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Doctor Who
S2.E0
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IMDbPro

Joy to the World

  • Episode aired Dec 25, 2024
  • 56m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
Nicola Coughlan in Joy to the World (2024)
AdventureDramaSci-Fi

When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the earth, just in time for Christmas.When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the earth, just in time for Christmas.When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the earth, just in time for Christmas.

  • Director
    • Alex Pillai
  • Writer
    • Steven Moffat
  • Stars
    • Ncuti Gatwa
    • Nicola Coughlan
    • Millie Gibson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    5.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alex Pillai
    • Writer
      • Steven Moffat
    • Stars
      • Ncuti Gatwa
      • Nicola Coughlan
      • Millie Gibson
    • 45User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

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    Top Cast18

    Edit
    Ncuti Gatwa
    Ncuti Gatwa
    • The Doctor
    Nicola Coughlan
    Nicola Coughlan
    • Joy Almondo
    Millie Gibson
    Millie Gibson
    • Ruby Sunday
    Peter Benedict
    • Basil Flockhart
    Julia Watson
    • Hilda Flockhart
    Niamh Marie Smith
    Niamh Marie Smith
    • Sylvia Trench
    Phil Baxter
    Phil Baxter
    • Edmund Hillary
    Samuel Sherpa-Moore
    Samuel Sherpa-Moore
    • Tenzing Norgay
    Steph de Whalley
    Steph de Whalley
    • Anita Benn
    Jonathan Aris
    Jonathan Aris
    • Hotel Manager
    Ruchika Rai
    • Receptionist
    • (as Ruchi Rai)
    Joshua Leese
    Joshua Leese
    • Mr. Single
    Joel Fry
    Joel Fry
    • Trev Simpkins
    Ell Potter
    • Server
    Liam Prince-Donnelly
    Liam Prince-Donnelly
    • Barman
    Fiona Marr
    Fiona Marr
    • Angela Grace
    Fiona Scott
    • Joy's Mum
    Paul Bailey
    Paul Bailey
    • Tom Stobart
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Alex Pillai
    • Writer
      • Steven Moffat
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews45

    6.75K
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    Featured reviews

    3HellsHeart83

    Lost its way

    I used to love watching Doctor Who at Christmas. My dad and I were looking forward to this episode however we were left feeling very disappointed to say the least. Honestly, we just didn't understand what what happening and most of the time I couldn't even make out what the Doctor was saying. My dad asked for subtitles at one point! Acting and writing were terrible and in the end we switched off half way through. It's such as shame that this once great program has been reduced to this. I think it would be better for everyone if the simply retired the show for a while instead of continuing to degrade it in this way. Very sad.
    9brucedale129

    They are back !

    I was so happy to watch the latest episode.

    The magic is back.

    We were looking for something special from Mr Davis . He has delivered.

    I can't say to much for obvious reasons. Except to say the Doctor was working his magic.

    As a long time Whovian I was waiting for something to come through.

    The Doctor is amazing in this episode. He shows all his old abilities to change things for the better. In this episode he showed a lot of emotion again. Always appropriate. In the way The Doctor delivered.

    I am just so happy with this. Joy is wonderful. Can't wait for the new season.

    Welcome back Doctor.
    9hrflinkman

    This was a beautiful episode, pleasantly surprised

    This is what a Christmas special is supposed to be. I feel like Moffat gave us the episode we needed, nothing too overcomplicated or mind-bending, just a really enjoyable hour. It will still be fun for people who aren't caught up, because it's a standalone story. It actually made me cry, because I am alone on Christmas day and only got to see my family over Zoom. You'll see why that's relevant when you watch the episode. I've always loved the one-off companions like Kylie Minogue's character in Voyage of the Damned, and this episode lived up to that. Nicola Coughlin brings this really genuine energy to every role she plays. We don't actually know much about Joy, and that could have led to a one-dimensional character, but she had depth. The actress who played Anita also did a really fantastic job, and for me she was a highlight of the episode. This episode really did bring me joy for what it was, a simple and fun Christmas special.
    9wgeissert-51021

    this is what we need, RTD!

    I've been waiting with baited breath for this episode, and Moffat once again delivered on everything we expected, both the good and the very small amount of bad. The beginning immediately hooked me into a web of delightfully confusing wibbly-wobbly stuff, resulting in one of the most awesome episode concepts ever brought to screen in the time hotel, and gives us a taste of the Moffat style writing I think we've all been missing. On the writing, this episode is the funniest I've seen in a while. The line, "is this armed?" will be living rent-free in my head for years. In addition, Moffat and 15 are perfect for each other. Ncuti's acting is on full display throughout the script, striking a perfect balance between comedy and emotion. The sets are great too. In fact, right up until the finale, this is one of the best looking doctor who episodes ever. Every sequence is great and keeps you engaged either emotionally or physically. The only let-down was the ending, which felt half-baked and a surprising let-down of such a fantastic episode, and one that unsurprisingly contains a lot of characters coming back to life. Even with the ending, this episode is a prime example of how to write and structure a doctor who episode, one RTD should make sure he follows in the future.
    7The_Rider2004

    Doctor Who Returns, and it was a bundle of Fun

    Really enjoyed how fun and action-packed it was, I am sorry if some of the Whovians aren't on board with it's concept, some Whovians loved it, but in my eyes fun fluff is all you need as a festive output, easy going and fun entertainment.

    I think the Time Hotel was fun, it deeply explored the different time periods which was fun and it was fun because we got to see a Dinosaur and other cool scenes were displayed, with the Doctor himself. The timey-whimey stuff is introduced well and it's philosophy of Mofatts has always been entertaining sometimes in a good way and a bad way, but here the fun parts are fun, and the time zones are also fun throughout the story.

    The multitudes of characters have always been a flaw in his era, but here it sometimes works with it being through a time hotel and it having to show all of the themes the episodes trying to represent, and it does work for that reason. Deeper level maybe not so much, as some of them do feel abit of a waste. But the effects and the action do make it a fun enough adventure.

    So hopefully this concept is introduced abit more in the present siries as it was just Fun, and had a few laughs, I'd certainly give this a 7, and I am a big Whovian. I did still enjoy this.

    Every "Doctor Who" Christmas Special, Ranked

    Every "Doctor Who" Christmas Special, Ranked

    See how the Doctor's holiday adventures stack up, based on IMDb fan ratings.
    See the list
    Production art
    List

    Related interests

    Still frame
    Adventure
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Originally, Russell T. Davies was supposed to write the festive special but he had to abandon it because he ran out of time and had to start work on Season Two of Doctor Who (2023) immediately. So he emailed Steven Moffat asking him to take over and write a new special from scratch.
    • Goofs
      The Time Hotel portals to various Christmases of the past includes one to Sir Edmund Hillary's camp on what appears to be Mt Everest. However, his expedition was from March to May 1953, not at Christmas.
    • Quotes

      The Doctor: [Being attacked by a dinosaur] Oh, French.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Daniel Craig/Nicola Coughlan/Jesse Eisenberg/Kieran Culkin/Flo (2024)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 2024 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Doctor Who Specials 2024: Joy to the World
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • BBC Studios
      • Bad Wolf
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 56m
    • Color
      • Color

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