The TV collection Physician Who returned for its second—and, it seems, final—full season on Disney+ in April. The present’s full embrace of its personal checkered continuity after many years of jumbled time journey is only one of its many charms, which additionally embrace the magic of Christmas, sonic screwdrivers, tin canine, and containers which might be larger on the within.
In case you do not perceive all that, then you definitely’re in all probability asking the query Why Watch Physician Who?. If you understand, you understand; for those who don’t, click on that hyperlink to be taught concerning the time-traveling madman in a blue field.
However the query we’re right here to reply will not be why, however how. As a result of there may be quite a lot of Who to look at. You possibly can’t see the whole thing of Physician Who, all the way in which again to the primary episode that aired in 1963, with a Disney+ subscription alone. Within the US, you’ll want entry to a number of completely different streamers—and even then, due to current modifications, discovering all of them is almost inconceivable now. Nonetheless, issues are simpler than they had been many years in the past, whenever you needed to wait on your native PBS channel to air repeats of the present on Saturdays at 11 p.m. after Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Here is the place to search out many of the Who catalog with out dishonest. Merely click on a streamer emblem to get to the present.
Basic Who (1963 to 1986)
Within the 23 years of the unique run, the BBC created 26 seasons (“collection” in UK parlance) that includes seven actors taking part in the Physician. That occurs as a result of the character would regenerate into a brand new physique and face every time the present star wished to depart, acquired sick, or acquired sacked.
The place are you able to stream Basic Physician Who?
Tubi
Tubi has all 26 seasons, however every Physician’s episodes are grouped, so there’s one for the First Physician, one other for the Second, one other for the Third, and so forth.
Tubi has a Basic Who “dwell channel” that consistently streams the present, although not within the order during which it aired. There’s additionally a “New to Who” part that options seven “seasons”; every one has the episodes which might be thought of the very best of every Physician with the corresponding season quantity. As a result of sure, it’s true, there’s quite a lot of Who from the final 60 years price skipping, even for die-hard followers.
BritBox
BritBox, the streaming house for a lot of the BBC’s content material viewable within the US, has the identical 26 seasons of Physician Who. Some companies like Reelgood listing it as 27 classes—that so-called twenty seventh is a set of specials created in 2013 known as The Docs Revisited. (There’s one particular for every of the seven unique Docs.)
BritBox additionally has two specials that come up whenever you search: The primary is an edit of an unaired pilot from 1963. The second is a comedy brief known as The 5(ish) Docs; it stems from the fiftieth anniversary in 2013 and follows a number of traditional Physician actors making an attempt to interrupt into the fashionable Physician Who set.
Need extra?
The Fourth Physician had a narrative known as “Shada”—written by Douglas Adams, creator of The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy—that went unaired in 1979 as a consequence of a manufacturing strike. In 2017, the BBC completed it as an animated function known as “The Misplaced Episode.” It isn’t streaming, however it’s on the DVD Physician Who: The Animated Assortment.
Together with “Shada,” that DVD additionally has “Scream of the Shalka” from 2003—a bizarre Fortieth-anniversary particular that occurred when the present was off the air, that includes Richard E. Grant as a non-canon Physician—and “The Energy of the Daleks,” a totally animated reconstruction of the primary journey of the Second Physician, utilizing the unique audio, as a result of all of the video is lacking. Nonetheless, Energy is definitely streaming, for now, by way of the Web Archive.
Physician Who’s first six seasons, starring the First Physician (William Hartnell) and Second (Patrick Troughton), are riddled with lacking episodes. Within the ’60s, the BBC would merely document over grasp tapes to reuse the media. Some episodes that had been misplaced have been recreated as animated variations of the episodes due to followers who recorded the audio again within the day. Some, however not all, of these animated recreations are streaming. For instance, BritBox has all of the animated “The Energy of the Daleks” episodes. Nonetheless, many recreation episodes are solely obtainable by shopping for or renting the video on demand, or typically solely on DVD and Blu-ray disc. So far, 97 full episodes stay lacking.
