Disney+ to become Doctor Who's international streaming platform for future seriesBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Logo 2023 (Credit: BBC)

The BBC have announced a deal with Disney Branded Television to provide Doctor Who on its streaming platform Disney+ internationally, including a new (but familiar looking!) logo for the series.

Under a shared creative vision, the two organisations will deliver the series using Disney+ as the exclusive home for new seasons outside the UK and Ireland. The announcement was made by the next Doctor Ncuti Gatwa during an appearance on American breakfast show Live with Kelly and Ryan this morning.

The new episodes will premiere on the BBC and Disney+ beginning in late 2023 for fans all over the world.

 

The show is produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production. Showrunner Russell T Davies said

I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ 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.

Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer said:

We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world.  Russell T Davies' vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor's epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve.  Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it's an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world.

Alisa Bowen, President of Disney+ said:

We're excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world. The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.

Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television said:

Doctor Who has captivated the imaginations of families around the world for the past six decades. We are so excited about this collaboration with the BBC, and the opportunity to bring this iconic franchise – and Russell T Davies' brilliant vision – to life for a huge new global audience. Grab your sonic screwdrivers and prepare to travel through time and space!" 

Rebecca Glashow, CEO, Global Distribution, BBC Studios says:

We're delighted to join forces with a partner who shares our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic shows in British TV history. This is great news for everyone who loves Doctor Who, and for all the new fans we will reach through this powerful partnership.

Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, Executive Producers and Co-founders, Bad Wolf, said:

For Doctor Who to have the backing of two of the most innovative and respected media organizations in the world is a testament to the unique drive and vision at the heart of this show.  Bad Wolf are beyond delighted to be once again working with the genius that is Russell T Davies and, with the exciting new partnership between the BBC and Disney, we can together reach to even greater heights, producing from Wolf Studios Wales ambitious stories through time and space for audiences across the globe.

 





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Broadcasting - International

Legend Of The Sea Devils - Official 7 Day RatingsBookmark and Share

Monday, 25 April 2022 - Reported by Marcus
Legend Of The Sea Devils: Ji-Hun (ARTHUR LEE) (Credit: BBC Studios/James Pardon)

Doctor Who - Legend Of The Sea Devils, had an official 7-day rating of 3.47 million viewers.

The figure includes all those who watched the episode within 1 week of transmission. The figure is a substantial increase over the initial overnight figure and was enough to make Doctor Who the highest-rated programme on BBC Television for the day.

Overall Doctor Who was the third most-watched programme on British Television for the day, with ITV's drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe taking top place.

Doctor Who was the 24th most-watched programme for the week.

The rise from the overnight figure was enough to prevent The Legend of the Sea Devils becoming the lowest-rated episode in Doctor Who history.  That accolade is still held by episode one of the 1989 story Battlefield with 3.1 million watching.  It does however mean that the Sea Devil episode is the lowest-rated story since the series returned in 2005.

Doctor Who will return for one more story in 2022, a climactic regeneration story shown to mark the BBC's 100th birthday, before a new production team, headed up by Russell T Davies, takes over for series 14. 





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Broadcasting

Legend of the Sea Devils - Easter SundayBookmark and Share

Friday, 1 April 2022 - Reported by Marcus
Legend Of The Sea Devils (Credit: BBC/Getty Images)

Doctor Who will return to screens worldwide on Sunday 17th April with The Legend of the Sea Devils. 

The story is the second in a trio of Doctor Who specials airing in 2022

UK viewers can catch the episode on BBC One or the BBC iPlayer, while in the USA the episode will screen on BBC America. 

Other worldwide broadcasts follow shortly afterward.

For details check This Week in Doctor Who

 

In a swashbuckling special adventure, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), and Dan (John Bishop) come face to fin with one the Sea Devils, first seen in the 1972 Third Doctor story. 

Why has legendary pirate queen Madam Ching come searching for a lost treasure? What terrifying forces lurk beneath the oceans of the nineteenth century? And did Yaz really have to dress Dan up as a pirate?

 

The final Doctor Who episode starring Jodie Whittaker will be screened in the Autumn as part of the celebrations making 100  years of the BBC. 

