week.

 

You may wish to contribute to the show’s running costs, it’s Patreon is here https://www.patreon.com/tdrury

or buy me a coffee here https://ko-fi.com/timdrury

 

The show is also on Facebook please join the group for exclusive behind the scenes insights and of course also discuss and feedback on the show https://www.facebook.com/groups/187162411486307/

 

If you want to send me comments or feedback you can email them to tdrury2003@yahoo.co.uk

or contact me on twitter where I'm @tdrury or send me a friend request and your comments to facebook where I'm Tim Drury and look like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdrury/3711029536/in/set-72157621161239599/ in case you were wondering.

 

WE'RE BACK!! After a lengthy hiatus, Who & Company returns with a very special guest! Writer/director/actor Matthew Jacobs joins us to discuss his film/TV career, the creation of the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, and his new venture - writing for Big Finish!

Then Matthew selects his Pick of the Month - the ABC/Family Channel action/adventure series, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles! Matthew discusses writing for the show, meetings with George Lucas, how scripts get chosen in a writers' room, and much more!

And get the brand new Matthew Jacobs Big Finish audio play, Puccini and the Doctor - part of the Deadly Strangers box set only at www.bigfinish.com.

Part two of my review of the year which covers July to December, the new series re-watch resumes next week.

 

You may wish to contribute to the show’s running costs, it’s Patreon is here https://www.patreon.com/tdrury

or buy me a coffee here https://ko-fi.com/timdrury

 

The show is also on Facebook please join the group for exclusive behind the scenes insights and of course also discuss and feedback on the show https://www.facebook.com/groups/187162411486307/

 

If you want to send me comments or feedback you can email them to tdrury2003@yahoo.co.uk

