How To Watch Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road
| Air date: Monday, December 25 at 5.55pm GMT |
| Channel: BBC One |
| Stream Free: on BBC iPlayer (UK) |
| International Stream: Disney Plus (US, CA, AU) |
| Watch Anywhere: Stream from anywhere with ExpressVPN |
Watch Doctor Who The Church On Ruby Road: Synopsis
Is Russell T Davies secretly Santa? He may as well be to Doctor Who fans. A leading light of the modern series’ run, not only has Davies reinstituted the show’s Christmas Day broadcast, but he’s gifting us Ncuti Gatwa as the sharp-suited new Time Lord. Whovians, prepare to feel festive as we explain below how to watch Doctor Who “The Church on Ruby Road” online and stream the Christmas special free from anywhere.
Davies’ recent trio of Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials delighted fans while masterfully setting a bold new course for the series’ future. Introducing Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as his new companion, we can expect some of the show’s fustier elements to be enlivened by a youthful blast of Gen-Z energy. I mean, would William Hartnell’s Doctor let loose in a sweaty nightclub? Because that’s where we find Gatwa’s incoming Time Lord during the holidays.
“The Church on Ruby Road” will see Gibson take to the TARDIS alongside the new Doctor. After their paths cross, the duo’s first adventure finds them aboard a flying pirate ship populated by little razor-toothed goblins, desperately trying to rescue an imperilled infant from being eaten by the vessel’s corpulent “Goblin King.” Throw in an outrageously entertaining musical number, and it looks like a gleeful homage to Labyrinth, Jim Henson’s beloved 1986 fantasy film.
In an overhaul of the cast ahead of Season 14, the holiday special will also feature Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood, Michelle Greenidge (I May Destroy You, Small Axe) as Ruby’s mum Carla, and Angela Wynter as Cherry, Ruby’s grandmother. Meanwhile, the UK legend Davina McCall will feature as herself in her second guest appearance on the landmark sci-fi show.
Stream the Christmas special now with our guide below, which explains how to watch Doctor Who “The Church on Ruby Road” online with BBC iPlayer and for free from anywhere.
Watch Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road online in the UK
Doctor Who “The Church on Ruby Road” will be broadcast live on BBC One and through BBC iPlayer on Monday, December 25, at 5.55pm GMT, and again the following day on BBC Three at 7pm. With iPlayer, you can watch broadcasts live online, or stream the festive episode on-demand shortly after its initial release.
BBC iPlayer is available on a number of devices and it’s absolutely FREE to watch. To create a BBC account, all you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W1A 1AA), in addition to a valid TV licence.
Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.
How to watch Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road from anywhere
If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Doctor Who “The Church On Ruby Road” and stream the 2023 Christmas special just like you would at home.
While BBC iPlayer is for licence fee-paying Brits and blocks access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, UK citizens in the States can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK based server and tune into all the programmes on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world, just like you would back home.
Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:
1. Choose a VPN and install it - our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK
3. Go to the live stream you wish to access - for Doctor Who, head to BBC iPlayer
How to watch Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road online in the US
Whovians in the US can stream Doctor Who “The Church On Ruby Road” on Disney Plus from Monday, December 25. The special episode will be available simultaneously with its BBC broadcast, which means it will be ready for streaming by 12.55pm ET / 9.55am PT on Christmas Day.
Disney Plus subscriptions start from $7.99 for a Basic ad-supported plan. Or you can ditch the ads and go Premium for $13.99 a month ($139.99 when you opt for the annual plan).
There are also a variety of Disney Plus bundle options that could help you save a buck. For example, the Trio Basic plan gifts you with ad-supported Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus for just $14.99 – that’s a monthly saving of 44% compared to the price of subscribing to each separately.
A Brit abroad in the States? Use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer for free from abroad.
How to watch Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special online in Canada
Canadian fans can also watch Doctor Who “The Church On Ruby Road” on Disney Plus early on Christmas Day, with the holiday special being available from Monday, December 25 at 12:55 pm ET / 9:55 am PT – simultaneous with its UK TV broadcast.
Not yet subscribed to Disney Plus? The Disney Plus price start from CA$7.99 a month for the new ad-supported plan. Otherwise, choose between its Standard (CA$11.99 a month/CA$119.99 annually) or Premium ad-free plans (CA$14.99 a month/CA$149.99 a year).
How to watch Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road online in Australia
In Australia, Disney Plus is the new streaming home of the Doctor Who 2023 specials and future series. Doctor Who “The Church On Ruby Road” will be added on Tuesday, December 26 and available to watch from 3.55am AEST.
There are just a few subscription plans in Australia. Go monthly for AU$13.99 or get a great saving – effectively 12 months for the price of 10 - by getting an annual plan for AU$139.99.
Away from home? Use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer for free from abroad.
Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special Cast
- Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor
- Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
- Davina McCall as Davina McCall.
- Mary Malone as Trudy
- Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood
- Hemi Yeroham as Abdul
- Michelle Greenidge as Carla
- Angela Wynter as Cherry
Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special Trailer
