‘Doctor Who’ Brings Christmas Joy, NBA Gets Animated, Football on Netflix, ‘Call the Midwife’

The gift that keeps on giving, the eternal sci-fi romp delivers yet another exhilarating Christmas Day special in “Joy to the World,” written by Steven Moffat and starring the charismatic Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. This iteration of the Time Lord is one of the most charming to date, with Gatwa beaming in wonder even when it appears the universe is once again hurtling toward doom. “Joy” stars Bridgerton breakout Nicola Coughlan as Joy, whose solitary Christmas in a nondescript hotel room is interrupted by the Doctor, revealing that she’s actually staying in the fantastical Time Hotel, where every room is a portal into another era. While addressing one of the biggest mysteries in the known universe — “Why is there always an extra door in your hotel room, and why is it always locked?” — the Doctor and Joy embark on a rollicking and mind-blowing adventure to stop the mystifying prophecy, “The star seed will bloom and the flesh will rise.” It’s all terrifically clever and entertaining, with memorable time-warped observations including, “The only meaningful way to follow someone is to get there first.”

Dunk the Halls (noon ET, Disney+, ESPN2 and ESPN+): Not long ago, football fans saw NFL players enter the animated Simpsons world, and now it’s the NBA’s turn, with the first real-time animated alt-broadcast of a pro basketball game. For the first in a five-game NBA marathon, Disney characters interact with animated avatars of the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, with Daisy Duck as a sideline reporter. The game’s regular broadcast can be seen on ABC and ESPN, which will simulcast four more games into the night: at 2:30 pm/ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the Dallas Mavericks; at 5 pm/ET, defending NBA champs the Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers; at 8 pm/ET, it’s the L.A. Lakers at the Golden State Warriors; and at 10:30 pm/ET, the Phoenix Suns meet the Denver Nuggets on the court.

The streaming giant joins the ranks of NFL partners with a double-header promising all kinds of star power — including Beyoncé performing at halftime during the Baltimore Ravens showdown against the Houston Texans at 4:30 pm/ET. Earlier, Super Bowl champs Kansas City Chiefs take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 pm/ET, with Christmas diva Mariah Carey opening the show with music.

Fans of the long-running period drama look forward each holiday season to the annual Christmas special, and this year’s takes us back to 1969, where the midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House are celebrating with a funfair and holiday carol concert. But the festivities in London’s East End are clouded by a flu outbreak and news of an escaped inmate. On the plus side, fan-favorite midwife Trixie (Helen George) pays a quick visit.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• Flintstones Christmas Carol (10 am/9c, MeTV Toons): A 1994 animated special casts Fred Flintstone as Ebenezer Scrooge, and it’s hard to tell the two apart. Followed by a classic 1964 episode, “Christmas Flintstone,” at 11:30/10:30c, and a selection of classic shorts in A Very Bugs Bunny Christmas at noon/11c.
• Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade (10 am/9c, 5 am/PT, ABC; streaming at 11 am/ET, Disney+): Mickey, Minnie and the gang join hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro (Dancing With the Stars) for a musical celebration filmed at Disney’s many resorts, with performances from Elton John, John Legend, Pentatonix, Andy Grammer, Carly Pearce and more.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8/7c, NBC): Choose your favorite version of the Dr. Seuss fable: Chuck Jones’ 1966 animated classic, or (at 8:30/7:30c), the 2000 live-action version starring Jim Carrey as the green Grinch. I’ll stick with the original.
• Beyond Paradise Christmas Special (streaming on BritBox): The cozy mystery series returns for a yuletide puzzler, with Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) thinking he’s seen a ghost while investigating a local man’s claim that he’s being haunted by his dead wife.
• Blended Christmas (streaming on BET+): One last holiday movie, with Jennifer Freeman starring as newlywed bride April, who leans on a holiday angel for guidance when she’s forced to give up her tropical Christmas honeymoon to take care of her hubby’s ex-wife and kids after a freak accident.