or contact me on twitter where I'm @tdrury or send me a friend request and your comments to facebook where I'm Tim Drury and look like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdrury/3711029536/in/set-72157621161239599/ in case you were wondering.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 312 – "Joy to the World"  episode Promotional poster, featuring the caption "Joy to the Worlds" Cast  –   – Joy Almondo Others  –   – Trev Simpkins Steph de Whalley – Anita Benn  – Hotel Manager Peter Benedict – Basil Flockhart  – Hilda Flockhart Niamh Marie Smith –  Phil Baxter –  Samuel Sherpa-Moore –  Ruchi Rai – Receptionist Joshua Leese – Mr Single Ell Potter – Server Liam Prince-Donnelly – Barman Fiona Marr – Angela Grace Production Directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai Written by Script editor David Cheung Produced by Alison Sterling Executive producer(s) Joel Collins Steven Moffat Music by Running time 54 minutes First broadcast 25 December 2024 Chronology ← Preceded by "" Followed by → — "Joy to the World" is an episode of the British  series . It was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 as the fifteenth  since the show's revival in 2005. In the episode, the  of  discovers a strange hotel at Christmastime that has harnessed the power of time travel and finds a mysterious briefcase. While investigating, he meets new  Joy Almondo (guest star ) who helps him solve the mystery. "Joy to the World" was written by  and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai. It was filmed in October and November 2023. Plot []  arrives at the Time Hotel, an establishment in the year 4202 that allows guests to visit various points in history, several of which the Doctor visits during the episode. The Doctor enlists the aid of Trev, a worker at the hotel, as he investigates a mysterious man holding a briefcase. As each new person is tricked into taking the briefcase, it takes control of them, and the previous carrier disintegrates. Trev's  manager arrives in Joy Almondo's London hotel room in 2024 with the briefcase, and the Doctor following him. The briefcase takes control of Joy, and the Doctor opens it, finding a strange device inside. The briefcase is about to disintegrate Joy, when a Doctor from the future arrives from the Time Hotel and gives them an override code. The future Doctor then returns to the Time Hotel with Joy, stranding the current Doctor in 2024. He takes a job working at Joy's hotel, befriending the manager Anita, and awaiting an opportunity to get back to the Time Hotel the following Christmas. A year later, the Doctor re-enters the Time Hotel, and gives his past self the code (which he'd obtained by the ), then departs with Joy. They open a door to the distant past, where the Doctor frees Joy from the briefcase by provoking her anger at being unable to be with her dying mother due to . The briefcase reveals itself to be of  origin, with plans to detonate a "star seed" to use as an energy source, using the hotel's time travel to allow it to grow in the past. The briefcase is eaten by a , and the Doctor and Joy flee. Trev, who connected psychically to Villengard's system before he died, contacts the Doctor through his . Trev reveals the briefcase's location, and the Doctor finds it sealed in a shrine. The Doctor is able to open it, but Joy takes the briefcase outside, and lets the star seed enter her. Joy and the other people killed by the seed pilot it into space, where it detonates safely. At various points in time, the star gives hope and comfort to those who see it, including Joy's dying mother and . The Doctor sees that that the star was also the . Production [] Development [] Former Doctor Who showrunner  penned the episode. , the Doctor Who , initially began writing the 2024 Christmas special. Davies had sent a portion of the script to former showrunner  to get his opinion on it. At the time, Davies was in discussions with Moffat to have him write a script for the . When Davies realised he was too busy to complete the script, he shelved it and asked Moffat to write the Christmas episode instead. Moffat considered writing a , but decided against it, believing that such an episode would be better suited mid-series. Despite this, he said the episode still had a comedic tone with emotional elements. Here's the pitch that got me the job. You know in just about every hotel room you've been in there's a locked door? It's weird, but there always is. Okay. We're about to blow apart the truth of that. In the far future there is a place called the Time hotel, and the Time Hotel has realised something brilliant, which is following the discovery of time travel they have an opportunity to sell all the rooms they failed to sell the last time. So they have built extensions into more or less every hotel room in history, and you get access to it occasionally. — Steven Moffat, "The Joy Bringer",  3 December 2024 Half the script had been completed before Davies informed Moffat that  wouldn't be in the special. The character of Anita originally only had around ten lines but her presence was increased after the production team became fond of her. Moffat had finished writing the episode by 20 July 2023. Working titles for the episode included "The Time Hotel" and "Christmas, Everywhere All at Once". The story further explores the "Villengard Corporation", a recurring fictional  company that has been mentioned in a number of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes. The Doctor last confronted Villengard in the  episode "" (2024). It is the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special to be written by Moffat who once again assumed an  role during production of the episode. Casting [] In November 2023,  was announced to be appearing in an undisclosed role of an upcoming Doctor Who episode. It was later revealed that Coughlan would star in the 2024 Christmas episode as the Doctor's one-off companion, Joy Almondo, a guest at a hotel who "gets caught up in [the Doctor's] adventures." Initial reports indicated that , who portrays the Doctor's current companion Ruby Sunday, would not appear in the special. Gibson however, made a brief  near the end of the episode..  