The time has come for Doctor Who to break with tradition. The BBC announced today that the time-travel show’s annual special episode is moving from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.
The all-new episode is written by showrunner Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip (Preacher, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency). As the new year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. Will the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Graham (Bradley Walsh), and Yaz (Mandip Gill) be able to overcome this threat to planet Earth?
Leading up to the first-ever “Who Year’s Day,” BBC America will present a Doctor Who marathon of all the Christmas episodes, starting at noon ET on Dec. 24. After that, the network will screen a marathon of all the modern-day Doctors, starting with Peter Capaldi, followed by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith, leading straight into the New Year’s special Jan. 1.
“Jodie Whittaker and the dynamic new team have propelled Doctor Who to become TV’s fastest-growing scripted series of the year,” said Courtney Thomasma, executive director of BBC America, in a statement. “We can’t think of a better holiday gift to the fans than a weeklong marathon of Doctor Who Christmas specials and fan-favorite episodes leading into 2019 with new traditions and our first-ever ‘Who Year’s Day’ special.’”
The current season of Doctor Who airs Sundays on BBC America.
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