In an interview conducted by former Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury for Total TV Guide, Steven Moffat revealed that he wrote the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special titled Joy to the World.

His latest episode, Boom, which transmits this weekend, is the 49th Doctor Who episode he’s written, making Joy to the World his 50th script for the series.

“I should probably introduce that one from an armchair ‘Here we are — number 50,’ he joked to Spilsbury, adopting an old-man voice. “But I’m not involved in next year’s series. There are other things coming for me, so I might never write for Doctor Who again. As I got to the end of Joy to the World, I did think, ‘Is that it? My final moment?’ So that could be my goodbye. Number 50? I’ll take that.”

Set during World War II, Joy to the World stars Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlin, Joel Fry and Timothy West. It was filmed by director Alex Pillai in late 2023. Location filming for Joy to the World occurred in Cardiff on October 30 and October 31, 2023.

Joy to the World will likely transmit December 25, 2024.