was cast to play Trev, an employee at the Time Hotel while  portrayed the hotel's manager. Steph de Whalley appeared as Anita, the manager of another hotel whom the Doctor spends a year with. Niamh Marie Smith played , a passenger on the  in 1962, whom Moffat confirmed as the same character as the love interest of  in the films  (1962) and  (1963). Historical figures  and  were depicted, at a , by Phil Baxter and Samuel Sherpa-Moore, respectively. Sherpa-Moore is Norgay's great-great nephew. Peter Benedict and  appeared as Basil and Hilda, guests at the Queen's Hotel in Manchester during . The guest cast also included Ruchi Rai, Joshua Leese, Ell Potter, and Liam Prince-Donnelly. Filming []  for the episode was underway at  by 11 October 2023. The  room was built on a  that allowed the set to tilt to give the effect that it was being eaten by a dinosaur. The  was working on  by 17 October. The graphics team took fifteen 11-hour days to create enough artwork to fill the Doctor's hotel room. Seven different briefcases were purchased by the  for use in the episode. A team at Millennium FX designed the Silurian prosthetics.  began on 23 October, with recording extending into November. "Joy to the World" was directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai in the first filming block of the . For the Sandringham Hotel, the production team chose to purchase two floors of an actual hotel, but had to build the lobby on a . The top of the Orient Express set was built in front of a  and placed on  to allow the special effects team to replicate the look of a moving train. Mika Orasmaa was the episodes . Release and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 80%  (Average Score) 7.3/10 Review scores Source Rating B– 10/10 Broadcast and promotion [] "Joy to the World" was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 at 5:10 PM . In the United States the episode was released  on  at 9:10 AM .  also handled international distribution of the episode outside of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. A clip and  for the episode was released on 15 November as part of the 2024  broadcast. The press screening took place in the week prior to broadcast, which was hosted by . Promotional posters released by  captioned the poster with "Joy to the Worlds", mirroring the title "Joy to the World". Ratings [] In the UK, Doctor Who was the sixth most-watched programme on Christmas Day, receiving 4.11 million viewers overnight. Critical response [] On the  website , 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Writing for , Michael Hogan referred to "Joy to the World" as "the best Christmas adventure for more than a decade." He further elaborated by saying that "there's something here for all generations to enjoy" and praising the guest cast, namely Nicola Coughlan, Steph de Walley, and Joel Fry. Authoring a review for , Louise Griffin also praised the guest cast but felt that Coughlan had been underused. 's Robert Anderson wrote that the special "masterfully blends the show's signature whimsy with heartfelt storytelling, delivering a cozy, deeply human tale about the transformative power of friendship" and that "Moffat's excellent script is central to the episode's success." The writing was also applauded by Adi Tantimedh, who writing for , said "Moffat pins down the core of what makes Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor different from all his predecessors." Stephen Robinson with the  criticised the Doctor's characterization, saying the "there are key moments in the story that directly contradict the Doctor's former growth" and that "he's a mix of the 'lonely god' from Russell T Davies' first run and Steven Moffat's 'madman in a box,' and the effect is discordant." Emily Murray from  also criticised a portion of the episode, writing that the "villains quite frankly feel like an afterthought and feel threadbare."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 312 – "Joy to the World"  episode Promotional poster, featuring the caption "Joy to the Worlds" Cast  –   – Joy Almondo Others  –   – Trev Simpkins Steph de Whalley – Anita Benn  – Hotel Manager Peter Benedict – Basil Flockhart  – Hilda Flockhart Niamh Marie Smith –  Phil Baxter –  Samuel Sherpa-Moore –  Ruchi Rai – Receptionist Joshua Leese – Mr Single Ell Potter – Server Liam Prince-Donnelly – Barman Fiona Marr – Angela Grace Production Directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai Written by Script editor David Cheung Produced by Alison Sterling Executive producer(s) Joel Collins Steven Moffat Music by Running time 54 minutes First broadcast 25 December 2024 Chronology ← Preceded by "" Followed by → — "Joy to the World" is an episode of the British  series . It was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 as the fifteenth  since the show's revival in 2005. In the episode, the  of  discovers a strange hotel at Christmastime that has harnessed the power of time travel and finds a mysterious briefcase. While investigating, he meets new  Joy Almondo (guest star ) who helps him solve the mystery. "Joy to the World" was written by  and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai. It was filmed in October and November 2023. Plot []  arrives at the Time Hotel, an establishment in the year 4202 that allows guests to visit various points in history, several of which the Doctor visits during the episode. The Doctor enlists the aid of Trev, a worker at the hotel, as he investigates a mysterious man holding a briefcase. As each new person is tricked into taking the briefcase, it takes control of them, and the previous carrier disintegrates. Trev's  manager arrives in Joy Almondo's London hotel room in 2024 with the