Doctor Who returns on Disney+ 60 years after BBC launch

LONDON – Six years before man first set foot on the moon in real life, the time- and space-travelling Doctor Who materialised on the BBC.

The British sci-fi series, which follows the Doctor’s intergalactic adventures opposite such foes as the tyrannical Daleks and Cybermen, premiered in November 1963. Last week, it celebrated its 60th anniversary.

The show has had more than cultural impact. A newly released economic report from the BBC estimates that the last 13 series contributed more than £256 million (S$432 million) to the British economy through channels like job creation, and set and costume design.

Generations watched the original series, which ran from 1963 to 1989, on family television sets from their sofas, and sometimes crouched behind them.

Now, Doctor Who finds itself in a much more modern universe dominated by streaming giants.

On Nov 25, the show had a global relaunch, marked by the first of three special episodes appearing exclusively on Disney+ outside of Britain.

The deal between the BBC and Walt Disney, first reported by Bloomberg, broadens the brand’s international reach; all new episodes will run on Disney+.

British viewers will still access the show through the BBC, where the back catalogue (over 800 episodes) is available to stream under the new brand, the Whoniverse.

The forthcoming 2024 series – which will arrive in the new year – will officially be known as Season One both at home and abroad.

“It opens (Doctor Who’s) accessibility, to have that moment where it’s new to some, and beloved and well known to others,” says the show’s executive producer Joel Collins.

“There’s no barrier to entry,” he adds. “You can either come afresh or you can enjoy everything that’s been.”

He insists that the show’s distinctive British character will be maintained with the Disney partnership.

“It’s the opportunity to share that work on a much bigger platform for people to enjoy.”

The show, he adds, now has the opportunity to engage a new audience “that are used to all the new streamers, and (the) money they can spend”.

Analysts agree that this is a good opportunity for the British broadcaster.

“The future of the BBC at this point as an international player may be to strike deals with (streaming companies),” says Mr Francois Godard, senior media and telecoms analyst at Enders Analysis, a media research firm.

Platforms are, he continues, looking for “outside content, third-party content, because they are cutting costs.”

Mr Godard also noted the advantages for companies that have produced popular shows to partner with streaming media companies: “Disney has a capacity to leverage, to monetise brands that the BBC doesn’t have.”

But he added a caveat: “The only worry for me about the BBC is that they find themselves dependent on Disney. Dependent on Disney for the budget of new episodes and the international brand of Doctor Who.”

The show has generated a constellation of collectibles, with 13 million action figures sold since 2005, along with more than 1 million tickets for live events, from concerts to exhibitions.

Its online reach has also been steadily growing, with 100 million views on YouTube in the last year alone.

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Doctor Who has had its snags. It was pulled off the air in 1989 due to a slump in viewership and behind-the-scenes tensions at the BBC.

Before its return in 2005, a dedicated fan base kept the brand alive during its 16-year hiatus.

“I’ve been to almost every single state with a convention,” says Ms Alexandra Looseley-Saul, pointing to a map of the United States.

She founded The Who Shop 39 years ago in London, meeting her future husband on the day it opened. The store is a goldmine of Doctor Who merchandise and home to a museum of original props.

“It’s really the fans you have to thank – they kept it alive all that time,” she said.

And now, on its 60th birthday, the show is looking both backward and forward.

Scottish actor David Tennant, perhaps the most famous of the title characters, is returning to pilot the Tardis, the Doctor’s time machine, for the three special episodes.

Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa, 31, will then take over as the series’ 15th Doctor, the latest in a line of actors to play the Time Lord.

Then actor Ncuti Gatwa takes over as the series’ 15th doctor, the latest in a line of actors to play the Timelord.  PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The decision to cast Gatwa, best known as Eric in Netflix’s Sex Education (2019 to 2023), signals the BBC’s desire to expand the show’s reach among a new generation.

The actor has a personal Instagram following of 2.8 million, dwarfing the show’s official account at 839,000.

Once again, the time-travelling Doctor Who shows that it can move with the times. BLOOMBERG