Doctor Who's 'The Church on Ruby Road' spoilers follow.
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has teased how the new series will follow up on the origins of companion Ruby Sunday.
Monday's festive special 'The Church on Ruby Road' confirmed that new companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) was a foundling who was named after the church where she was discovered.
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While the bulk of the episode flashed forward to The Doctor and new friend Ruby having to foil a plot by The Goblin King, showrunner Russell T Davies has hinted the mystery surrounding Ruby's origins will be addressed in series 14.
"You always have to be aware that it's a new audience coming in," he told Digital Spy and other media. "So you kind of start from scratch. Personally, I think it should be as Christmassy as possible. It's amazing. We had snow, the church, but they're always different every year.
"This was quite a fable, about a foundling on the church doorstep in the snow. So that story then continues into the series. We come back to that church. There's all sorts of things. There were people in those scenes you don't know were there. We have a lot more to come."
As for what else viewers can expect from Doctor Who's return in 2024, Davies recently dropped a hint that there will be an episode featuring The Beatles.
Men Up star Aneurin Barnard is joining the series as new character Roger ap Gwilliam, while Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon will be one of the major baddies. Returning stars will include Jemma Redgrave as UNIT boss Kate Stewart and Bonnie Langford as The Doctor's former companion Melanie Bush.
And we already have some idea about what to expect for next Christmas! Davies has confirmed that Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan will be guest-starring in the 2024 Christmas special.
Doctor Who's 2023 Christmas special 'The Church on Ruby Road' is available to stream now on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere.
Classic episodes of Doctor Who are now made available via BBC iPlayer in the UK as well.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
Previously Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and, before that, a TV Reporter at The Mirror, Rebecca can now be found crafting expert analysis of the TV landscape, when she's not talking on the BBC or Times Radio about everything from the latest season of Bridgerton or The White Lotus to whatever chaos is unfolding in the various Love Island villas. When she's not bingeing a boxset, in-the-wild sightings of Rebecca have included stints on the National TV Awards and BAFTAs red carpets, and post-match video explainers of the reality TV we're all watching.
