The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner which means that the Doctor’s grand return is finally a mere stone’s throw away. And it’s about time, too!

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been one whole year since we saw our beloved Time Lord in action (not forgetting his appearance in Class, of course, which was a much needed dose of Capaldi). He lit up our telly boxes last Christmas Day, in The Husbands of River Song, which was followed by the Earth-shattering announcement that there would only be one Doctor Who episode in 2016…

And folks, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel as that episode is nearly upon us! As we know, this year’s Christmas Special is entitled The Return of Doctor Mysterio and it will guest star Justin Chatwin as the titular superhero who will join forces with the Doctor to save New York from a deadly alien threat. While we don’t know that much about the episode, here’s 5 things that we’re looking forward to about this year’s festive adventure…

1. Guess who’s back, back again…

Guess who?! The fact we’ve had no full series of Doctor Who this year has made us even more excited for the Christmas Special (if that was even possible…), so it goes without saying that the Doctor’s comeback is the only present we’re looking forward to unwrapping this season. And the socks. You’ve gotta love the Christmas socks.

Here he is getting up to no good (no, not like that!) with Charity Wakefield who will be playing investigate journalist Lucy Fletcher in the episode. Oh, and he’s holding chopsticks. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas.

2. Christmas in New York

If growing up watching Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life and Elf taught us one thing, it’s that there’s room for everyone on the nice list. Missy will be thrilled.

Oh, and that there’s no place like New York at Christmas, so finding out that The Return of Doctor Mysterio will be set in the Big Apple made us as giddy as one of Santa’s elves after one too many hot cocoa. We’ve all been there.

Snow and lights and trees… It’ll be the stuff that dreams are made of. Let’s just hope there are no Weeping Angels lurking in the shadows…

3. A Nardole’s for life, not just for Xmas

Although, admittedly, we have only ever seen him at Christmas. For now, at least. The tradition that dates back all the way to… erm, last year… continues in 2016 as the Christmas Special will welcome the return of Matt ‘I Want That One’ Lucas as Nardole.

Whether you loved him or hated him in The Husbands of River Song, it’s only fair that we give him a second chance. It is Christmas, after all. Oh, and he’ll be sticking around for Series 10 as well, so you better get used to him now. Ho ho ho!

4. A Spacey-Wacey Superhero Mystery

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Justin Chatwin as Doctor Mysterio, although nothing is ever as it seems in a Doctor Who Christmas Special…

Just take Last Christmas, for example, in which the Doctor and Clara encountered Santa Claus himself (and in the actual North Pole, no less!), before it was revealed that it had all been a dream. One day… *sigh*

So, although it would appear that the Doctor Who and Marvel universes are about to collide, we’re sure that Steven Moffat has come up with some sort of timey-wimey, spacey-wacey twist that will both enthral us and leave us sobbing into our empty Celebrations boxes until New Year’s Eve. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

5. A Series 10 Trailer?!

Not that we’re wishing the Christmas Special away already, but it’s hard not to get excited about the fact that, for the first time in forever, we might actually be about to get a Christmas Special which ends with a teaser of what’s to come…

The Husbands of River Song didn’t have one, Last Christmas didn’t have one, The Time of the Doctor didn’t have one… so it’s safe to say that a good old fashioned Christmas ‘Coming Soon’ trailer is more than well overdue.

Series 10 has been filming since May and, with nearly half of its episodes in the can, there’s more than enough footage to fit into a tantalising trailer. It would be the cherry on top.

And let’s not forget…

…all of the festive fun and unadulterated cheer that a Doctor Who Christmas Special brings to our Whovian hearts!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Everything you need to know about Doctor Mysterio ->