briefcase, and the Doctor following him. The briefcase takes control of Joy, and the Doctor opens it, finding a strange device inside. The briefcase is about to disintegrate Joy, when a Doctor from the future arrives from the Time Hotel and gives them an override code. The future Doctor then returns to the Time Hotel with Joy, stranding the current Doctor in 2024. He takes a job working at Joy's hotel, befriending the manager Anita, and awaiting an opportunity to get back to the Time Hotel the following Christmas. A year later, the Doctor re-enters the Time Hotel, and gives his past self the code (which he'd obtained by the ), then departs with Joy. They open a door to the distant past, where the Doctor frees Joy from the briefcase by provoking her anger at being unable to be with her dying mother due to . The briefcase reveals itself to be of  origin, with plans to detonate a "star seed" to use as an energy source, using the hotel's time travel to allow it to grow in the past. The briefcase is eaten by a , and the Doctor and Joy flee. Trev, who connected psychically to Villengard's system before he died, contacts the Doctor through his . Trev reveals the briefcase's location, and the Doctor finds it sealed in a shrine. The Doctor is able to open it, but Joy takes the briefcase outside, and lets the star seed enter her. Joy and the other people killed by the seed pilot it into space, where it detonates safely. At various points in time, the star gives hope and comfort to those who see it, including Joy's dying mother and . The Doctor sees that that the star was also the . Production [] Development [] Former Doctor Who showrunner  penned the episode. , the Doctor Who , initially began writing the 2024 Christmas special. Davies had sent a portion of the script to former showrunner  to get his opinion on it. At the time, Davies was in discussions with Moffat to have him write a script for the . When Davies realised he was too busy to complete the script, he shelved it and asked Moffat to write the Christmas episode instead. Moffat considered writing a , but decided against it, believing that such an episode would be better suited mid-series. Despite this, he said the episode still had a comedic tone with emotional elements. Here's the pitch that got me the job. You know in just about every hotel room you've been in there's a locked door? It's weird, but there always is. Okay. We're about to blow apart the truth of that. In the far future there is a place called the Time hotel, and the Time Hotel has realised something brilliant, which is following the discovery of time travel they have an opportunity to sell all the rooms they failed to sell the last time. So they have built extensions into more or less every hotel room in history, and you get access to it occasionally. — Steven Moffat, "The Joy Bringer",  3 December 2024 Half the script had been completed before Davies informed Moffat that  wouldn't be in the special. The character of Anita originally only had around ten lines but her presence was increased after the production team became fond of her. Moffat had finished writing the episode by 20 July 2023. Working titles for the episode included "The Time Hotel" and "Christmas, Everywhere All at Once". The story further explores the "Villengard Corporation", a recurring fictional  company that has been mentioned in a number of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes. The Doctor last confronted Villengard in the  episode "" (2024). It is the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special to be written by Moffat who once again assumed an  role during production of the episode. Casting [] In November 2023,  was announced to be appearing in an undisclosed role of an upcoming Doctor Who episode. It was later revealed that Coughlan would star in the 2024 Christmas episode as the Doctor's one-off companion, Joy Almondo, a guest at a hotel who "gets caught up in [the Doctor's] adventures." Initial reports indicated that , who portrays the Doctor's current companion Ruby Sunday, would not appear in the special. Gibson however, made a brief  near the end of the episode..  was cast to play Trev, an employee at the Time Hotel while  portrayed the hotel's manager. Steph de Whalley appeared as Anita, the manager of another hotel whom the Doctor spends a year with. Niamh Marie Smith played , a passenger on the  in 1962, whom Moffat confirmed as the same character as the love interest of  in the films  (1962) and  (1963). Historical figures  and  were depicted, at a , by Phil Baxter and Samuel Sherpa-Moore, respectively. Sherpa-Moore is Norgay's great-great nephew. Peter Benedict and  appeared as Basil and Hilda, guests at the Queen's Hotel in Manchester during . The guest cast also included Ruchi Rai, Joshua Leese, Ell Potter, and Liam Prince-Donnelly. Filming []  for the episode was underway at  by 11 October 2023. The  room was built on a  that allowed the set to tilt to give the effect that it was being eaten by a dinosaur. The  was working on  by 17 October. The graphics team took fifteen 11-hour days to create enough artwork to fill the Doctor's hotel room. Seven different briefcases were purchased by the  for use in the episode. A team at Millennium FX designed the Silurian prosthetics.  began on 23 October, with recording extending into November. "Joy to the World" was directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai in the first filming block of the . For the Sandringham Hotel, the production team chose to purchase two floors of an actual hotel, but had to build the lobby on a . The top of the Orient Express set was built in front of a  and placed on  to allow the special effects team to replicate the look of a moving train. Mika Orasmaa was the episodes . Release and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 80%  (Average Score) 7.3/10 Review scores Source Rating B– 10/10 Broadcast and promotion [] "Joy to the World" was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 at 5:10 PM . In the United States the episode was released  on  at 9:10 AM .  