Doctor Who, the iconic British science fiction series, will migrate to Disney+ as part of an agreement between the BBC and Disney Branded Television, with the goal of making it a “global franchise.” The series, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023, will see Disney+ become the exclusive home for new seasons outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The BBC and Disney Branded Television announced the move with the intention of taking the already well-established franchise to new heights. New episodes of the BBC and Disney+ series, starring Ncuti Gatwa in the main character, will premiere in late 2023. The show, which debuted in 1963, had just broadcast on BBC America in the United States. (Previous seasons are also available on HBO Max.) Russell T. Davies, who oversaw the series’ rebirth in 2005, is in charge of the new phase. The show will be created in Wales by Bad Wolf in collaboration with BBC Studios.
This year, Disney+, which started in November 2019, has extended to 42 new countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, extending its total footprint to more than 150 territories. As of the end of Disney’s most recent fiscal quarter on July 2, the service has 152.1 million global customers. The show has become a staple on broadcasters such as the ABC in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand throughout the years. It has also been broadcast on several public and commercial networks, as well as BBC-branded services around the world.
Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, characterised Disney as “the ideal partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the globe.” Collaboration with the company “will take the performance to new heights and attract new people.” Disney+ President Alisa Bowen hailed the show a “great addition” to the streaming service’s growing selection of global programmes. “We’re thrilled to be bringing new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introducing the programme to a new generation of viewers,” she said. The announcement came just two days after a 90-minute special episode commemorating the BBC’s centenary, in which Jodie Whittaker left the role of the 13th Doctor to be replaced by Tennant, who will be replaced after three episodes by the character’s 15th incarnation, Ncuti Gatwa.