Physician Who: The Film (Might 1996)
The Nineteen Nineties had been a darkish time for Whovians, with no unique, in-canon content material that includes the Timelord from Gallifrey in any respect—aside from this one film. (In fiction, canon means it’s official and actually “occurred.” With franchises like Physician Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars, which means it needed to occur on display screen.)
The film was made for TV, however weirder nonetheless, it was made for the US. It was meant to be a place to begin for a complete new collection, but it surely’s canon for the reason that seventh Physician, actor Sylvester McCoy, did a cameo at the start to regenerate into star Paul McGann.
Whereas the film was not taken completely significantly as a part of Physician Who lore at first, McGann has confirmed himself within the collection over the intervening years, utilizing his unmistakable voice to play the Physician’s eighth incarnation time and again in audio dramas created within the UK by writer Huge End. The Eighth Physician later obtained a brief movie in the course of the present’s fiftieth anniversary 12 months, in 2013.
The place are you able to stream Physician Who: The Film?
YouTube
Technically, legally, you possibly can’t—not at no cost. Nonetheless, the total movie is at the moment uploaded to YouTube.
It’s not legally on any US subscription streaming service in the intervening time. You possibly can’t even purchase it. It is just official on Prime Video and Stan within the UK, in accordance with Reelgood.
You can even watch the fiftieth anniversary brief “The Evening of the Physician” on YouTube, legally, by way of the BBC channel.
Need extra background on the film? Watch Physician Who Am I, a 2023 documentary, streaming on Tubi, Plex, Fandango, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Prime Video. It’s all concerning the screenwriter for this “notorious” film when he returns to the world of Who fandom to see if he’s nonetheless despised. (Why was he so hated? Again then, the Physician didn’t give kisses or declare to be half-human…however typically such concepts have a manner of returning.)
Fashionable Who (2005 to 2022)
Physician Who returned to TV correct in 2005 with a way more Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fashion method to storytelling and higher budgets, whereas totally accepting its previous. Since that relaunch, that includes actor Christopher Eccleston because the Ninth Physician, the present managed to undergo a number of extra Docs, introducing a few earlier incarnations we didn’t learn about, such because the Warfare Physician (John Harm) and the Fugitive Physician (Jo Martin), and ship on the promise that Time Lords can regenerate into any gender.
They even went as far as to make the Physician the “timeless little one” whose thriller was the idea for all the pieces the Time Lords ever completed. It’s a bit a lot, however the present is sticking with it, for now. The longer term is a thriller, and Physician Who isn’t above a main retcon.
The place are you able to stream trendy Physician Who?
You possibly can’t. Not at no cost. For years, the adventures of the Ninth to Thirteenth Docs had been completely on what’s now HBO Max once more, together with all the vacation specials and even the “non-season” from 2009 when David Tennant (the Tenth Physician) bid farewell to the function by starring in 4 “specials” over the course of the 12 months (all are tacked on to the tip of Season 4).
Now, followers within the US market can solely purchase or hire all 13 seasons on Apple, Google Play, Prime Video, Fandango, and YouTube.
There’s, in fact, a manner round this: Subscribe to a VPN service that may make it seem like you are situated within the UK, then obtain the BBC iPlayer. It is the one assured manner to have the ability to watch all of the Physician Who you possibly can, because it comes proper from the present’s supply. However since BBC iPlayer is funded by the UK TV license that each citizen there pays, it is meant to be for UK use solely. Who spinoffs like The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood are additionally on the BBC iPlayer.
There are a few brief movies which might be canon to the tales of the Physician throughout this time, such because the aforementioned “The Evening of the Physician.” The primary and most enjoyable is “Time Crash” from 2007, which you’ll be able to watch under. It brings collectively the Fifth Physician from the Eighties with the Tenth—two males who additionally occurred to be associated IRL, as actor Peter Davison is David Tennant’s father-in-law.
