Doctor Who Christmas special 2016: Where and when can I watch it?

Though there were no new episodes in 2016, Doctor Who still returns for that time-honoured tradition of a Christmas special

The grand tradition of the Doctor Who Christmas special is here once more - let the Whovians rejoice!

Though 2016 didn't actually see any new episodes of the beloved British franchise, viewers will finally get a chance to catch up with Peter Capaldi's Doctor this holiday season.

It's a welcome return, with Capaldi saying of the show: "Doctor Who should be on Christmas Day. It suits Christmas. It’s a little bit scary, a little bit nostalgic and a little bit festive."

Showrunner Steven Moffat adds that the show has an importance beyond the usual confines of children's TV: "I feel very strongly about this. Just because Doctor Who is a children’s programme, it doesn’t mean that it’s dumb – in fact, quite the opposite. Children’s TV has to be challenging. You have to stay ahead of the audience because, let’s be clear, kids are smarter than us – and that’s why we don’t like them."

"Doctor Who is a good-hearted adventure where the adults say, ‘This is a really clever show’, and the kids say, ‘Yes, but it’s ours!’ It fills that slot. We can all sit down and watch it. I always think Doctor Who is like when you go to a restaurant and glance longingly at the children’s menu. You think, ‘That’s so much better than the risotto I have to pretend I want.’"

Here's everything you need to know about the new episode.

When and where can I watch it?

The Doctor Who Christmas special airs at 5:45pm on BBC1 on Christmas Day.

What is the episode about?

Titled 'The Return of Doctor Mysterio', the 90-minute episode sees the Doctor travel to New York, where brain-swapping aliens launch an attack on Manhattan; seeing the Doctor, Nardole, an investigative reporter, and a superhero known as The Ghost, all team up to defeat the threat.

Who are the cast?

Alongside Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas returns as Nardole, an assistant to the Doctor's wife River Song (Alex Kingston) in last year's Christmas special; acting now as a sort of temporary companion before Pearl Mackie's Bill takes up the job when season 10 debuts, though Lucas will still be a series regular.

Justin Chatwin plays Grant - alter ego The Ghost - with Charity Wakefield playing intrepid reporter Lucy Fletcher. Adetomiwa Edun, Aleksandar Jovanovic, and Logan Hoffman also star.

When will Doctor Who return?

Season 10 will hit television screens in April.