also handled international distribution of the episode outside of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. A clip and  for the episode was released on 15 November as part of the 2024  broadcast. The press screening took place in the week prior to broadcast, which was hosted by . Promotional posters released by  captioned the poster with "Joy to the Worlds", mirroring the title "Joy to the World". Ratings [] In the UK, Doctor Who was the sixth most-watched programme on Christmas Day, receiving 4.11 million viewers overnight. Critical response [] On the  website , 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Writing for , Michael Hogan referred to "Joy to the World" as "the best Christmas adventure for more than a decade." He further elaborated by saying that "there's something here for all generations to enjoy" and praising the guest cast, namely Nicola Coughlan, Steph de Walley, and Joel Fry. Authoring a review for , Louise Griffin also praised the guest cast but felt that Coughlan had been underused. 's Robert Anderson wrote that the special "masterfully blends the show's signature whimsy with heartfelt storytelling, delivering a cozy, deeply human tale about the transformative power of friendship" and that "Moffat's excellent script is central to the episode's success." The writing was also applauded by Adi Tantimedh, who writing for , said "Moffat pins down the core of what makes Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor different from all his predecessors." Stephen Robinson with the  criticised the Doctor's characterization, saying the "there are key moments in the story that directly contradict the Doctor's former growth" and that "he's a mix of the 'lonely god' from Russell T Davies' first run and Steven Moffat's 'madman in a box,' and the effect is discordant." Emily Murray from  also criticised a portion of the episode, writing that the "villains quite frankly feel like an afterthought and feel threadbare."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 312 – "Joy to the World"  episode Promotional poster, featuring the caption "Joy to the Worlds" Cast  –   – Joy Almondo Others  –   – Trev Simpkins Steph de Whalley – Anita Benn  – Hotel Manager Peter Benedict – Basil Flockhart  – Hilda Flockhart Niamh Marie Smith –  Phil Baxter –  Samuel Sherpa-Moore –  Ruchi Rai – Receptionist Joshua Leese – Mr Single Ell Potter – Server Liam Prince-Donnelly – Barman Fiona Marr – Angela Grace Production Directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai Written by Script editor David Cheung Produced by Alison Sterling Executive producer(s) Joel Collins Steven Moffat Music by Running time 54 minutes First broadcast 25 December 2024 Chronology ← Preceded by "" Followed by → — "Joy to the World" is an episode of the British  series . It was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 as the fifteenth  since the show's revival in 2005. In the episode, the  of  discovers a strange hotel at Christmastime that has harnessed the power of time travel and finds a mysterious briefcase. While investigating, he meets new  Joy Almondo (guest star ) who helps him solve the mystery. "Joy to the World" was written by  and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai. It was filmed in October and November 2023. Plot []  arrives at the Time Hotel, an establishment in the year 4202 that allows guests to visit various points in history, several of which the Doctor visits during the episode. The Doctor enlists the aid of Trev, a worker at the hotel, as he investigates a mysterious man holding a briefcase. As each new person is tricked into taking the briefcase, it takes control of them, and the previous carrier disintegrates. Trev's  manager arrives in Joy Almondo's London hotel room in 2024 with the briefcase, and the Doctor following him. The briefcase takes control of Joy, and the Doctor opens it, finding a strange device inside. The briefcase is about to disintegrate Joy, when a Doctor from the future arrives from the Time Hotel and gives them an override code. The future Doctor then returns to the Time Hotel with Joy, stranding the current Doctor in 2024. He takes a job working at Joy's hotel, befriending the manager Anita, and awaiting an opportunity to get back to the Time Hotel the following Christmas. A year later, the Doctor re-enters the Time Hotel, and gives his past self the code (which he'd obtained by the ), then departs with Joy. They open a door to the distant past, where the Doctor frees Joy from the briefcase by provoking her anger at being unable to be with her dying mother due to . The briefcase reveals itself to be of  origin, with plans to detonate a "star seed" to use as an energy source, using the hotel's time travel to allow it to grow in the past. The briefcase is eaten by a , and the Doctor and Joy flee. Trev, who connected psychically to Villengard's system before he died, contacts the Doctor through his . Trev reveals the briefcase's location, and the Doctor finds it sealed in a shrine. The Doctor is able to open it, but Joy takes the briefcase outside, and lets the star seed enter her. Joy and the other people killed by the seed pilot it into space, where it detonates safely. At various points in time, the star gives hope and comfort to those who see it, including Joy's dying mother and . The Doctor sees that that the star was also the . Production [] Development [] Former Doctor Who showrunner  penned the episode. , the Doctor Who , initially began writing the 2024 Christmas special. Davies had sent a portion of the script to former showrunner  to get his opinion on it. At the time, Davies was in discussions with Moffat to have him write a script for the . When Davies realised he was too busy to complete the script, he shelved it and asked Moffat to write the Christmas episode instead. Moffat considered writing a , but