Christmas Day was the same for a while without Doctor Who specials. 2023 corrected things, and now we’re back to a Christmas Day Doctor Who special on the regular. Doctor Who: Joy to the World is the special for this year.
Ncuti Gatwa is back as the Fifteenth Doctor. He’s joined by Nicola Coughlan as Joy in this Christmas special, bringing us another story of aliens, adventure, and mayhem. Coughlan won’t become the full-time companion, but what about the chances of her returning in the future? After all, Donna started off as a Christmas Day special companion at first.
Of course, you’ll want to check out the episode. It’s Christmas Day, which means you’re looking for something for the whole family. Is this something for them? You bet it!
Doctor Who: Joy to the World age rating: Explaining the TV-PG rating
The series brings us a time-traveling, human-looking alien to help save the world. In this special, we open to him traveling the timeline with a pumpkin spice latte and ham and cheese toastie in search of a particular person. That person happens to be Joy!
Let’s break down the components that make an age rating to see why this episode in particular is suitable for all ages.
Sex & nudity: There is none of this throughout the episode. While there have been times now and again where we’ve had innuendos, they’re nothing for parents to worry about.
Violence & gore: This series does include a lot of adventure and some elements of war and trouble, but the violence isn’t too explicit. In fact, a lot of the violence is fantastical and involves The Doctor and others just getting out of a close situation. There’s a lot of running involved and humor within the action. You won’t see any blood or gore on the screen.
Language: Doctor Who has never included harsh language. The most you’ll get are things like “damn” and “hell.” This has always been a family-friendly series, and the BBC has always had strict rules on the type of language that can be used.
Alcohol & drugs: There is none of this throughout the special.
Overall verdict: Who is Doctor Who: Joy to the World appropriate for?
The Doctor Who special is most definitely for the whole family. Like many other specials and episodes, children and adults of all ages can enjoy this.
The series includes a lot of conversation and development, which are great for the adults. There is a big storyline to follow. For children, there’s plenty of comedy and fun in the adventure, which keeps them entertained even with the breaks in the conversation and plot.
Doctor Who: Joy to the World airs on Disney+ on Christmas Day 2024 at 12:01 p.m. ET/9:01 a.m. PT.