Disney Acquires Rights to British Show ‘Doctor Who’ in New Deal

If you enjoy sci-fi stories, British pop culture, and Disney+, you’ll be happy to start streaming in 2023!

Disney and the British Broadcasting Company have announced plans for a deal which will allow Doctor Who, a popular science fiction show, to be released exclusively on Disney+ outside of the UK. Does this mean we’ll see Disney take a larger role in its production soon?

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Doctor Who began airing in the UK in 1963. The show chronicled the adventures of a time-traveling space alien known as “The Doctor” (to which many would ask, “Doctor who?” and create the running gag that gives the show its title), and his companion(s) on a time-ship known as the Tardis.

In addition to their heart and heroism, the Doctor’s secret power was the ability to generate into a new person, and indeed, new life cycle just before they died, allowing them to survive many a mortal blow. This also increased the show’s longevity, as new iterations took the helm, similarly to another British franchise, James Bond.

Actors David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa will take the stage as the 14th and 15th Doctors when the show returns for another season, and begins airing on the streaming platform in the US and worldwide. Tennant himself has worked with Disney, voicing Scrooge McDuck in Disney Channel’s Ducktales (2017).

The news was announced via the BBC Doctor Who Twitter account. More details below:

A new logo for a new era! Doctor Who returns in 2023 on the @BBC in the UK and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world ?✨

Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/X7Z4Lfzr6J pic.twitter.com/FlGCp6GA5a

— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) October 25, 2022

So, Disney will not own the show; they’re merely providing a platform for its release worldwide, the same way Disney XD and the BBC America channel once did. But in response to the show’s new “retro” style logo, and its home on Disney+, many fans expressed trepidation or outright poked fun at the merger.

I quite like the new old #DoctorWho logo, to be honest. It's timeless. pic.twitter.com/zumkZ2ioqT

— Paul Burley (@paulsgubbins) October 25, 2022

CONFIRMED: Ncuti Gatwa's #DoctorWho costume WILL include Mickey Mouse ears https://t.co/RVMW1s3NAj

— Huw Fullerton (@HuwieMcChewie) October 25, 2022

While many worry this will lead to the show becoming too “Disney-fied” like the Star Wars or Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises, the biggest change may be a positive one. Showrunner Russel T Davies had previously expressed interest in a “Doctor Who channel” to run the series and its existing spinoffs, plus provide the opportunity for many more to be funded– thus expanding the storytelling even further. A platform like Disney+, already highly familiar with this process with shows like Loki and Andor, could make this dream a reality.

In fact, Disney even nearly acquired the licensing rights to bring the Doctor into their theme parks. Perhaps something like the new Galaxy’s Edge could someday be in the Doctor’s future.

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Whovians and Disney fans alike will be able to stream Doctor Who Season 14 on Disney+ in 2023.