decided against it, believing that such an episode would be better suited mid-series. Despite this, he said the episode still had a comedic tone with emotional elements. Here's the pitch that got me the job. You know in just about every hotel room you've been in there's a locked door? It's weird, but there always is. Okay. We're about to blow apart the truth of that. In the far future there is a place called the Time hotel, and the Time Hotel has realised something brilliant, which is following the discovery of time travel they have an opportunity to sell all the rooms they failed to sell the last time. So they have built extensions into more or less every hotel room in history, and you get access to it occasionally. — Steven Moffat, "The Joy Bringer",  3 December 2024 Half the script had been completed before Davies informed Moffat that  wouldn't be in the special. The character of Anita originally only had around ten lines but her presence was increased after the production team became fond of her. Moffat had finished writing the episode by 20 July 2023. Working titles for the episode included "The Time Hotel" and "Christmas, Everywhere All at Once". The story further explores the "Villengard Corporation", a recurring fictional  company that has been mentioned in a number of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes. The Doctor last confronted Villengard in the  episode "" (2024). It is the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special to be written by Moffat who once again assumed an  role during production of the episode. Casting [] In November 2023,  was announced to be appearing in an undisclosed role of an upcoming Doctor Who episode. It was later revealed that Coughlan would star in the 2024 Christmas episode as the Doctor's one-off companion, Joy Almondo, a guest at a hotel who "gets caught up in [the Doctor's] adventures." Initial reports indicated that , who portrays the Doctor's current companion Ruby Sunday, would not appear in the special. Gibson however, made a brief  near the end of the episode..  was cast to play Trev, an employee at the Time Hotel while  portrayed the hotel's manager. Steph de Whalley appeared as Anita, the manager of another hotel whom the Doctor spends a year with. Niamh Marie Smith played , a passenger on the  in 1962, whom Moffat confirmed as the same character as the love interest of  in the films  (1962) and  (1963). Historical figures  and  were depicted, at a , by Phil Baxter and Samuel Sherpa-Moore, respectively. Sherpa-Moore is Norgay's great-great nephew. Peter Benedict and  appeared as Basil and Hilda, guests at the Queen's Hotel in Manchester during . The guest cast also included Ruchi Rai, Joshua Leese, Ell Potter, and Liam Prince-Donnelly. Filming []  for the episode was underway at  by 11 October 2023. The  room was built on a  that allowed the set to tilt to give the effect that it was being eaten by a dinosaur. The  was working on  by 17 October. The graphics team took fifteen 11-hour days to create enough artwork to fill the Doctor's hotel room. Seven different briefcases were purchased by the  for use in the episode. A team at Millennium FX designed the Silurian prosthetics.  began on 23 October, with recording extending into November. "Joy to the World" was directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai in the first filming block of the . For the Sandringham Hotel, the production team chose to purchase two floors of an actual hotel, but had to build the lobby on a . The top of the Orient Express set was built in front of a  and placed on  to allow the special effects team to replicate the look of a moving train. Mika Orasmaa was the episodes . Release and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 80%  (Average Score) 7.3/10 Review scores Source Rating B– 10/10 Broadcast and promotion [] "Joy to the World" was broadcast on  and released on  on 25 December 2024 at 5:10 PM . In the United States the episode was released  on  at 9:10 AM .  also handled international distribution of the episode outside of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. A clip and  for the episode was released on 15 November as part of the 2024  broadcast. The press screening took place in the week prior to broadcast, which was hosted by . Promotional posters released by  captioned the poster with "Joy to the Worlds", mirroring the title "Joy to the World". Ratings [] In the UK, Doctor Who was the sixth most-watched programme on Christmas Day, receiving 4.11 million viewers overnight. Critical response [] On the  website , 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Writing for , Michael Hogan referred to "Joy to the World" as "the best Christmas adventure for more than a decade." He further elaborated by saying that "there's something here for all generations to enjoy" and praising the guest cast, namely Nicola Coughlan, Steph de Walley, and Joel Fry. Authoring a review for , Louise Griffin also praised the guest cast but felt that Coughlan had been underused. 's Robert Anderson wrote that the special "masterfully blends the show's signature whimsy with heartfelt storytelling, delivering a cozy, deeply human tale about the transformative power of friendship" and that "Moffat's excellent script is central to the episode's success." The writing was also applauded by Adi Tantimedh, who writing for , said "Moffat pins down the core of what makes Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor different from all his predecessors." Stephen Robinson with the  criticised the Doctor's characterization, saying the "there are key moments in the story that directly contradict the Doctor's former growth" and that "he's a mix of the 'lonely god' from Russell T Davies' first run and Steven Moffat's 'madman in a box,' and the effect is discordant." Emily Murray from  also criticised a portion of the episode, writing that the "villains quite frankly feel like an afterthought and feel threadbare."

