Lots of changes are happening in Doctor Who Season 11 and Jodie Whittaker's casting as the first female Doctor is rapidly becoming a footnote. The series has a new showrunner, new logo, new visual effects team, new villains, and will now be premiering on a new night. Doctor Who is moving to Sunday nights on BBC America and it has been announced American fans will get to experience the Doctor's Season 11 debut alongside viewers in the U.K.
BBC America will simulcast The BBC premiere of Doctor Who Season 11 on Sunday, October 7, with a specific timeslot for the episode set to be announced at a later date. What is known is that the premiere episode will not air during primetime in America, as the press release has already stated the episode will have an encore airing at the regular time the show will broadcast on BBC America. BBC included the title of the episode, "The Woman Who Fell To Earth," in its announcement, as well as a note that promised the premiere is meant to welcome both hardcore fans and newcomers to the franchise.
The desire for new fans might be why Doctor Who, which has aired on Saturdays in recent years, is now switching to Sundays. While the official time slot for the episodes has not been released, a Sunday airing will almost certainly increase the chance of viewers tuning into the series live compared to Saturday nights when viewers may be out and about doing other activities. Conversely, a switch to Sunday night primetime might be problematic for the network, as geeky television viewers might already have plans to watch programs elsewhere. In fact, the premiere date for the episode falls on the same day as the premiere for The Walking Dead, which could potentially be a primetime competitor for the show.
The Walking Dead could be the biggest competitor Doctor Who may have to worry about in Sunday night's primetime lineup, but it's not the only one. The CW will surely pull the attention of a few Doctor Who fans as well, as it'll kick off its Sunday night primetime lineup of Supergirl and the Charmed reboot just a week after the Season 11 premiere. It will certainly be interesting to see how the long-running sci-fi series fares against legitimate competition on American television, and whether BBC America will keep the show on Sunday night primetime or switch it back to Saturdays in later seasons.
Doctor Who Season 11 will simultaneously premiere on The BBC and BBC America Sunday, October 7 at a to be determined time. For more on upcoming fall television and when to expect your favorite show, be sure to visit and bookmark our fall premiere guide.