Additionally price noting:
For the second collection in 2006, that includes the then-new Tenth Physician, the BBC additionally issued TARDISodes: one-minute shorts for every full episode, typically working as a prequel to the story that week. They by no means function the Physician or his companion Rose, although. They’re obtainable on YouTube.
The Infinite Quest is a 12-episode animated serial with the Tenth Physician from 2007. It is on YouTube by way of the Physician Who channel.
Physician Who: Dreamland, a six-episode animated particular with the Tenth Physician from 2009, is out there on the BBC; nonetheless, the movies can solely be seen within the UK (or by way of a VPN).
The Infinite Quest and Physician Who: Dreamland are additionally on the DVD Physician Who: The Animated Assortment.
Ncuti Who (2023 to 2025)
We separate out the latest Who as a result of it had a singular streaming house, not solely within the US, however worldwide (no less than exterior of the UK). After the Thirteenth Physician regenerated in 2023, there have been three specials that starred David Tennant, once more, returning to the function however legit taking part in a brand new incarnation: the Fourteenth Physician. That is high quality as a result of they’ve been the identical particular person all these occasions. It was an emotional nostalgia-fest for Whovians, as not solely did Tennant return, however so did Russell T. Davies, the showrunner who rebooted the present manner again in 2005.
Tennant started this minor reboot post-regeneration with a brief video known as “Vacation spot Skaro,” to ship a comedic have a look at the Physician having a hand in creating his best enemies.
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What adopted celebrated the present’s sixtieth anniversary and righted some earlier wrongs, notably the ignominious destiny of a earlier companion of the Physician.
They lead as much as one other main retcon to how regeneration works and the introduction of the positively electrical Fifteenth Physician, performed with gusto by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti (pronounced Shoo-Tee) Gatwa. He took the helm for 2 seasons, plus a Christmas particular.
The place are you able to stream the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Docs’ adventures?
Disney+
When it got here to advertising and marketing Ncuti’s Who, Disney known as it “season one” regardless that everyone knows it’s technically collection 15. However you possibly can’t combat the Mouse.
That is all come to an in depth, nonetheless. Disney+ has ended its partnership with the BBC, no less than with regards to the Physician. It is going to nonetheless stream the spin-off, titled The Warfare Between the Land and the Sea, in 2026.
All episodes made within the BBC and Disney+ partnership stay streaming on the companies for now.
In the meantime, Ncuti has left the TARDIS for the final time. What’s to turn into of the Time Lord?
2026 Christmas Particular to Come!
As the tip of the BBC/Disney+ deal was introduced, the Beeb (because the community is colloquially recognized) threw its followers a bone and defined why the Physician Who units had not but been scrapped: The present is not completely canceled! Russell T. Davis is writing a vacation particular for the tip of 2026.
However questions stay: Will Billie Piper return and truly play the Physician? Will the Physician get to see their granddaughter, Susan, in any respect? Will US residents be capable to watch the particular with out resorting to torrents or VPNs? Fittingly, solely time will inform.
In the meantime, there’s loads of Whovian spin-off materials to maintain you going.
True Who Spin-Offs
Ok-9 and Firm (1981)
Actor Elisabeth Sladen’s character of Sarah Jane Smith was very talked-about when she starred with the Third and Fourth Docs within the Nineteen Seventies. A lot in order that she was given a spin-off. Nonetheless, she needed to be second banana to a tin canine, the robotic Ok-9, additionally the Physician’s companion for some time. Collectively, they had been going to combat crime—however the present by no means progressed past the pilot. You possibly can stream it on BritBox.
