Just four weeks to go until Christmas and, with the BBC starting to reveal details of its festive TV schedule, the publicity machine for the annual tradition of the Doctor Who Christmas special is also starting to crank up.

Following the broadcast of a ‘mini-sode’ prequel and the episode’s official trailer during last month’s Children in Need telethon, the BBC have now released the festive special’s ‘poster’ – in the style of the posters released for this year’s run of five ‘blockbuster’ episodes.

The Christmas episode is entitled ‘The Snowmen’ and also released is a close-up image of the Doctor’s latest adversaries, as briefly glimpsed in the trailer. Guaranteed to get viewers nervously locking their doors come the first snowfall of the New Year or rolling about on their sofas in hysterics because they look vaguely cuddly in a threatening sort of way? Find out on Christmas Day when ‘The Snowmen’, starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and properly introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as his new companion Clara is likely to be broadcast on BBC1 in an early evening timeslot.

Here’s the official BBC synopsis of the Christmas episode which suggests that showrunner Steven Moffat is far from done with his Doctor Who-as-fairytale theme:

Synopsis:

“Christmas Eve 1892 and the falling snow is the stuff of fairy-tales. When the fairy-tale becomes a nightmare and a chilling menace threatens Earth, an unorthodox young governess, Clara, calls on the Doctor for help. But the Doctor is in mourning, reclusive and determined not to engage in the problems of the universe. As old friends return, will the Doctor really abandon humankind or will he fight to save the world and Christmas from the icy clutches of this mysterious menace.”

Gallery:

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