 

Legend Of The Sea Devils (Credit: BBC/Getty Images) Legend Of The Sea Devils: Yasmin Khan (MANDIP GILL), The Doctor (JODIE WHITTAKER) (Credit: BBC/Getty Images) Legend Of The Sea Devils (Credit: BBC Studios/James Pardon) Legend Of The Sea Devils: Ying Ki (MARLOWE CHAN-REEVES) (Credit: BBC Studios/James Pardon) Legend Of The Sea Devils: Madam Ching (CRYSTAL YU) (Credit: BBC Studios/James Pardon) Legend Of The Sea Devils: Ji-Hun (ARTHUR LEE) (Credit: BBC Studios/James Pardon)





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Thirteenth Doctor

Ratings LatestBookmark and Share

Monday, 6 December 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Flux Chapter 6 - The Vanquishers:  (Credit: BBC Studios (Sam Taylor))

Doctor Who The Vanquishers was watched by 3.58 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures. This is a slight drop from episode 5's 3.82 million

It was the day's fifth most-watched programme of the day.

The seven-day consolidated figure, which includes all those who watch the episode within one week. for Episode Five: Survivors of the Flux was 4.72 million. 

Doctor Who was the 9th most-watched programme on BBC Television for the week and the 25th most-watched on all British television for the week. 





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Broadcasting

Trailblazers - Delia DerbyshireBookmark and Share

Saturday, 29 May 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Trailblazers: Delia Derbyshire: Doctor Who theme (Credit: BBC Teach)

As part of this month's learning resouces from the BBC, CBBC have broadcast a series on classic music for schools over the past week: Ten Pieces have focussed on a number of works based around a theme, and Friday's episode, Back in Time, included a section on the groundbreaking work of Delia Derbyshire in creating the Doctor Who theme, presented by currrent series composer Segun Akinola.

The feature can be viewed via the Ten Pieces Orchestral Films page, and the full programme is currently available to watch on the BBC iPlayer until 27th June, with the Doctor Who theme segment starting from about six minutes.

Supporting material is available from the BBC Teach site, which includes downloadable scores for music showcased within the programmes. For Derbyshire, the Doctor Who theme tune has been published for performance by schools, arranged by Iain Farrington, and features arrangements for beginners, intermediate and grade 4/5 musicians.

 

(The site also features an item on Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, introduced by Christopher Eccleston)

 

The Arena docudrama, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes, remains available to watch on the BBC iPlayer for the next eleven months. Its director, Caroline Catz, can be heard discussing Derbyshire on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone from BBC Radio 6, and her BBC Radio 4 Great Lives programme on the composer ifrom January is still available to listen to on BBC Sounds. 

 


 

Also launched recently is a new film, Sisters with Transistors, described as "the remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today." The documentary looks at the careers of notable visionaries, including Delia Derbyshire and one of the founding figures of the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop, Daphne Oram.

The film was disussed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in April, and works from both composers can still be heard in the recentl repeat of the 2018 BBC Prom Pioneers of Sound.

Sisters with Transistors - Trailer





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Music - BBC

Revolution - Overnight Viewing FiguresBookmark and Share

Saturday, 2 January 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios)

Doctor Who - Revolution of the Daleks had an overnight viewing audience of 4.69 million viewers.

The figure made Doctor Who the most-watched programme on BBC One for New Year's Day. Doctor Who had a 21.1% share of the total TV audience.

Top overall was ITV's Evening News with 5.5 million viewers while Coronation Street came second with 5.0 million watching. Against The Doctor, Emmerdale had 4.6 million watching.

On BBC One Eastenders had 3.3 million while the comedy Mrs Brown's Boys had 3.7 million viewers. 

Final official figures should be available next week.

 





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Broadcasting

New Year Special to be offered in 4K HDRBookmark and Share

Friday, 1 January 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios/Ben Blackall)

With this year's New Year special making its debut later today, viewers in the UK will be able to watch the programme in 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) colour via iPlayer.

When Revolution of the Daleks is broadcast, viewers will be prompted to switch to the higher quality streamed version by pressing the red button.

To take advantage of the facility, households will need a compatible TV and a relatively fast internet connection. The BBC recommends a minimum of 24 megabits per second (Mbps) connection.

By contrast, regular 1080p high definition (HD) programmes require a 6.3Mbps connection and standard definition (SD) content 1.1Mbps.

Ultra-High Definition (UHD) - the other name given to 4K on TVs - delivers four times as many pixels as HD video. The benefits are that images can appear sharper and more detailed, although this is not always apparent if the screen is not large enough or viewers are sitting too far away.

HDR produces pictures that typically appear to be more vivid and colourful. It takes advantage of the fact screens can go brighter and/or darker than they used to be able to, providing a greater dynamic range.

As a result, the shadows of an image can be made less murky while the highlights - including sparks from special effects - can have more impact.

The BBC first publicly tested 4K HDR on iPlayer in 2016 when it offered four minutes from its Planet Earth II series. It has subsequently offered a limited range of full-length programmes including Dynasties; His Dark Materials; and Dracula, as well as sport including Wimbledon and Fifa World Cup 2018 matches.

