Doctor Who Christmas special review: A gift to the franchise

Ncuti Gatwa embarks on his first full Doctor Who outing in 2023’s Christmas special, ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ – and the ensuing romp delivers a festive-themed fresh start for the franchise itself.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, showrunner Russell T Davies has repeatedly positioned Gatwa’s tenure in the TARDIS as a reset for Doctor Who. Not quite a full-blown reboot, but a “reinvention” of the long-running show’s formula.

And that’s very much what Davies and director Mark Tonderai deliver with ‘The Church on Ruby Road’. Sure, there are nods to canon littered throughout. But Gatwa’s “proper” debut is arguably the most accessible Doctor Who’s been since Christopher Eccleston headlined the 2005 series revival.

Indeed, if the recent Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials were about honoring – and tidying up – the franchise’s past, the Christmas special is fully focused on its future. In that sense, ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ is more than just a rollicking Yuletide adventure: it’s a gift to Doctor Who fans old and new.

The Doctor goes goblin-hunting in The Church on Ruby Road

‘The Church on Ruby Road’ teams the Fifteenth Doctor (Gatwa) with his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Together, the newly minted duo tries to foil a horde of baby-stealing goblins – and maybe uncover the secrets of Ruby’s mysterious past along the way.

Saying anything more risks spoiling the fun, so all you really need to know is this: Gatwa and Gibson are a knockout double-act. With their rapid-fire banter and obvious mutual affection, they’re easily the equal of their immediate predecessors, David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

The pair are just as effective apart, too. For his part, Gatwa manages the delicate balancing act of honoring the Doctors’ past incarnations while also bringing something new to the table. His Fifteenth Doctor is by turns exuberant, full of wonder, and soulfully somber.

Gibson likewise evokes elements of Billie Piper’s fan-favorite companion Rose Tyler, without retreading old ground. Like Rose, Ruby is a perfect viewer surrogate, her wide-eyed response to the Doctor’s world mirroring our own. Yet Ruby’s high spirits are undercut by a heartache that sets Gibson and Tyler apart.

A low-stakes Doctor Who story done right

That Davies and Tonderai give Gatwa and Gibson enough room to establish their characters while also serving up a fast-paced, satisfying Doctor Who special is itself something of a Christmas miracle.

Admittedly, the stakes in ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ aren’t exactly earth-shattering. But the story still delivers enough thrills and dazzling, CGI-powered whimsy to justify its bumper-sized runtime. That said, the high camp of the goblins’ much-publicized musical number is bound to divide audiences.

The same goes for an extended club sequence already teased in the special’s trailers. These scenes work well in context. However, the Fifteenth Doctor revelling on a dancefloor won’t dispel conservative-leaning fans’ existing concerns over Davies’ return as showrunner.

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road review score: 5/5

But those who can get on board with Davies’ vision for the show – even grudgingly – are in for a treat. Because ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ is more than just a stand-out standalone Doctor Who Christmas special: it’s a sign of things to come, too.

We’re left with several unanswered questions when ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ wraps, and the answers seem worth sticking around to find out. It’s time to get excited about Doctor Who again – what better Christmas present is there than that?

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road premieres on BBC One (UK & Ireland) and Disney+ (everywhere else) on December 25. For the latest Doctor Who news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.