Disney+ is about to get a little more wibbly-wobbly, and a lot more timey-wimey. Disney and the BBC have announced that Disney+ will be the exclusive international streaming home of “Doctor Who” outside of the U.K. and Ireland.
The move has been in the works for months, but was finally confirmed on Tuesday by Ncuti Gatwa, who will portray the next iteration of the immortal Time Lord. New episodes will begin appearing on Disney+ in late 2023, when the show returns with its 60th-anniversary specials. Production company Bad Wolf will take over the series and will return executives Julie Gardner, Russell T Davies, and Jane Tranter who helped bring the show back to the air in 2005.
“We’re excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world,” Disney+ President Alisa Bowen said. “The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.”
It’s almost time for #DoctorWho’s next regeneration! Coming in 2023 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/5jeZrvRhg8
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) October 25, 2022
There was no word in the announcement on when older seasons of “Doctor Who” might begin to appear on the platform. HBO Max is the current home of seasons 1-13 of the 2005 iteration of the show, while classic episodes from the show’s original run are available on Britbox.
“For Doctor Who to have the backing of two of the most innovative and respected media organizations in the world is a testament to the unique drive and vision at the heart of this show,” Tranter and Gardner said. “Bad Wolf are beyond delighted to be once again working with the genius that is Russell T Davies and, with the exciting new partnership between the BBC and Disney, we can together reach to even greater heights, producing from Wolf Studios Wales ambitious stories through time and space for audiences across the globe.”
Fans were shocked and delighted when the most recent “Doctor Who” special ended with the titular Time Lord regenerating as David Tennant. Tennant is one of the most beloved actors to ever portray the Doctor, and will play the Fourteenth Doctor for three specials airing in November 2023, before Gatwa takes over the role as the Fifteenth Doctor next year.
The addition of “Doctor Who” by Disney brings yet another beloved franchise into the House of Mouse. With Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the MCU already under the Disney umbrella, the company is building a very impressive collection of big-name properties that appeal to a wide cross-section of fans.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”