Doctor Who is heading to Disney Plus internationally

Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who
(Image credit: BBC)

Doctor Who has an ambitious new streaming home. New episodes of the BBC series are heading to Disney Plus, the show's new global streaming destination outside of the UK – the series is still BBC iPlayer in the UK and Ireland.

The move marks the beginning of a new collaboration between BBC and Disney Branded Television. It was first announced by Ncuti Gatwa, the next Doctor Who, during his appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan. The new season, starring Gatwa, will start with a three-part 60th anniversary special in late 2023, which will be available on Disney Plus.

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney Plus 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," said incoming (and returning) showrunner Russell T Davies, who was responsible for the show's 2005 revival.

Following the events of The Power of the Doctor, David Tennant, who played the Tenth Doctor in 2005, has entered the fray as the Fourteenth Doctor, taking over for Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor, before Gatwa becomes the Fifteenth Doctor.

"If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way," Davies said. "The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger, and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!”

For more, check out our list of the best new shows coming your way in 2022 and beyond.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.