Doctor Who, the longest-running science fiction series of all time, has found a new home on the streaming service Disney Plus. The series, which first began airing in 1963, is considered a British institution, and a foundational series for modern sci-fi and event television in the UK.
After its production company, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) struck a deal with the Walt Disney Company, the beloved franchise looks to gain a larger international following through the global streamer and media conglomerate. While Doctor Who has its fair share of fans in the U.S. and beyond, thanks to fandom spaces such as Tumblr, the series looks to expand its already-impressive scale with this new partnership.
The Doctor’s new home has come at the beginning of the new, fourteenth season – just in time for Ncuti Gatwa to take over the role as the fifteenth incarnation of the character. The Rwandan-Scottish actor’s first independent adventures as The Doctor will begin in the new season.
Doctor Who’s landing on Planet Disney is intended to encourage new viewers and create new fans of the franchise, so if you’re intrigued to check it out, or if you’re an established fan looking to learn about this new dynamic, here’s what you need to know about the Doctor Who-Disney partnership.
Does Disney Plus have every episode of Doctor Who?
Bad news if you want to check out the previous eras of the show – Disney Plus only offers the fourteenth season of the current series – which will be the first with new doctor Ncuti Gatwa at the helm. However, U.S. residents can watch older episodes on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, and other streaming sites that offer the ability to rent or purchase TV episodes. Americans can also stream the series on BritBox, the streaming service that offers an array of classic British TV shows from across the pond.
However, this may not be the case forever for Disney Plus – for example, this month, the streamer added The Beatles: Let It Be, first released in 1970 which was not available for streaming or home viewing outside of VHS, and had become virtually lost media for decades. The streamer may choose to add older Doctor Who episodes in the future – although no plans have been announced so far.
Can I watch Doctor Who on Disney Plus in the UK?
In short, no – Disney Plus UK does not have Doctor Who. For UK fans, the science fiction series is available through the traditional BBC route on iPlayer.
One change in the new streaming era that affects UK Doctor Who fans is that the series will be available to watch from midnight on the day of release on BBC iPlayer. This is a change from previous seasons, where the series would be available on iPlayer after airing on BBC One.
The episodes will still air on prime time on live TV on the BBC One channel, but if you’re keen to see the new episode as soon as possible, you may wish to go down the streaming route.
What time does ‘Doctor Who’ arrive on Disney Plus?
Beginning on May 10th, 2024, Doctor Who series fourteen will release on Disney Plus every Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), or 4 p.m. Pacific Time (PT). This will be available on every version of Disney Plus, free for all subscribers, with the exception of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Series 14 will consist of eight episodes, airing weekly from May 10th to June 22nd, 2024. The premiere week of May 10th will drop two episodes in one day, “Space Babies” and “The Devil’s Chord”, and it will be one episode a week thereafter.
Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat confirmed this week that he’s written the 2024 Christmas Special, titled “Joy to the World” – which has been confirmed to have wrapped filming and air at the end of this year. Doctor Who Christmas specials traditionally get a primetime slot on Christmas Day on BBC on the UK, but whether other countries will receive the episode before and after that day on Disney Plus, or if the episode will be available on BBC iPlayer slightly earlier, is yet to be confirmed.