How To Watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 Online
| Release Date: Wednesday, December 25 |
| Broadcast Time: 5:10pm GMT |
| Channel: BBC One |
| Free Stream: Stream live or on catch-up on BBC iPlayer (UK) |
| International Stream: Disney Plus (US, CA, AU) |
| Watch anywhere: Stream from anywhere with NordVPN |
Watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024: Synopsis
Bringing cheer to Whovians everywhere is the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special, with Ncuti Gatwa back at the helm of a holly-garlanded TARDIS for his second holiday adventure. Starring Gatwa as the titular Time Lord and Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls, Bridgerton, Big Mood) as Joy Almondo, his partner in peril, brace yourself for family-friendly thrills as we explain how to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online from December 25 and free on BBC iPlayer with a VPN.
It’s already been a year since Gatwa officially debuted as Doctor Ho Ho Ho – sorry, Doctor Who – in Yuletide special “The Church on Ruby Road.” That’s when he first crossed paths with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), his latest companion to join him on a trans-dimensional journey through space and time. But in the final episode of Season 14 (or Season 1, just to make watching Doctor Who in order even more confusing) “Empire of Death” saw Ruby tearfully decide to remain on Earth, leaving the Doctor to continue his intergalactic adventures by himself.
But he won’t be lonely for long. This year’s seasonal special “Joy to the World”, written by former showrunner Steven Moffat (“Blink,” “Boom”), reunites us with the Doctor as he checks into the Time Hotel, a venue offering “Christmas, everywhere, all at once.” That’s where he meets Joy, played by Nicola Coughlan. Her quiet life descends into chaos after she encounters a Silurian carrying a world-destroying Star Seed, and she and the Doctor find themselves on a "timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly" tumble through Yules past to guarantee Merry Christmases across the multiverse.
And this Moffat-penned special looks to be an absolute cracker: promising wondrous spectacle (pootling steam trains hurtling along snow-capped mountains), jaw-dropping danger (an apocalyptic threat, a carnivorous Cretaceous Christmas), and tons of heart-warming moments between Gatwa’s Doctor and Coughlan’s embattled Joy.
Sonic screwdrivers at the ready? Then read on where we break down how to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online, free on BBC iPlayer and on Disney Plus everywhere else.
How to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online in the UK for free on BBC iPlayer
Merry Christmas, Whovians! Whisk yourselves over to BBC One or BBC iPlayer to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online, which airs on Wednesday, December 25 at 5.10pm GMT in the UK.
BBC iPlayer, the BBC’s online platform, is 100% free to use. Simply go ahead and sign-up for a BBC iPlayer account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W12 7FA) and a valid TV licence.
Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.
How to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online from anywhere
If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online just as you would at home.
While services like BBC iPlayer block access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address, allowing you to watch UK TV online by making it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, UK citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN.
2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK
3. Go to the live stream you wish to access - for Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024, head to BBC iPlayer
How to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online in the US
US fans will also be able to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 on December 25 – Christmas Day! However, you’ll need membership to Disney Plus, which is the international streaming home of the latest series outside of the UK.
‘Tis the season of Disney, and luckily there are multiple subscription options to choose. The most affordable Disney Plus price is on its ad-supported plan at $9.99 a month. You can also level up to the ad-free $15.99 a month option. There’s no free trial available, alas, but keep an eye out for some unbeatable Disney Plus deals.
And, if you want more bang for your buck, consider getting a Disney Plus bundle. For $10.99 a month you can get Disney Plus with Hulu, and sports fans can opt to bundle in ESPN Plus too from $16.99 a month. There are also options offering Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service Max, rather than ESPN Plus, if you’re more into film and TV.
A UK citizen currently away from home? Use a VPN to port yourself back home and connect to BBC iPlayer.
How to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online in Canada
Yule want to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 when it lands on Disney Plus in Canada, which will be available to stream from Wednesday, December 25.
Haven’t got Disney Plus yet? In Canada, subscriptions starts from CA$8.99 a month for the platform’s ad-supported plan . Otherwise, choose between its Standard (CA$12.99 a month/CA$129.99 annually) or Premium ad-free options (CA$15.99 a month/CA$159.99 a year).
A Brit abroad? Download a VPN to connect to BBC iPlayer no matter where you are.
How to watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 online in Australia
If you’re located Down Under, you can also enjoy the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 from Wednesday, December 25, so long as you’ve signed up to a Disney Plus account.
In Australia, there are just a few subscription options to choose from. Go monthly for AU$13.99 , or get a great saving – effectively 12 months for the price of 10 – by getting an annual plan for AU$139.99. There’s also a Disney Plus Premium plan available at AU$17.99 a month if you’re looking to boost your audio and video quality.
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 Trailer
Who Is In The Cast Of The Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024?
- Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor
- Nicola Coughlan as Joy Almondo
- Joel Fry as Trev Simpkins
- Steph de Whalley as Anita Benn
- Jonathan Aris as hotel manager Melnak
- Julia Watson as Hilda Flockhart
- Peter Benedict as Basil Flockhart
- Niamh Marie Smith as Sylvia Trench
- Phil Baxter as Edmund Hillary
- Sam Sherpa-Moore as Tenzing Norgay
- Joshua Leese as Mr Single
Where Can I Watch Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Doctor Who fans. The highly-anticipated Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 will debut on BBC One in the UK on Wednesday, December 25 at 5.10pm GMT, as we as being available to stream live and on-demand free on BBC iPlayer.
Outside of the UK, Disney Plus is the home of Doctor Who and its festive episodes, with the 2024 Christmas Special being available to stream on Disney Plus from December 25 too.
