All 25 Doctor Who Christmas & New Year Episodes to Celebrate the Holidays, Ranked

Since 1965, Doctor Who has marked the holiday season with 25 memorable Christmas and New Year episodes. After the show was successfully brought back in 2005 by Russell T. Davies and the BBC, these festive adventures became a regular tradition. Though more common recently, even the original series included a Christmas episode and three episodes aired on New Year’s Day.

As a long-time fan, it’s amazing to look back at the tradition of Doctor Who Christmas and New Year specials. So far, there have been 25 festive episodes, and a whopping 20 of those have aired since the show came back in 2005. Even better, we already know there’s a special planned for 2026! With the future of Doctor Who secured, I’m really looking forward to seeing many more Doctors tackling holiday adventures and adding to the show’s incredible 62-year history of brilliant Christmas and New Year stories.

25) “The Daleks’ Master Plan: The Feast of Steven” (December 25, 1965)

In 1965, the classic science fiction show Doctor Who aired its first Christmas special, titled “The Feast of Steven,” as part of the 12-episode story “The Daleks’ Master Plan.” The episode, named after the First Doctor’s companion Steven Taylor (played by Peter Purves), was a self-contained adventure within the larger narrative. It featured the TARDIS crew getting into comical situations – first at a Liverpool police station on Christmas Day, then on a 1920s Hollywood film set – before they resumed their fight against the Daleks.

Interestingly, “The Feast of Steven” concludes with the Doctor directly addressing the audience and wishing them a Merry Christmas. This marked one of the rare times the Doctor has broken the fourth wall in Doctor Who. Most recently, this happened in the 2025 episode “The Reality War,” when the new Sixteenth Doctor (Billie Piper) cheerfully greeted viewers with a surprised, “Oh, hello!”

24) “The Daleks’ Master Plan: Volcano” (January 1, 1966)

Following the release of “The Feast of Steven” on December 25, 1965, “The Daleks’ Master Plan: Volcano” aired on New Year’s Day in 1966. However, the episode didn’t acknowledge the new year and continued the First Doctor, Steven Taylor, and Sara Kingdom’s fight against the Daleks. The serial also featured the return of The Monk, Peter Butterworth, a rogue Time Lord who had previously opposed the Doctor and his friends. In “Volcano,” the Daleks pursued the Doctor and his companions using their own time machine.

23) “Day of the Daleks: Episode 1” (January 1, 1972)

The ninth season of Doctor Who began with an episode that first aired on January 1, 1972, though the story, “Day of the Daleks,” doesn’t actually mention it being New Year’s Day. While stuck on Earth, the Third Doctor (played by Jon Pertwee) encounters travelers from a future where the Daleks have taken over humanity. Notably, comic book writer John Byrne has said he was unknowingly influenced by “Day of the Daleks” when creating the 1981 Days of Future Past storyline, making this episode significant for both Doctor Who and Marvel fans.

22) “The Face of Evil: Part One” (January 1, 1977)

The last of the classic Doctor Who episodes released during the Holiday season was “The Face of Evil: Part One” from 1977. This story introduced Leela (Louise Jameson) as the Fourth Doctor’s (Tom Baker) new companion, following Sarah Jane Smith’s (Elisabeth Sladen) exit in “The Hand of Fear.” Rather than acknowledging a new year, “The Face of Evil” featured a conflict with Xoanon, a powerful computer with a split personality that was conducting experiments in human genetic engineering. After this episode, Doctor Who wouldn’t release another Holiday special for nearly 29 years.

21) “The Christmas Invasion” (December 25, 2005)

After a 16-year break, Doctor Who returned to television in 2005 and quickly established a tradition of annual Christmas specials that fans eagerly anticipated. The first of these, “The Christmas Invasion,” showed the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in his first complete adventure after changing faces earlier that year. Though still recovering from his regeneration, the Doctor relied on Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), who was visiting her family, when a Sycorax spaceship appeared above London. The Doctor eventually recovered, saved the world, and even shared Christmas dinner with Rose before they parted ways.

20) “The Runaway Bride” (December 25, 2006)

Following the heartbreaking conclusion of Doctor and Rose’s travels in “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday,” Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) unexpectedly became the Doctor’s new companion. Donna had previously been tricked by her fiancé (Don Gilet) and the Empress of the Racnoss (Sarah Parish), who intended to use her as food for their young. Though she initially didn’t want to join him, Donna ultimately saved the Doctor in “The Runaway Bride” and decided to travel with him permanently in the TARDIS.

19) “Voyage of the Damned” (December 25, 2007)

The 2007 Christmas special of Doctor Who continued the tradition of introducing a new adventure after a companion left the TARDIS. This time, it was Martha Jones who departed, and the Doctor found himself facing a crisis aboard a spaceship modeled after the Titanic. He teamed up with Astrid Peth, played by Kylie Minogue, to stop Max Capricorn, a cyborg who planned to crash the ship into Earth. Sadly, Astrid didn’t survive, but the Doctor gained a new ally in Midshipman Alonso Frame, portrayed by Russell Tovey, who is now reprising his role in The War Between the Land and the Sea.

