Doctor Who's festive special just the medicine for fans

THE Doctor Who Christmas special has become a traditional festive viewing staple for fans around the world.

This year viewers are in for a "nostalgic" adventure set in wintry New York City.

With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) link up with investigative reporter Lucy (Charity Wakefield) and a mysterious, masked figure known only as The Ghost (Justin Chatwin).

"It's nostalgic in the sense that it's going to be a superhero story from the days when superheroes were ironic and witty and clever," Capaldi says in the film's production notes.

"It's also set in New York and we have a fabulous American cast and some spectacular flying scenes.

"When I first read the script I thought 'this is wonderful' because it captures the delightful, light comedy touch that existed in the early Superman movies with Christopher Reeves. Superheroes nowadays tend to be a grim lot but in those days there was optimism and a deliberate naivety that the character of Superman had."

The hour-long special, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark), will air on the ABC on Boxing Day.

"I wanted to do a superhero story. I wanted to reflect some of the elements of the Clark Kent/Lois Lane/ Superman love triangle that has always fascinated me. I just wanted to do a good superhero in Doctor Who," Moffat says.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio airs on Monday (Boxing Day) at 7.30pm on ABC1.