In our final episode of 2024, Chris, Philip and Dwayne look back at the first episode of Doctor Who from it's triumphant return to TV screens in 2005, namely, Rose.

We hope you enjoy the commentary.

Theme music by Joe Kraemer.

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In our final episode of 2024, Chris, Philip and Dwayne look back at the first episode of Doctor Who from it's triumphant return to TV screens in 2005, namely, Rose.

We hope you enjoy the commentary.

Theme music by Joe Kraemer.

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sirensofaudio.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In our final episode of 2024, Chris, Philip and Dwayne look back at the first episode of Doctor Who from it's triumphant return to TV screens in 2005, namely, Rose.

We hope you enjoy the commentary.

Theme music by Joe Kraemer.

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sirensofaudio.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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As a companion to our Something Who 101, which has clips from the first 5 years of our podcast, it's time to share a few highlights from the past year of Something Who, which included our 100th episode. If you haven't heard us before, this will give you a flavour of our podcast. And if you have, here's a reminder.

And there's a lot to choose from. In addition to our regular presenting team of Richard, Paul and Giles, Rick rapidly became a fixture, and we had several appearances from Jess Jurkovic. Gav Rymill came back, Tim Burrows popped by for an episode and Simon Guerrier made a return visit. Richard had a nice chat with Jonn Elledge about his enthusiasm for Doctor Who.

We hope you enjoy these clips and, if you do, please peruse our back catalogue for the full versions of all of these items and perhaps you'd like to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or similar platform.

The opening music is Three Guitars Mood 2 and, yes, that is Richard playing the ukulele and kazoo on possibly the worst ever version of the Doctor Who theme tune at the end.

The Something Who logo, which features prominently on all our cover art was designed for us by Bea Garrido. She's a really talented artist, who you can find by following this link: https://beagarridoart.weebly.com/, where you can buy prints of some remarkable paintings of characters from Doctor Who.

As a companion to our Something Who 101, which has clips from the first 5 years of our podcast, it's time to share a few highlights from the past year of Something Who, which included our 100th episode. If you haven't heard us before, this will give you a flavour of our podcast. And if you have, here's a reminder.

And there's a lot to choose from. In addition to our regular presenting team of Richard, Paul and Giles, Rick rapidly became a fixture, and we had several appearances from Jess Jurkovic. Gav Rymill came back, Tim Burrows popped by for an episode and Simon Guerrier made a return visit. Richard had a nice chat with Jonn Elledge about his enthusiasm for Doctor Who.

We hope you enjoy these clips and, if you do, please peruse our back catalogue for the full versions of all of these items and perhaps you'd like to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or similar platform.

The opening music is Three Guitars Mood 2 and, yes, that is Richard playing the ukulele and kazoo on possibly the worst ever version of the Doctor Who theme tune at the end.

The Something Who logo, which features prominently on all our cover art was designed for us by Bea Garrido. She's a really talented artist, who you can find by following this link: https://beagarridoart.weebly.com/, where you can buy prints of some remarkable paintings of characters from Doctor Who.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

As a companion to our Something Who 101, which has clips from the first 5 years of our podcast, it's time to share a few highlights from the past year of Something Who, which included our 100th episode. If you haven't heard us before, this will give you a flavour of our podcast. And if you have, here's a reminder.

And there's a lot to choose from. In addition to our regular presenting team of Richard, Paul and Giles, Rick rapidly became a fixture, and we had several appearances from Jess Jurkovic. Gav Rymill came back, Tim Burrows popped by for an episode and Simon Guerrier made a return visit. Richard had a nice chat with Jonn Elledge about his enthusiasm for Doctor Who.

We hope you enjoy these clips and, if you do, please peruse our back catalogue for the full versions of all of these items and perhaps you'd like to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or similar platform.

The opening music is Three Guitars Mood 2 and, yes, that is Richard playing the ukulele and kazoo on possibly the worst ever version of the Doctor Who theme tune at the end.

The Something Who logo, which features prominently on all our cover art was designed for us by Bea Garrido. She's a really talented artist, who you can find by following this link: https://beagarridoart.weebly.com/, where you can buy prints of some remarkable paintings of characters from Doctor Who.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven complete the penultimate Pertwee story!

YYY (6)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Steven and Erika quite like “The Monster of Peladon”! We said what we said!

YYY (4-5)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Erika and Steven continue Erika’s journey of discovery of “The Monster of Peladon” with slightly(?) less talk about “The Space Pirates.”

YYY (2-3)

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.