60 years of Doctor Who – including classic series – coming to BBC iPlayer
Episodes from the original 1963-89 run will be available on iPlayer for the first time.
The BBC has announced that over 800 episodes of Doctor Who – from across the classic and modern era – will soon be available to stream on iPlayer.
Though episodes from the show's post-2005 relaunch already sit on the platform, from 1st November fans will also be able to enjoy episodes from the original 1963-89 run.
Every episode will be available with multiple accessibility options, including subtitles, audio description and sign language.
Not only that, but various spin-off series will also return to iPlayer – including The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, Class and behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who Confidential.
Russell T Davies, Doctor Who showrunner, said: "I’d like to thank the BBC for all the hard work to get this massive back catalogue under one roof, at long last.
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"I'm so excited for new viewers - imagine being eight years old, spending winter afternoons exploring the '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond. And we’re determined this won't be a dusty museum - we have exciting plans to bring the back catalogue to life, with much more to be revealed!"
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Dan McGolpin, director of iPlayer and channels, added: "Doctor Who has captivated countless millions of viewers on the BBC for 60 years, and in celebration of this special moment we are bringing classic series to BBC iPlayer for the first time.
"Fans will be able to enjoy many of the Doctor’s earliest adventures with William Hartnell right through to the very latest series and the soon to be released and tremendously exciting new anniversary specials with David Tennant.
"We want everyone to be able to enjoy this breathtaking back catalogue, so we are making each episode on iPlayer as accessible as possible, with subtitles, audio description and sign language all available for the first time."
Over time, more content will be added to the archive, including 100,000 documents such as memos, correspondence, designs and audience research, alongside orchestral scores of sheet music.
Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three special episodes starring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble to mark 60 years of the series, with Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor following over the festive period.
Gatwa will be joined by Coronation Street star Millie Gibson as new companion Ruby Sunday, while it has also been confirmed that composer Murray Gold will be back to score the new episodes by returning showrunner Davies.
Doctor Who will premiere exclusively on the BBC in the UK and Ireland, while Disney Plus will be the exclusive home for new episodes internationally.
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Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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