18) “The Next Doctor” (December 25, 2008)

Following Donna Noble’s tearful goodbye and departure from the TARDIS, the Tenth Doctor went on a few adventures by himself before his time came to regenerate. One of these adventures led him to meet a man who claimed to be the Doctor in “The Next Doctor.” However, this man turned out to be Jackson Lake (played by David Morrissey), a Victorian-era man who had been attacked by Cybermen. During the fight, Jackson absorbed some of the Doctor’s memories. The Doctor helped Jackson remember his true identity and reunite with his son, and they shared a rare Christmas dinner together.

17) “The End of Time — Part One” (December 25, 2009)

First aired on December 25, 2009, “The End of Time — Part One” began the Tenth Doctor’s last full story. He joined forces with Wilfred Mott, Donna Noble’s grandfather, to uncover the Master’s (John Simm) plan for world domination and his attempt to bring the Time Lords and Gallifrey back from the Time War. This episode was a deeply emotional moment for the Doctor, as he knew his time as this version of himself was drawing to a close.

16) “The End of Time — Part Two” (January 1, 2010)

The Tenth Doctor’s last adventure, “The End of Time — Part Two,” aired on New Year’s Day in 2010. The Master nearly managed to revive the Time Lords, but Rassilon (played by Timothy Dalton) intended to transform them into spirits while wiping out everything else. The Doctor and the Master were forced to work together to stop him, but Wilfred Mott ended up in a dangerous situation, facing lethal radiation. In a selfless act, the Doctor took Wilfred’s place, which triggered his regeneration after a touching farewell and a very emotional goodbye to actor David Tennant.

15) “A Christmas Carol” (December 25, 2010)

Matt Smith’s first Christmas special as the Eleventh Doctor, “A Christmas Carol” (2010), was a clever take on the classic Charles Dickens tale. The Doctor acted as the Ghost of Christmas Past, journeying through the life of the grumpy Kazran Sardick (played by Michael Gambon) to help him become a kinder person. Sardick controlled a cloud layer preventing a ship from landing, and the Doctor needed to change his heart. The episode was both heartwarming and funny, and featured a wonderful performance by Katherine Jenkins as Abigail.

14) “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” (December 25, 2011)

For Christmas, the Doctor spent time with Madge Arwell and her family in 1941, helping them through a difficult holiday after the loss of Madge’s husband. He gave the children a magical gift: a doorway to a world where Christmas trees were living creatures. However, their visit coincided with a dangerous plan to destroy the trees for fuel. The Arwells joined forces with the Doctor to protect the trees, and in a heartwarming turn of events, they even found a way to bring Madge’s husband, Reg, back to life, making it a truly unforgettable Christmas for everyone.

13) “The Snowmen” (December 25, 2012)

After a heartbreaking goodbye to Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Eleventh Doctor decided to step down and went into self-imposed exile in London in 1892. But when he unexpectedly met Clara Oswin Oswald – a woman he’d previously encountered as a Dalek – and discovered the powerful Great Intelligence was creating havoc with snowmen through the villainous Dr. Simeon, he was pulled back into adventure. This Clara wasn’t particularly fortunate, but the Doctor realized she was somehow appearing repeatedly in his life, leading him to call her the “Impossible Girl.”

12) “The Time of the Doctor” (December 25, 2013)

As a huge Doctor Who fan, I remember being really emotional when Matt Smith’s time as the Doctor came to an end. Following David Tennant’s departure, Matt’s final episode, “The Time of the Doctor,” saw him protecting a town on Trenzalore and ultimately regenerating. It was a big moment because the show had led us to believe this was his last regeneration! Clara, desperate to save him, reached out to the Time Lords, and somehow, they granted him more. It’s been changed a bit since then – they’ve walked that back – but it was awesome seeing him use that impending regenerative energy to finally defeat his enemies. It felt like a proper, epic send-off at the time.

11) “Last Christmas” (December 25, 2014)

After a dramatic confrontation with Missy, the Twelfth Doctor and Clara briefly went their separate ways. They reunited in the Christmas special, “Last Christmas,” teaming up with a quirky group of people inside a dream world filled with alien creatures and Santa Claus. This episode was a surprisingly moving installment of Doctor Who, offering genuine emotion and vulnerability amidst the usual festive cheer, especially considering the recent attacks by the Cybermen and the loss of Danny Pink.

10) “The Husbands of River Song” (December 25, 2015)

River Song (Alex Kingston) first appeared during the Tenth Doctor’s adventures, but she’s best known as the Doctor’s wife and the future daughter of Amy and Rory, particularly during Matt Smith’s time as the Doctor. Although she only shared one on-screen encounter with the Twelfth Doctor, he became the one she spent the most time with. Their story came full circle in “The Husbands of River Song,” where the Doctor and River reunited right before her fateful journey to the Library. After facing robots and aliens together, they enjoyed a long-awaited happy ending during a 24-hour night on the planet Darillium.

