Times are changing, and with that is the release of Doctor Who on The BBC. The show will still air on BBC 1 in the UK, but it’s not going to be the first place you can watch it anymore.
Doctor Who has changed home internationally. Outside of the UK, fans can now watch it on Disney+, and with that comes a change to the release schedule.
It used to be that fans in the UK would get to watch the episodes first on BBC 1. Those episodes would head to iPlayer next, and internationally, the episodes would air on their respective channels and streamers after that. In the U.S., the episodes would air at 8 p.m. ET/PT after the evening showing in the UK.
Doctor Who will release globally at the same time
The move to Disney+ is changing that. The episodes will now air globally at the same time. That means there is a release at midnight UK time on iPlayer, the BBC streaming platform. Internationally, the show will drop on Disney+ at the time that corresponds with that in your time zone.
So, in North America, episodes will drop at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on Disney+.
Two episodes will drop at first. After that, we’ll get a weekly release.
Doctor Who Season 14 will still air on BBC 1
Viewers in the UK are certainly disappointed. The release globally means that it won’t become that “must-watch” show on Saturday evenings. It’s encouraging people to watch earlier in the day through the streaming platform.
However, the series will still air on BBC 1. It’s just not going to be the first chance you get to watch it.
You will need to check your local guide for the air time on BBC 1 in the UK. This could change each week, as it has done in the past.
Radio Times reports that the first episode of Doctor Who Season 14, titled “Space Babies,” will air at 6:20 p.m. on BBC 1. It will be followed by the second episode, titled “The Devil’s Chord,” at 7:05 p.m. This is before the Eurovision Song Contest, which will also air on BBC 1 that night.
Doctor Who airs on Fridays on Disney+ in North America and at midnight on Saturdays on iPlayer in the UK.