Christmas is an occasion marked throughout all time and space but, along with the good cheer and happy families, it’s also a time for vicious monsters and alien invaders to make their moves. Thankfully, the Doctor – or one of his friends – is never far away. 

Big Finish Productions’ latest box set, Christmas - It’s a Wonderful War and Other Stories, features four full-cast audio adventures set in the worlds of Doctor Who. The Sixth and Eighth Doctors, as well as Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Missy, Leela, and other iconic characters discover the different ways the festive period is celebrated across the cosmos. 

Doctor Who: Christmas - It’s a Wonderful War and Other Stories is now available to purchase for just £24.99 (download to own) or £30.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD), exclusively here. Please note: the collector’s edition CD box sets are strictly limited to 1,500 copies each and will not be repressed. 

The four Christmas-themed tales to unwrap are: 

Unholy Night – a Missy adventure by Noga Flaishon 

Stranded on the frozen planet of Jul, Missy must face her worst nightmare: the most darling Christmas celebrations imaginable!  

Hounded by hospitality, she will need all her wit and malice to survive Noel Falls and its nauseating citizens. For while you can visit any time you like… you can never leave. 

This episode stars Michelle Gomez as Missy, alongside Simon Kane, Paul Bown, Frances Jeater, Roxanne Morgan, Harry Myers, and Beth Chalmers. 

Gomez said: “I’m absolutely delighted with this script. Being Missy in a world of saccharine and knowing how uncomfortable that would make her was really, really funny. I love that. There are certain words that do not come naturally to her, like ‘nice’ for instance.” 

Legacy of Blood – a Sixth Doctor, Ellie Higson and Leela adventure by Julian Richards

It’s 1962 and Ellie Higson has lived a long time. Her adventures alongside those inimitable investigators, Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot, have long since faded into memory. So why is Ellie suddenly being plagued by her most harrowing recollection of those bygone days? 

Drawn to the village of Dunstanton-on-Thames, Ellie is reunited with the Sixth Doctor, on the trail of an ancient evil. As the ice sets in, old friends and enemies return, and the Green Knight is invited out of his prison...  

This story stars Colin Baker as the Doctor, Louise Jameson as Leela and Lisa Bowerman as Ellie Higson, a character she reprises from the popular Jago & Litefoot series. The guest cast includes Harriet Kershaw, Nicholas Briggs, Joanna Monro, and Holly Jackson Walters. 

Bowerman said: “It’s amazing to be back as Ellie. During Jago & Litefoot, except for in one of the audiobooks, we never did a Christmas story. And I always regretted that, because it would have been a perfect fit. But you can look at this and think there’s now a Jago & Litefoot Christmas celebration.” 

Presents of Mind – a Smith and Sullivan adventure by Mark Wright

On the Winter Solstice, Sarah and Harry are filled with festive anticipation for their trip to Aunt Lavinia’s house. What they aren’t expecting is to be trapped on a train during a frosty alien assault.  

Can they get home for Christmas, or will this journey turn into their longest night?  

Christmas is a time for family, and this episode is a four-hander starring the unconventional family unit that is Sarah Jane Smith (Sadie Miller), Harry Sullivan (Christopher Naylor), Aunt Lavinia (Annette Badland), and K9 (John Leeson). 

Miller said: “Normally we have so many great guest actors, but it was really nice to do a four-hander. It feels very theatrical. And you dive into those relationships between the characters a little bit more. It was something quite new.” 

It’s a Wonderful War – a Time War-era Eighth Doctor adventure by Jonathan S Powell

On an asteroid drifting at the edge of a great war, Foreman Galen Smith is having bad dreams. Dreams of monsters descending from the sky and exterminating his people. 

Fortunately, Galen has a guardian angel, an angel who calls himself the Doctor. And he’s here to earn his wings. 

Paul McGann stars as the Doctor in this final story, alongside Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks, plus Rosemary Ashe, Richard David-Caine, Cassie Bradley, Andrew Wincott, Beth Chalmers, Jonathan S Powell, and Alan Cox. 

For the Eighth Doctor, it’s difficult to stop and celebrate, as McGann explains: “The Doctor’s not really one for Christmas! He’s not one to sit down and relax. He’s always in the heart of the battle. His companions are the ones who get Christmas.” 

Christmas - It’s a Wonderful War and Other Stories is the second of 2025’s special holiday-themed Doctor Who box sets, following October’s release Halloween - Sea Smoke and Other Stories. Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering the two together in a multi-buy bundle for just £48 (download to own). 

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 31 December 2025. 

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.