A new study has suggested a connection between "Doctor Who" Christmas specials and lower death rates in the subsequent year in the U.K.

The study, conducted by the University of Birmingham and published in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), analyzed data from 1963 to 2022, covering the festive periods when the episodes were broadcast.

The findings indicated that in years when a new "Doctor Who" episode aired on Christmas Day, there were approximately six fewer deaths than expected for every 10,000 people in England and Wales and four fewer deaths per 10,000 people across the U.K. over the next 12 months.

During the period from 2005 to 2019 -- when David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker played the Doctor -- there were seven fewer deaths than expected per 10,000 people in England and Wales and six fewer deaths per 10,000 people across the U.K.

The study's analysis considered only televised episodes from 1963 and excluded spinoff series, books, comics and audio stories.

During the study period, 31 festive periods featured a new "Doctor Who" episode, with 14 episodes airing on Christmas Day. Thirteen of the 14 episodes were consecutive from 2005 to 2017.

Professor Richard Riley from the University of Birmingham emphasized that the study did not establish causality and acknowledged that the results might be a chance finding or related to the clustering of episodes airing.

However, he suggested that watching a doctor caring for people could encourage individuals to seek help for their medical concerns.

The researcher said the paper highlighted the broader importance of healthcare professionals during the Christmas season.

Riley commented on the dual focus of the study, stating, "This paper has two hearts. The first is about medical doctors, who work tirelessly to save lives and make others better, including over Christmas. The second is about the BBC TV series 'Doctor Who,' which millions enjoy worldwide."

The potential health benefit of watching "Doctor Who" led the researcher to suggest that broadcasters like BBC and Disney+ could contribute to reducing mortality rates worldwide by airing new episodes during the festive period.

This year's "Doctor Who" Christmas special, "The Church on Ruby Road," stars Ncuti Gatwa as the latest incarnation of the Time Lord and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday.

They showed off their musical talents alongside Christina Rotondo, who voiced Janis Goblin, for a memorable musical number, "The Goblin Song."

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