Doctor Who is undergoing one its biggest regenerations in its entire 60-year lifespan in 2023. First, David Tennant is returning to celebrate the sci-fi institution’s big anniversary for a trio of specials, in which he plays a wholly new incarnation of the Doctor (the fourteenth). Then, beginning in Christmas 2023 and remaining aboard for at least two seasons, Ncuti Gatwa will take over the TARDIS full-time to step in as the Fifteenth Doctor.
And yet the two new Time Lords on the horizon are not the only reasons to be excited for the next few years of Doctor Who. In a landmark and groundbreaking partnership, the BBC and Disney have teamed up to spearhead the next era of the Whoniverse, which includes an influx of funding from the Mouse House and will see new episodes stream exclusively on Disney Plus internationally.
So, when can we look forward to seeing the Doctor traversing time and space on Disney Plus? Here’s what you need to know…
When can we expect the TARDIS to travel to Disney Plus?
This game-changing union between the British broadcaster and the Empire that Mickey Built means that all future episodes of Doctor Who, at least including Tennant’s specials and Gatwa’s era, will stream concurrently on Disney Plus in territories outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland. New episodes will continue to air on the BBC in the show’s native homeland.
Doctor Who will start streaming on Disney Plus on Nov. 25, 2023, when the first of Tennant’s trilogy of specials releases. In the U.S., the special — titled “The Star Beast” — premieres at 10.30 a.m. PT/1.30 p.m. ET, dropping concurrently with the episode’s BBC One airtime at 6:30 p.m. in the U.K.
The next two specials in the sequence will then premiere weekly over the following two Saturdays — so Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. As Doctor Who‘s birthday falls on Nov. 23, this means the show making its Disney debut is the perfect way to celebrate a brand-new era for the ever-expanding Whoniverse.
Will all of Doctor Who be able to stream on Disney Plus?
Unfortunately, as of November 2023, past seasons of the modern era of Doctor Who have yet to hike over to Disney’s platform in addition to these unfolding fresh episodes. If Disney Plus does eventually land the rights to host all 13 seasons of the show since the 2005 revival, which span Christopher Eccleston to Jodie Whittaker’s times in the lead, that would certainly make things a lot easier for fans.
As it is, there are other places you can catch up on Doctor Who if you get into the new era. All of the 21st century Who can be streamed on Max in the United States, or BBC iPlayer for those in the U.K. Meanwhile, all 26 years of classic Who can likewise be viewed on BritBox — which is available in the U.K. and in the U.S., Canada, and Australia through an Amazon Prime subscription.
