Doctor Who to feature Beatles episode in Ncuti Gatwa’s first season

It’s getting better all the time.

By Morgan Jeffery

Published: Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 21:00 PM

Doctor Who is about to take a trip ‘across the universe’, with the Time Lord set to meet the Beatles in an upcoming episode.

Speaking at a screening of 2023 Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road, showrunner Russell T Davies hinted that an instalment in the following season will see the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) meet the Fab Four.

“[The Christmas special is] completely different to the next episode, isn’t it? And then the one after that, that’s the Beatles… that’s nuts!” Davies said.

Technically, this won’t be the first time that The Beatles have featured in a Doctor Who story – way back in 1965, footage of the band performing their hit Ticket to Ride appeared in the serial The Chase.

Further details of their latest appearance on the show were not forthcoming, so it remains to be seen exactly how the band will factor into a future episode.

Having made his debut opposite David Tennant in Saturday’s episode The Giggle, Ncuti Gatwa will return as the Doctor in 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, airing at 5:55pm on Christmas Day on BBC One.

The special will see the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Gatwa, take over the TARDIS and be joined by new companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, with the pair encountering “mythical and mysterious goblins”.

A synopsis for the episode reads: “Long ago on Christmas Eve, a baby was abandoned in the snow. Today, Ruby Sunday meets the Doctor, stolen babies, goblins and perhaps the secret of her birth.”

Davina McCall will play herself in the festive episode, appearing alongside It’s a Sin actress Michelle Greenidge as Ruby’s mum Carla, EastEnders‘ Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry, and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.