Doctor Who Christmas Special release time (by time zone)

It's that time of year, Whovians! That's right, after a long wait, the Doctor Who Christmas Special is back!

The festive feast used to be a regular part of BBC programming over the years, but with the show being off the air for some time, and the most recent series opting for a New Year's special, it's been a while since the Doctor has been engaging in some timey-wimey adventures on Christmas Day. In previous years, the specials have featured some of the Doctor's most ambitious adventures, as well as a guest appearance from Kylie Minogue.

This particular special is a major one as it officially introduces us to the new Doctor and companion, played respectively by Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson. If you're ready to meet them and would like to know when you can do that, here's when you can watch the 2023 Christmas Special.

Doctor Who Christmas Special start and release time

The Doctor Who Christmas Special, titled "The Church on Ruby Road", will air in the UK and Ireland on BBC One at 5:55 pm GMT as part of the channel's revered Christmas Day line-up, which also features special episodes of Strictly Come Dancing, Call the Midwife, and the legendary long-running soap EastEnders. If you happen to miss it, it will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer, where it is uploaded as the same time that the episode airs.

If you're watching outside of the UK and Ireland, you can stream the Christmas Special on Disney Plus at the same time that it makes its broadcast debut on BBC One. For US audiences, that's 12:55 p.m. ET, 9:55 a.m. PT, 10:55 a.m. MT, and 11:55 a.m. CT, but that won't be the only country it's available to stream in. Here is exactly when you can expect the special in your neck of the woods.

• Hawaii: 6:55 a.m. HST on Monday, December 25
• Alaska: 8:55 a.m. AKDT on Monday, December 25
• West Coast of the US: 9:55 a.m. PT on Monday, December 25
• Mountain time: 10:55 a.m. MT on Monday, December 25
• Midwest of the US: 11:55 a.m. CT on Monday, December 25
• East Coast of the US: 12:55 p.m. ET on Monday, December 25
• Brazil: 1:55 p.m. BRT on Monday, December 25
• UK: 5:55 p.m. GMT on Monday, December 25
• France: 6:55 p.m. CET on Monday, December 25
• Germany: 6:55 p.m. CET on Monday, December 25
• Italy: 6:55 p.m. CET on Monday. December 25
• Spain: 6:55 p.m. CET on Monday, December 25
• India: 11:25 p.m. IST on Monday, December 25
• South Korea: 1:55 a.m. KST on Tuesday, December 26
• Japan: 2:55 a.m. JST on Tuesday, December 26
• Sydney, Australia: 4:55 a.m. AEDT on Tuesday, December 26

This year's Christmas Special is the fourth episode of Doctor Who this year, coming after three standalone specials produced for the show's 60th Anniversary. To mark the occasion, it brought back David Tennant and Catherine Tate in what can only be described as an adventure for the ages.

The trio of specials then set the stage for the show's new era, and as we prepare to welcome a new Doctor and Companion, we can't wait to see what's next for the show.