Doctor Who's schedule change is inevitable – but still heartbreaking
The major change will diminish the event nature and experience of watching the series.
With the decision being made to debut new Doctor Who episodes at midnight on BBC iPlayer, many Whovians have expressed their disappointment. They argue that the choice was made for US-based audiences, and it undeniably was.
When the first two episodes are released on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday 11th May, they will also be available on Disney Plus at 7pm ET on Friday 10th May, before BBC One airs them again later in the day on Saturday.
This means that while viewers on the US East Coast can enjoy the premiere episode in the late evening, UK fans will have to stay up into the late hours of the night to watch, diminishing the event nature and experience of watching the series.
For many fans, watching Doctor Who live on Saturday nights has been a tradition. My father used to share stories of watching Doctor Who as a boy crouched behind the couch. It has always been a special event to look forward to each week.
It’s not just about watching the show itself, but also about being part of a shared experience. Releasing the episodes at midnight on streaming takes away from this communal aspect.
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The threat to Doctor Who's loyal communities is the most concerning issue, as these dedicated fans have fully embraced the show's intricate history, nuanced politics and profound themes. They find joy in analysing its storylines and actively engaging with the narrative as it happens.
Doctor Who has a community that has played a key role in building the show up and has crafted its own spaces with care. However, if we all watch at different times, this sense of collective experience may be lost online and in-person.
The show has become a part of many fans' lives, providing a source of immediate connection and camaraderie through creating memes, reactions, trends, a unique shorthand and handmade costumes.
What if a push to make it bigger, grander or more polished ruins its charm? Ultimately, what makes Doctor Who special is that it feels like ours; we all have a hand in it, it feels personal.
I was initially a little unmoved when I heard about the plans, because there is a bitter inevitability to it all, but I get it - it should anger us that that mystical, magical, uniquely British thing has been changed.
But Disney doesn’t change to fit you; you change to fit it. That is the hard truth. The Doctor Who of my father’s generation, my generation, is gone. Doctor Who is now more cool, glamorous, poised and polished.
The DNA of Doctor Who is being remade. Doctor Who has always thrived because of its fans sparking watch parties and community - this will mean there may be less opportunity for people to gather together to have watch parties and discussions.
This shift may also result in fans having to dodge spoilers more often, potentially taking away some of the excitement and enjoyment of watching the show as it airs.
As a fan of Succession, I would set my alarm, eyes bleary, so that I didn’t miss seeing an important scene in real-time, and I was endlessly thankful that I saw that one episode before obituaries flooded not just my timeline but my everyday conversations.
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This shift in watch time and distribution strategy could significantly shape the future of Doctor Who, and it has felt bitterly inevitable for some time.
The show’s ability to adapt to changing viewing habits and technology may be crucial in maintaining its relevance and popularity. We must acknowledge our new reality: it’s getting more investment, and we are in an ever-evolving television landscape in which streaming-first is becoming a staple.
Ultimately, though, we’re mourning an era of Doctor Who that was magically, whimsically ours, that hand-me-down and handmade feeling of it all, we should be gutted — and feel a sense of loss for the generations that come after us.
Doctor Who will return on 11th May. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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