The recent incarnations of Doctor Who are bigger and flashier than the classic versions, but even so the team tends to pull out extra stops for the annual Christmas episode. And in terms of guest stars, this year is no different with Nick Frost, Michael Troughton, Natalie Gumede, Faye Marsay and Nathan McMullen set to appear.
No details have been revealed about what will happen in the show itself, though Peter Capaldi’s Doctor and companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) will no doubt be facing something unusual and, in keeping with most of the previous specials, unusually festive. It’ll be interesting to see whether writer/producer Steven Moffat goes with a dark Christmas tale this year, especially since Capaldi’s Doctor seems to be more likely to deliver coal in stockings rather than presents. Michael Troughton, incidentally, is the son of second Doctor actor Patrick Troughton.
“I'm so thrilled to have been asked to guest in the Doctor Who Christmas Special, I'm such a fan of the show,” Frost tells the BBC. "The read-through was very difficult for me; I wanted to keep stuffing my fingers into my ears and scream 'No spoilers!' Every day on set I’ve had to silence my internal fan-boy squeals!"
“Frost at Christmas – it just makes sense! I worked with Nick on the Tintin movie many years ago and it's a real pleasure to lure him back to television for a ride on the TARDIS,” says Moffat.
The show will air, unsurprisingly, on Christmas Day on BBC One. Frost, meanwhile, can be heard in The Boxtrolls, which is on screens now. He’ll show up in road trip comedy Unfinished Business on March 6 next year.