Warning: spoilers for Doctor Who are in play. If you’re not caught up, this is your warning that we’re about to get wibbly wobbly with some knowledge of the future past.
The world of Doctor Who is always changing, which is a concept built into the main character itself. With Jodie Whittaker’s run officially completed now, and the 60th anniversary specials set to spotlight a familiar face, huge celebrations are certainly in order. And now we know part of the festivities includes a brand new exclusive streaming home for the beloved sci-fi series, as Doctor Who will be streaming exclusively on Disney+ here in the U.S. starting in 2023.
That doesn’t apply for fans in the UK and Ireland though, as the BBC will still maintain its streaming rights in the series’ homeland. But per the announcement from Disney+, all territories outside of those specified areas will be seeing Doctor Who’s next chapters unfold through the show's new digital home.
Commenting on this news, former and returning showrunner Russell T. Davies said the following:
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.
Those of you wondering how David Tennant’s newly regenerated Fourteenth Doctor will help usher in the era of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor are in luck, as we also have new details regarding that scenario. While we knew Gatwa’s big entrance would take a while, there’s more of a timeline as to when we’ll actually see him in action.
As you see in the wording, Tennant’s return is as an officially and newly numbered Doctor; unlike John Hurt’s War Doctor, who provided a stopgap between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors. That fits with the knowledge that the Good Omens star will only be utilized for a very limited time, thanks to the officially worded game plan for the future of Doctor Who. Here's how it was stated:
David Tennant will play the Fourteenth Doctor for three specials, before Ncuti Gatwa takes over the role as the Fifteenth Doctor over the festive season.
Based on the wording above, it sounds like all three David Tennant specials will air between November and December 2023, as a gigantic 60th anniversary adventure involving Neil Patrick Harris’ mysterious villain. The end result in this scenario would presumably bleed into the holiday season, in which Ncuti Gatwa would appear post-regeneration to tease everyone for the adventures coming in 2024, all of which will stream in the same place you can watch all the Marvel movies in order.
Disney+ and the BBC are certainly amped to be announcing this, and even released a brand new Doctor Who logo for the coming era, which you can see below:
Presumably, Doctor Who’s current modern run from Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor will remain in its current home on HBO Max until noted otherwise. Though one would assume it’s only a matter of time until those episodes migrate over to Disney+ as well, making the library as whole as can be again. In any case, the future is already moving forward for The Doctor, and the 60th anniversary is already shaping up to be something quite spectacular.
For now, you can catch up with Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who run on HBO Max. However, don’t forget that you’ll need a Disney+ subscription to pick up where “The Power of The Doctor” leaves off, when the show returns in late 2023. Head to our 2022 TV schedule to see what'll be popping up before then!
