Doctor Who is set to be bigger than ever. The upcoming 60th anniversary special, split across three installments, marks the beginning of a new era for the long-running sci-fi show. So, with all these changes on the horizon, where can you stream Doctor Who‘s new and old episodes?
As ever, for U.K. viewers, Doctor Who will continue to be available exclusively on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Since its premiere in November 1963, Doctor Who has been the BBC’s flagship science-fiction series, producing over 870 episodes since the series’ first four-episode arc, An Unearthly Child, was broadcast in black and white. The 60th-anniversary episodes will air in the U.K. on November 25, December 2, and December 9, starring a returning David Tennant as the 14th Doctor, who will be joined by his former companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Russell T. Davies has also returned as showrunner.
For those of you in North America and across the world, however, accessing Doctor Who‘s latest episodes is about to become a lot easier. The BBC has entered into a major partnership with none other than Disney+. As such, all new episodes of Doctor Who, including the anniversary specials, will be available to stream worldwide on Disney+ on the same day as they drop in the U.K. For more than 50 years, ABC was the sole distributor of Doctor Who in the United States.
Not only does this make Doctor Who much more widely accessible, but it has also given the series a chance to bolster its budget. Viewers should expect everything to be bolder and more spectacular. Don’t worry, though—given the BBC is still in charge of the show, it will likely retain that same quintessential charm that has made the series so beloved over the past six decades.
The BBC’s and Disney’s partnership will continue as Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa officially takes over as the 15th Doctor in the upcoming Christmas special, ushering in a new era of Doctor Who in 2023 and beyond. Interestingly enough, Davies has confirmed that Gatwa’s first season on the show will be called “season 1,” proving that this really is the beginning of something new. It’s been widely speculated that the franchise is about to expand with additional spinoffs, though nothing has been confirmed. Gatwa’s second season, or “season 2,” is now filming.
However, if you want to catch up on all the previous seasons of Doctor Who‘s modern era, you’ll have to look a bit harder. Depending on your region, the last 13 seasons may be available on BBC iPlayer, Netflix, BritBox, or (HBO) Max.
But if you’re specifically interested in watching Classic Doctor Who, that original run of the show before it was revitalized in 2005, where can you access those episodes? In the U.K., almost all Classic Who episodes have been added to BBC iPlayer—a recent development in honor of the show’s 60th anniversary. In the U.S., Classic Doctor Who is now available for free (with ads) via Tubi. As such, there’s plenty of Whoniverse madness to catch up on before the upcoming spectacular specials.
(featured image: BBC)
