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The Church on Ruby Road – Doctor Who

Play trailer 0:30 Poster for The Church on Ruby Road – Doctor Who Dec 2023 Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
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.
Doctor Who — The Church on Ruby Road

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Critics Consensus

A welcome sugar rush of festive adventure, "The Church of Ruby Road" sees Ncuti Gatwa's tenure as the Doctor off to a merry start.

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Critics Reviews

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Leila Latif Guardian 01/03/2024
4/5
Ncuti Gatwa is perfectly cast in the role, not only does it make complete sense for young Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) to race straight into the Tardis, but it’s hard not to make a run at the telly and beg him to take you, too. Go to Full Review Ben Dowell The Times (UK) 01/02/2024
It was a riot. He’s brought the joy back. And Davies, if he can be summed up in one word, is joyous. Go to Full Review Melanie McFarland Salon.com 12/29/2023
The Black sci-fi viewer in me chafes at Davies’ choice to make Gatwa’s inauguration an offshoot of [another character's] emotional journey... The Whovian in me also softened at that same sight out of an old love for Tennant and a new one for Gatwa. Go to Full Review Emmet Asher-Perrin Reactor Jul 28
The Doctor sang a musical number. They. They did that. They didn’t even hesitate, just dropped him into it. He sounded incredible. Go to Full Review Connor Lightbody Movies We Texted About 07/04/2024
4/5
With The Church on Ruby Road and [Ncuti] Gatwa, Doctor Who has never felt better situated to continue its long-standing legacy than it does now. Go to Full Review Vera Wylde Council of Geeks 02/12/2024
It did the assignment. It came in light, fluffy, adventurous, cool. You gave me what I expected, and that's good. I just don't have nearly as much to add to the conversation as a result of that. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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John K @WQCMI Nov 13 Interesting to watch, but some parts were akward. The Goblin King song was catchy and the story was a great idea, but some of the dialogue felt flimsy. But still, if you want to see Ncuti Gatwa's best Doctor Who story, it would be this and the other Christmas special from 2024. See more Teliyah L. @PoeticLove Aug 18 "Doctor Who" has made an exciting comeback with Ncuti Gatwa taking on the role of the Doctor, bringing a fresh and lively energy to the beloved series. His charming portrayal blends humor and depth, creating a character that is both relatable and fun. It’s brilliant, amazing and honestly I’m happy to see this show still inspiring generations. See more Leah M @RT40800326 May 26 This special made me so excited for this new era of doctor who!! See more Jarvis R @jarv0 04/12/2025 the worst Christmas special See more Callum M @SeriouslyUp 01/16/2025 Terribly childish. The story, the actors... Everything. It's like Doctor who is behind dumbed down for some reason. Ruby Sunday is the worst, most boring, companion I've ever seen. Anybody who would rate this trash above 1 star is clearly not a fan of doctor who. Russell T Davies needs to retire, before he burns the whole show. See more David E @RT62848569 11/30/2024 While it is great to see an established show experiment with its format, which Dr Who has done over its long history, the recent move to fantasy rather than sci-fi has created a lessor show. Ncuti is poorly cast as the DR and the writing is subpar. Millie was great as Ruby but her story arc fails. The show is lessor for it. See more Read all reviews
Doctor Who — The Church on Ruby Road

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Cast & Crew

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Ncuti Gatwa

The Doctor

Millie Gibson

Ruby Sunday

Davina McCall

Self

Michelle Greenidge

Carla Sunday

Angela Wynter

Cherry Sunday

Anita Dobson

Mrs. Flood

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Doctor Who — The Church on Ruby Road

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Doctor Who — The Church on Ruby Road

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Season Info

Synopsis 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.
Executive Producer
Russell T. Davies, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson
Network
Disney+
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Dec 25, 2023