Synopsis:
England, 1183 - The court of Henry II. The Doctor and Yaz gatecrash a right royal - if terrifyingly dysfunctional - family Christmas as Henry’s estranged wife Eleanor returns to spend Yuletide with the fam.
The Doctor and Yaz uncover an imposter amongst them, but who are they really? And what do they want?
**Please note: the collector's edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,500 copies.**
Cast:
- Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor)
- Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan)
- Debra Baker (Eleanor of Aquitaine)
- Ammar Duffus (Prince Philip / Prince John)
- Kevin Mathurin (King Henry II / Prince Richard)
- Dolly Webb (Alys)
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
BACK STAGE:
Recorded on: 5 and 10 July 2024 and 28 May 2025
Writer Lisa McMullin said: "Since the Thirteenth Doctor was all about her 'fam', I wanted to write a story with family at the very heart of it. And Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their children are the ultimate dysfunctional family. The most melodramatic soap has nothing on them.
"Eleanor has been banished from court after helping her son raise an army against his father (the King – her husband!), but she's been allowed home for Christmas. And then the Doctor and Yaz rock up.
"On the surface it's a festive romp - deck the halls and grab a mince pie for a right royal family Christmas. But the banter is barbed and, underneath, the story is an exploration of how a family copes with grief and loss."
Lead actor Jodie Whittaker said: "This is a hat trick now where we've worked with a brand-new group of people, none of which have I ever worked with or met before, on every episode. I feel like on this job we're collecting people, and it's very lovely and exciting. This story had elements of The Haunting of Villa Diodati, and I was excited to practice my French!"
Her co-star Mandip Gill added: "I love doing the historical episodes. Yaz gets to wear a period costume, we meet new characters, and I actually learn a lot! We had some really cool actors in on this one, the directing was brilliant, it was really pacey - we're getting good at this!"
- Product Format: 1-disc CD (jewel case)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Duration: 66 minutes