9) “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” (December 25, 2016)

2016 marked a break from the usual Doctor Who schedule, with no complete season airing. However, Peter Capaldi returned as the Twelfth Doctor in the special “The Return of Doctor Mysterio,” following his adventure with River Song. The episode revisited Grant Gordon, a man the Doctor met as a child who accidentally swallowed a magical gemstone. Now known as the superhero the Ghost, Grant used the stone’s power to fight crime. This story also introduced Nardole (Matt Lucas) as the Doctor’s new companion and was a lighthearted, standalone adventure drawing inspiration from popular superhero comics like those from Marvel and DC.

8) “Twice Upon a Time” (December 25, 2017)

Like David Tennant and Matt Smith before him, Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor ended with a special holiday episode. The 2017 special, “Twice Upon a Time,” continued the story right after the dramatic two-part adventure, “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls,” which saw Bill Potts become a Cyberman and the Doctor seriously wounded, leading to his regeneration. The First Doctor also regenerated after fighting the Cybermen, but before moving on, the two Doctors teamed up to explore a mysterious organization called Testimony and restore the Twelfth Doctor’s memories.

7) “Resolution” (January 1, 2019)

As a fan, I really enjoyed the first special with Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor! “Resolution” was a great start to her New Year’s specials – they’d moved away from Christmas ones, which was cool. The story brought the Doctor and her companions together to face a lone Dalek that was taking over people on New Year’s Day in 2019. What I especially loved was getting to meet Aaron Sinclair, Ryan’s dad, and seeing their relationship unfold. It was a really emotional storyline, and the episode presented a fresh take on the Daleks, who are, let’s face it, the Doctor’s oldest enemies!

6) “Spyfall: Part 1” (January 1, 2020)

Despite seemingly being killed off in the 2017 episode “The Doctor Falls,” the Master returned in the 2020 Doctor Who New Year’s Day special, “Spyfall: Part 1.” Sacha Dhawan took over the role, quickly becoming popular with fans, and was revealed to be orchestrating attacks on intelligence agencies worldwide using alien forces. The story continued in “Spyfall: Part 2” where it was revealed that Gallifrey had been destroyed once again.

5) “Revolution of the Daleks” (January 1, 2021)

After briefly reappearing in the 2021 New Year’s Day special, “Fugitive of the Judoon,” Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) officially returned to join the Doctor in “Revolution of the Daleks.” While Barrowman had faced allegations, fans enjoyed seeing the characters reunited. The special featured a storyline where the Daleks, following the events of “Resolution,” attempted to take over the British government using drones built from their own wreckage. Though Ryan and Graham (Bradley Cooper) departed the TARDIS during the episode, the emotional impact of their leaving wasn’t fully realized.

4) “Eve of the Daleks” (January 1, 2022)

As a Doctor Who fan, I’ve seen the Daleks pop up a lot – in three out of four of Jodie Whittaker’s New Year’s specials, actually. But 2022’s “Eve of the Daleks” was a really clever take on the classic story. The Doctor, along with Yaz and Dan, get trapped in a time loop with these two other people, Sarah and Nick, all while being chased by a seriously scary Dalek called the Executioner. What I really liked was that the whole thing takes place in a storage facility – it created some cool limitations and made the episode feel really fresh, which was a welcome change after some of the less exciting stuff we’d seen with the Thirteenth Doctor.

3) “The Church on Ruby Road” (December 25, 2023)

Following the innovative bi-generation event in “The Giggle,” the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) decided to settle down on Earth, while the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) immediately took off in the TARDIS. His first major adventure, “The Church on Ruby Road,” introduced Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) as the Doctor’s new companion. Together, they fought goblins flying over London who were trying to abduct a baby. The episode began a mystery surrounding Ruby’s birth parents, though the resolution to that mystery wasn’t very satisfying. However, it did demonstrate the exciting potential of Ncuti Gatwa’s time as the Doctor.

2) “Joy to the World” (December 25, 2024)

Russell T. Davies’ comeback as the head of Doctor Who, along with Ncuti Gatwa’s debut as the Fifteenth Doctor, didn’t quite live up to expectations. Even an episode written by former Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, titled “Joy to the World,” fell short. The episode featured Nicola Coughlan from Bridgerton as Joy Almondo, who joins the Doctor after Ruby leaves the TARDIS to investigate a mystery involving a briefcase and a hotel that travels through time. However, a hurried and unclear ending, combined with uninteresting villains, prevented the episode from having the emotional impact it aimed for.

1) 2026 Christmas Special

Ncuti Gatwa’s exit from “The Reality War” in 2025 was unexpected, especially since fans anticipated his return as the Fifteenth Doctor for another season. While his departure caused some confusion, the episode introduced an exciting plotline for the 2026 Christmas special, which will feature Billie Piper returning to Doctor Who – not as her famous character Rose Tyler, but potentially as the Sixteenth Doctor. It was unclear how this would unfold, but Doctor Who will be back on Christmas Day in 2026 after a year off, and we can expect these puzzling events to be clarified then.

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2025-12-24 18:24