Doctor Who legends Christopher Eccleston and Carole Ann Ford team up for first time ever in exciting new Christmas adventure

If you thought we weren't getting a Doctor Who Christmas special this year... think again!

Doctor Who icons Christopher Eccleston (who played the Ninth Doctor) and Carole Ann Ford (who played the first ever companion, Susan) are teaming up for a festive audio adventure for Big Finish.

The upcoming story, titled The Wash, will see the duo team up for the first time ever and begins in a launderette on the Powell Estate.

Avoiding Jackie Tyler's early Christmas preparations, the Doctor heads to The Wash Inn; there, alongside unexpected dangers, he finds himself in conversation with a voice from the past...

The Wash will stream live on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel on Tuesday 22 December and will be free to stream for a month afterwards.

Eccleston said: "This was a brilliant, really outstanding script, I thought. I love that notion that as we go through our lives, particularly if you’re a Time Lord, everybody you meet remains with you.

"And working with Carole was really exciting. I’d been looking forward to it. I think that An Unearthly Child is the greatest episode ever made – when I made the TV series, that was the one I watched as inspiration. And she’s a pro, she was absolutely brilliant – a real honour."

Ford added: "Acting opposite Chris was wonderful, marvellous. It’s such a strong story. Susan pushes this Doctor to try and sort himself out and not be so touchy with people. I think listeners will be cheering Susan on!"

Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor when Doctor Who was rebooted in 2005, and has since reprised his role for various Big Finish adventures, including a few that have seen him reunite with Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler.

Meanwhile, Ford starred in the very first episodes of Doctor Who alongside William Hartnell. Previously speaking to Radio Times, she counted the "super-duper" actor among her favourite incarnations of the Doctor.

Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Wash is now available to pre-order for £16.99 (download to own) or £19.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD + Christmas card), from Big Finish.

Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.

Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times' Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month.

Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Authors

Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.