It has been delighting viewers for 60 years: the best science fiction series is now back on streaming.
Few television series can boast more than fifty years of longevity and continue to unite. But one of the best science fiction series still manages, in 2023, to create an event with each of its appearances, despite its 60 years of existence. Especially since at the end of the year, it is finally arriving on a streaming platform.
Historically, it is the longest science fiction series of all time, with almost 900 episodes under the clock. On average, she was able to attract between 4 and 11 million viewers, just in the United Kingdom where she comes from. This is obviously Doctor Who. The program has been a meeting place for many viewers around the world since the broadcast of its first episode on November 23, 1963. Remember that this series was broadcast in three phases: a first series of 26 seasons, between 1963 and 1989, before a return of the program from 2005 to 2022 and a reset in 2023.
Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord who has the ability to travel through space and time alongside human companions aboard his spaceship, the TARDIS, which resembles a British police telephone box. And the key to the longevity of the series lies in its concept, since the character regenerates and changes appearance when mortally wounded, allowing the renewal of the program and its casting.
Several British actors have played the Doctor since 1963. More recently, the role has made it possible to reveal to the general public actors who have become essential today, such as David Tennant (Good Omens, Broadchurch), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, The Crown) Peter Capaldi (The Devil’s Hour) or Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch).
In France, the distribution of Doctor Who was done on several channels, but it had been several years since it was possible to watch the series in streaming. Since November 25, 2023, to mark the 60th anniversary of this cult fiction, Disney+ has been responsible for broadcasting special episodes which will run until December 9.
David Tennant exceptionally reprises the role of the Doctor (in his 14th version), alongside Catherine Tate who played Donna Noble in season 4 of the reboot. From 2024, however, a new Doctor will take control: it is Ncuti Gatwa, revealed in Sex Education and who will be the protagonist of the series in season 15. This will also be available on Disney+.
However, it is more complicated to find old episodes of Doctor Who In France. Disney has not made them accessible on its streaming platform, and there is no certainty that it will ever be done. The 13 seasons of the reboot (2005 to 2021) are however available for rental (9.99 euros per season) or purchase (12.99 euros per season) on Canal+.