How to watch Doctor Who online

How many seasons of Doctor Who are there?

Since its 2005 revival, there have been eleven seasons of Doctor Who, with a twelfth in production. But if you include the older episodes – and the eight Doctors that came before (of course you do) – that makes a total of 37 seasons.

When does Doctor Who return to TV?

Doctor Who returned for its twelfth season in early 2020.

Who has played the Doctor?

Starting with the original 'classic' era doctors, the first actor to ever bring the Time Lord to life on screen was William Hartnell, followed, in his television incarnations, by Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and finally – in the 1996 TV movie – Paul McGann.

Christopher Eccleston kick-started the show's return as the Ninth Doctor, ahead of David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, and for the first time ever, the Doctor is now played by a woman, Jodie Whittaker.

What order should I watch Doctor Who in?

If you're a completist, you'll want to start with the original series which began in 1963, but you'll also have to accept that quite a large number of these episodes have been lost because of a BBC policy of wiping old videotapes and reusing them. If only there was a way to go back in time and recover them...

But if you're just looking for the 2005 revival and subsequent series, there are several ways to watch. The most obvious route is to go through the series chronologically from series one to series 11. But don't forget the Christmas specials!

The strict chronological route would be to watch – deep breath – series one, Christmas special The Christmas Invasion, series two, Christmas special The Runaway Bride, series three, Christmas Special Voyage of the Damned, series four, the 2008-2010 specials starting with The Next Doctor, series five, Christmas special A Christmas Carol, series six, Christmas special The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, series seven-part one, Christmas special The Snowmen, series seven part two, the 2013 specials The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor, series eight, Christmas special Last Christmas, series nine, Christmas specials The Husbands of River Song and The Return of Doctor Mystery, series ten, series eleven, and special Resolution, which aired on New Year's Day, 2019.

However, there's also something to be said for picking your favourite alien, say the Daleks, and following their story by choosing the episodes that star them to watch first, for a Dalek's eye-piece view of the series.

Or, of course, every story featuring your favourite Doctor.

Or you could just jump around the time line on a whim. Now who does that remind us of...?

Where is Doctor Who filmed?

Having a spaceship that can travel infinitely in time and space means Doctor Who has been filmed in countless locations all over the world. For example, season eleven shooting locations included Sheffield in England, Alabama in the US and Granada in Spain.

But, disappointing as it is, intergalactic space travel is a little beyond the BBC's budget so many scenes are filmed with green screens instead, with the current studios based in Cardiff in Wales.

For more suggestions on what to watch now check out our TV Guide, our best series on Netfix guide, best movies on Netflix or the best shows on Amazon Prime.