Doctor Who showrunner’s prior comments on Bethlehem visit merit further examination

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There’s a moment in the Doctor Who episode The Devil’s Chord where Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor suggests in passing that some companions want to see the Bethlehem nativity.

“People always say, the Titanic, or Mars, or Bethlehem, but the Beatles?!? Why have I never done that before?, come ON!”

In an interview with The Times, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies mentioned a Bethlehem visit could be a possibility in a future Doctor Who Christmas special.

“Oh my God. Absolutely, that’s the great Christmas special waiting to happen. I know. It’s funny, we’ve talked about it … give us time … We’d do that with a bit of respect and fun.”

Is this Christmas the time? In the Gospel of Matthew, the three wise men see a star in the sky which they associate with the birth of the king of the Jews and go on a journey of discovery. They are told by King Herod’s chief priests and scribes of the prophesy that the ruler they seek would be born in Bethlehem. They follow the star to Bethlehem where it shines directly above and find the infant Jesus.

I recently saw a tweet which suggested that the star seed mentioned in the clip shared from the Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World could be the origin of the Star of Bethlehem. This bit of speculation plus Davies’ prior comment merit consideration.

In the clip, a Silurian named Melnak carries a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist containing a star seed. Sinister arms manufacturer Villegard intends to create a star from the seed as an infinite energy source. Regrettably, the star seed is highly volatile and threatens all life on Earth.

If it is the fate of this star seed to eventually become the Star of Bethlehem, it must take a very perilous and indirect journey to its ultimate destiny. Fans will have to wait until Christmas to find out if this star speculation is correct.

Written by Steven Moffat and directed by Alex Pillai, Joy to the World, starring Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan, Jonathan Aris and Joel Fry, will transmit on Christmas Day, 25 December, 2024 on BBC One in the UK and Ireland and Disney+ everywhere else where available.