Advisable by Our Editors
Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood is an anagram for “Physician Who.” It additionally grew to become the title of an elite pressure of British secret brokers combating alien incursions on the planet, led by former Physician companion Captain Jack Harkness. The third season specifically—which options future Twelfth Physician Peter Capaldi as a human—is implausible. Sadly, it has been faraway from HBO Max; learn concerning the BBC iPlayer above for a viewing possibility.
The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2010)
After a visitor spot with Ok-9 on the returned Physician Who, Sladen acquired one other shot at a derivative. This present is decidedly extra focused at juveniles however very a lot in canon, because it had visitor visits by each the Tenth and Eleventh Docs—plus occasional Who-specific dangerous guys (Sontarans!). Plus, Ok-9 was sometimes seen. The present was sadly minimize brief in its fifth season by Sladen’s premature loss of life. It is also been faraway from HBO Max, however Sarah Jane stays on the BBC iPlayer.
Class (2016)
Class was a one-season surprise that was clearly a derivative from Who as a result of it occurred on the Coal Hill Academy—the varsity the place the First Physician’s granddaughter went in 1963—and had a visitor look by the modern Physician on the time, Peter Capaldi. It’s not streaming at no cost on any subscription service within the US, however you possibly can hire or purchase it on Apple, Google Play, Prime Video, Fandango, and YouTube. (It is free within the UK.)
Daleks! (2020)
That is an animated present made only for YouTube. It’s a part of the Physician Who channel. As you possibly can guess from the title, it’s concerning the fascist killer pepper-pots he’s been combating since 1963, or time immemorial, relying on the way you measure these items.
Physician Who: Tales of the TARDIS (2023)
In October 2023, simply forward of the present’s sixtieth birthday, all 800+ episodes of Physician Who ended up on the BBC iPlayer. They got a house known as The Whoniverse. It additionally acquired some unique content material within the type of Tales of the TARDIS, with six tales that reunited earlier forged members—in character—to speak about earlier adventures. They went so far as getting companions of the First and Second Docs, and even introduced in a forged member from The Sarah Jane Adventures. The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Docs additionally seem with their fan-favorite former companions.
The Tales are additionally on YouTube.
Non-Canonical Physician Who
“Dr. Who” (1965 and 1966)
Think about if, in the course of the first few years of the existence of Star Trek, a few motion pictures with primarily the identical premise had been cranked out to benefit from the title, but had no precise relationship with the present. Foolish, proper?
That occurred to Physician Who. The 2 movies featured not an alien Time Lord (a time period that didn’t come up till the ’70s anyway). On this case, he was a superb human, really named Who. He had earned his doctorate, so he glided by Dr. Who. He had a granddaughter and a time machine formed like a police name field that was larger on the within. He traveled via house and time and fought alien tank Nazis known as Daleks. The budgets had been increased, and the star was Peter Cushing—already a Hammer Movies horror legend at that time, later to turn into a legend to a brand new era as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars.
The place are you able to stream the Dr. Who movies?
They’re respectively known as Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965, trailer above) and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966); these hyperlinks will take you to the web streams at the moment obtainable on the Web Archive. You can even purchase or hire them on Apple, Google Play, Prime Video, Microsoft, Fandango, and YouTube. Or stream them within the UK by way of Channel 4.
Enjoyable Details:
You possibly can hire a model of the primary movie on Prime Video that was completed with RiffTrax—the identical guys behind the unique Thriller Science Theater 3000—which mocks the flick with out mercy.
The second movie encompasses a companion performed by actor Bernard Cribbins. He later grew to become a companion to the Tenth Physician, performed by David Tennant, in 2007, and his character, Wilfred, appeared one final time, in 2023, to see the Fourteenth Physician (additionally David Tennant). On the time, Cribbens was 93.
Physician Who and the Curse of Deadly Demise (1999)
The one different legit-feeling Physician Who content material of the ’90s was this comedy particular made for the Crimson Nostril Day charity. It’s not canon by any means, however was written by Steven Moffat, who would go on to be a author for Fashionable Who in 2005 and ultimately the show-runner for the Eleventh and Twelfth Docs.
