Doctor Who will land on Disney+

‘Doctor Who’ is coming to Disney+.

The sci-fi drama series will return to screens in November 2023 with David Tennant back as the Doctor and the new episodes will be available to watch worldwide on the streaming service whilst also being broadcast on its original home BBC One in the UK and Ireland in a new collaboration between BBC and Disney Branded Television.

In a statement sent to MarkMeets.com it was confirmed that, returning showrunner Russell T Davies – who was responsible for bringing ‘Doctor Who’ back to screens in 2005 – said: “I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.”

The series has previously only been available in the US on HBO Max and BBC America but the BBC’s Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore explained that the upcoming specials and new series – which will see Ncuti Gatwa become the Fifteenth Doctor after Tennant’s tenure as the Time Lord – will ensure that global audiences will now be able to enjoy the show in the “way that they deserve”.

She said: “We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world. Russell T Davies’ vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor’s epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve.

“Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it’s an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world.”

The streaming giant is thought to have more than 220 million subscribers around the world and Disney+ president Alisa Bowen, explained that the company is “so excited” to bring the “beloved franchise” to their platform and thereby offer it to more than 150 markets around the world.

She said: “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. The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalogue of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.”

On Sunday (23.10.22), viewers saw Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Thirteenth Doctor come to an end in the BBC centenary special episode ‘The Power of the Doctor’ only to be left stunned when the Time Lord regenerated into Tennant – who originally played the Tenth Doctor under Russell’s stewardship of the sci-fi show between 2005 and 2010.

The Disney+ news comes during a period of transition for the science fiction series, which revolves around an alien time traveler named The Doctor who can reincarnate into different forms. The 13th (and first female) Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, exited the series in this Sunday’s special “The Power of the Doctor.” The 14th Doctor, in an unusual move, will be played by David Tennant, who previously played the 10th incarnation from 2006 to 2010, in the three 60th anniversary specials. Gatwa will be introduced as the 15th Doctor during the specials. Moreover, the specials will be written by Russell T Davies, who revived the show in 2005 and ran it for 5 years. Davies is set to takeover as the showrunner going forward, replacing Chris Chibnall, who ran Whittaker’s time on the series.

“I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK,” Davies said in a statement.

The news was announced by Ncuti Gatwa, who is set to become the 15th Doctor, in an interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on Tuesday.