Doctor Who has been broadcast in many different formats during its 57-year history.  The first episode being broadcast in the 405-line monochrome analogue format. The definition improved in 1967 when the 625 line format was used to record The Enemy of the World. Colour arrived in 1970 with Spearhead from Space.

By the time the series returned in 2005 the series was recorded digitally rather than on analogue tape.  The programme was first made available on iPlayer in 2007 with the Christmas special Voyage of the Damned. The first episode available in HD was Planet of the Dead, the 2009 Easter special.

Previous episodes have been made available in 4K on Blu--ray but Revolution of the Daleks is the first to be made available in this format on the iPlayer on the day of transmission,





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Specials

The Thirteenth Doctor on Turkish televisionBookmark and Share

Saturday, 23 May 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Doctor, as played by Jodie Whittaker (Credit: BBC)BBC Studios have announced the launch of their high definition channel BBC Prime in Turkey via Türk Telekom’s Tivibu platform from 27th May, with Doctor Who featuring prominently on the new service:

BBC First will be the exclusive home of all-new series of Doctor Who in Turkey, launching with the 11th and 12th seasons starring Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and premiering future series closer to UK TX than ever before. This will be especially appreciated by Turkish Whovians who are among world’s most loyal fans ranking #6 in the world on the Doctor Who Facebook page and #9 for YouTube views on Doctor Who official channel, with 1.7m video views in the last 12 months.

Natasha Hussain, Senior Vice President for MENA at BBC Studios, said:
As the World’s spotlight shines bright on British drama, I’m thrilled to be expanding our offering in Turkey with the truly unmissable BBC First channel. The BBC has a strong reputation for its original storytelling and high production values in this genre, and I can’t wait for audiences in Turkey to be introduced to the raft of unique stories and unforgettable characters on BBC First.
Türk Telekom TV/OTT Content and Product Director, Ziyad Varol, stated:
We are very much happy with our years of cooperation with BBC, a household name for broadcast and media worldwide. Five years ago, Tivibu was the first platform to launch BBC’s documentary channel BBC Earth in Turkey, introducing one of the most important documentary producers of the world to Turkish audiences. And now, with BBC First, we are again excited to provide Tivibu audience with the newest and most popular series content of BBC. We hope to add new firsts into our list with BBC and to provide further value to Tivibu viewers by presenting them premium contents before everyone else in Turkey.

Doctor Who kicks off on the channel with a complete run of Peter Capaldi's last series during the afternoon/evening, leading up to the premiere of The Woman Who Fell To Earth. The channel then continues to show Series 11 alongside the rest of the Doctor's high definition adventures over the following weeks (which includes the upscaled special The Next Doctor). You can catch up on the BBC First schedule via This Week in Doctor Who.

Doctor Who has been available in Turkey in standard definition for a number of years via BBC Entertainment Europe (currently broadcasting Series 10).





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Doctor Who - International Broadcasting - Jodie Whittaker - series 11/37 - Turkey

#DoctorWhoLockdown: The Doctor's WifeBookmark and Share

Saturday, 11 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
DoctorWhoLockdown: Bigger on the Inside (Credit: DoctorWhoLockdown/Emily Cook)The next shared Doctor Who viewing organised by Doctor Who Magazine's Emily Cook takes place this evening (UK):

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc of The Doctor's Wife, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play or Netflix, and then hit play at 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EDT / 5:00am AEST / 7:00am NZST and share your viewing experience!



As with previous discussions, author Neil Gaiman will be giving insights on his episode, this time joined by director Richard Clark and the voice of House, Michael Sheen.

Neil Gaiman also hinted on Twitter:
Also there is an amazing secret Thing we haven't announced yet.




Don't forget that there is another shared viewing of Silver Nemesis with Sophie Aldred at 6:00pm BST as part of online Time Space Visualiser convention taking place this afternoon on YouTube.






FILTER: - Broadcasting - International Broadcasting - Series 6/32 - Special Events

#DoctorWhoLockdown: In The NewsBookmark and Share

Saturday, 4 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The recent global DoctorWhoLockdown initiative organised by Doctor Who Magazine's Emily Cook was reported by BBC News in the lead-up to last night's The Eleventh Hour - you can watch the report via the DoctorWhoLockdown YouTube channel.

This is the second time the initiative has been reported on, with entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba reporting on the simulcast viewing of Rose back on its anniversary on the 26th March (online version).



The next planned DoctorWhoLockdown is for The Doctor's Wife on Saturday 11th April from 8:00pm BST.




FILTER: - BBC - Broadcasting