Doctor Who Prioritizes UK Fans with Early Streaming Release

Fans won’t find this surprising, but it’s officially confirmed that Doctor Who will reappear on television screens starting from 12th April.

However, hidden amidst the broader news is a development that UK enthusiasts will find encouraging (though it may not be as exciting for fans overseas): The upcoming episodes will become available on BBC iPlayer at 8 am, preceding their broadcast on BBC One later in the same day.

This change represents a slight yet significant deviation from the past season’s approach of releasing episodes at midnight on iPlayer, which was 19 hours ahead of their linear TV broadcast. To jog your memory, it’s worth mentioning that this caused quite a stir, and rightfully so.

Firstly, this instance marked a shift from Doctor Who being classified as event television or scheduled viewing, a category that might be hard to avoid in today’s streaming era. However, what stood out more was the perception among many British fans that American viewers were being given precedence over UK viewers, particularly following the deal with Disney.

In the U.S., episodes would be broadcast from 4pm to 7pm on Fridays (time zone dependent). If viewers in the UK wanted to watch it live, they’d have to stay up until 1am. This might suit younger audiences like teenagers and early twentysomethings, but for those over 25 who value their beauty sleep, it could be a bit of a struggle.

Regardless of simultaneous release on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus, the disparity in time zones generally allowed U.S. viewers to watch the episodes prior to their UK counterparts due to differences in time zones.

Although an 8am course release isn’t my preferred scenario (preferably, Doctor Who would air only on a dark Saturday night when it’s raining), it does seem like progress – and even more so, suggests that the UK fans’ voices have been heard and their needs are being considered.

There’s a reason why this matters, as the UK is where Doctor Who originated and it holds a significant place in British culture. It seems only fair that UK viewers should be given priority (or at least not disadvantaged) following the Disney deal.

It had also been thought before that the UK’s midnight release was primarily Disney’s choice. At that point, Disney Plus was heavily focused on its Friday releases, and some fans questioned if the UK’s Saturday midnight release time was perhaps a consequence of Disney wanting to launch in the U.S. on Fridays.

Now, there’s a significant shift – the episodes will be broadcast in the US on Saturday mornings, specifically from 12 am to 3 am. It’s unclear if this move signifies the BBC asserting its position, but it undeniably seems more favorable for UK viewers.

Primarily and from a practical standpoint, it’s essential to note that British viewers make up the largest portion of “Doctor Who” audience and significantly contribute to its popularity. With whispers about a potential Disney deal and whether or not the series will be renewed on their platform, the show’s continuation is somewhat ambiguous.

Should the agreement fail, the program will rely heavily on support from its British audience to persist on BBC, thus it must avoid alienating them by choosing a release time that is inconvenient or unappealing.

It might be pointed out that the specific release time may not hold significant value. Indeed, when Doctor Who season 14 episodes became available at midnight, fans enjoyed the flexibility to watch them whenever they preferred – during the dead of night, the following day, or even until their airing on BBC One.

As a movie aficionado, I find myself in agreement with showrunner Russell T Davies’ forward-thinking perspective. He eloquently puts it: “The essence lies in choice. The show isn’t demanding you to adjust your routine; instead, it’s adapting itself to suit you. And it’s not just adapting; it’s evolving to mirror the structure of contemporary television shows. Yes, I believe this trend is about to sweep across all shows, very imminently. This, my friends, is the future, and it’s knocking on our doors right now.

It’s worth mentioning (with affection), fans of Doctor Who are arguably the most devoted viewers worldwide. We simply can’t carry on with our routine knowing there’s a fresh episode waiting for us. The prospect of stumbling upon spoilers is something we can’t afford, and come 7:50am, we’ll be wide awake to catch the latest episodes as soon as they appear on our screens. Consequently, the new release schedule has indeed reshaped viewing habits for many of us.

Although evening screenings might no longer be an option for certain viewers, the change from midnight releases to 8am drops is certainly a significant upgrade. How about enjoying Doctor Who with a hot cup of coffee and a croissant, or perhaps a pumpkin spice latte and a ham and cheese toastie?

2025-02-26 20:04

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