It’s entertaining, particularly for those who’re a Whovian, because it has the Physician cycle via a number of regenerations into big-name actors and comedians within the UK, beginning with Rowan (Mr. Bean) Atkinson, and together with Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and at last, within the first trace that Gallifreyians may gender-swap, Joanna Lumley.
The place are you able to stream The Curse of Deadly Demise?
The Comedian Reduction: Crimson Nostril Day channel on YouTube has it.
BBV Productions
Beginning in 1991, a superfan of Physician Who began a manufacturing firm beneath the moniker BBV and has made a lot of movies starring former Docs and companions. It started with a collection known as The Stranger that includes Colin Baker. Many are completed with as a lot Physician-style storytelling as doable, with out really mentioning the Physician. Since these tales aren’t precisely BBC-licensed, it is good that the Beeb hasn’t cracked down on this type of factor. In actual fact, some audio-only productions from BBV do have the BBC sign-off. However most of those productions, video or audio, aren’t streaming.
Huge End Productions
For some killer audio productions, Huge End has what Physician Who followers need. It is just like the ecosystem of non-canon books that associate with any sci-fi model, however Huge End solely does lavish audio, going again to 1999. Huge End was an enormous a part of cementing Paul McGann’s Eighth Physician into the present’s historical past and acquired the Ninth Physician, Christopher Eccleston—an actor who stated he’d by no means come again to the present—to document new adventures 15 years after he left.
Huge End exhibits should not, nonetheless, streamable, aside from some samples on Huge End for Free. The remaining you should buy to obtain or get on CD.
An Journey in House and Time (2013)
The fiftieth anniversary of the primary broadcast of Physician Who was a giant deal for the BBC, in fact. One of many options it made to have a good time was the TV film An Journey in House and Time, which fictionalized the story of how Physician Who got here to air, and the way starring within the present went for the unique Physician. David Bradley—already famed for enjoying Filch within the Harry Potter motion pictures—performs actor William Hartnell, the primary Physician.
Bradley was so good at taking part in the First Physician that the precise present introduced him again to play the character once more in opposition to the twelfth and thirteenth Docs. Then he performed him as soon as extra in audio for Huge End. You possibly can’t at the moment stream this TV film within the US, however listed below are some highlights.
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Eric Griffith
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I have been writing about computer systems, the web, and know-how professionally since 1992, greater than half of that point with PCMag. I arrived on the finish of the print period of PC Journal as a senior author. I served for a time as managing editor of enterprise protection earlier than settling again into the options crew for the final decade and a half. I write options on all tech matters, plus I deal with a number of particular initiatives, together with the Readers’ Selection and Enterprise Selection surveys and yearly protection of the Finest ISPs and Finest Gaming ISPs, Finest Merchandise of the Yr, and Finest Manufacturers (plus the Finest Manufacturers for Tech Assist, Longevity, and Reliability).
I began in tech publishing proper out of faculty, writing and enhancing tales about {hardware} and growth instruments. I migrated to software program and {hardware} protection for households, and I spent a number of years completely writing concerning the then-burgeoning know-how known as Wi-Fi. I used to be on the founding workers of a number of magazines, together with Home windows Sources, FamilyPC, and Entry Web Journal. All of which are actually defunct, and it isn’t my fault. I’ve freelanced for publications as numerous as Sony Fashion, Playboy.com, and Flux. I acquired my diploma at Ithaca Faculty in, of all issues, tv/radio. However I minored in writing so I would have a future.
In my long-lost free time, I wrote some novels, a few which aren’t simply on my arduous drive: BETA TEST (“an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic story,” in accordance with Publishers’ Weekly) and a YA e-book known as KALI: THE GHOSTING OF SEPULCHER BAY. Go get them on Kindle.
I work from my house in Ithaca, NY, and did it lengthy earlier than pandemics made it cool.
