Last year, Disney announced it was teaming up with the BBC to bring fan-favorite series “Doctor Who” to a global audience, with new specials and seasons of the longest running action-adventure television series in the world spanning 60 years and winning over 100 awards. This quintessentially British show has a huge global following, with 9.6m fans across social platforms/channels and 100m video views on YouTube in the last year alone.

The show tells the story of The Doctor, an extraterrestrial being, who travels across time and space through a unique device called TARDIS. It travels to Earth and befriends humans who help it in its exploits.

This winter, “Doctor Who” celebrates its 60th anniversary with three all-new original specials, that have seen will debut on Disney+ globally except in the UK and Ireland, where they will air on the BBC and be available on the iPlayer.

The three specials will reunite the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Temple-Noble (Catherine Tate) as they come face-to-face with their most terrifying villain yet: the Toymaker (played by Neil Patrick Harris in his “DoctorWho” debut).

“Doctor Who” is produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios. The series returns under the creative vision of returning showrunner Russell T. Davies, who also serves as a writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. The 60th-anniversary specials are written by Russell T. Davies and directed by Rachel Talalay, Tom Kingsley, and Chanya Button, respectively. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.


When Will New “Doctor Who” Episodes Be Released On Disney+?

The first “Doctor Who” special will be released Disney+ around the world on Saturday, 25th November, with new episodes being released weekly afterwards.

Here’s a list of when each of the new specials will be released:

Note: This is subject to change

  • The Star Beast – Saturday 25th November 2023
  • Wild Blue Yonder – Saturday 2nd December 2023
  • The Giggle – Saturday 9th December 2023


What Time Will New “Doctor Who” Specials Be Released On Disney+

While Disney+ generally only updates once a day with new content being dropped onto the platform during the night in the US, for some special releases, such as with “Doctor Who”, the specials will get a simultaneously worldwide release at the following times:

  • Pacific Time: 10:30 AM
  • Eastern Time: 13:30 PM
  • UK: 18:30 PM.  – (In the UK/Ireland the show will be available on BBC iPlayer.)
  • Sydney, Australia – 05:30 AM (A Day Later)

Sometimes, episodes can arrive a few minutes later as the servers update. The Disney+ front page usually updates about an hour later.

Note:  In the UK, because of how the BBC iPlayer works, the new episode won’t be available instantly, as you’ll need to watch it live and once the show has been broadcast, then it’ll be available.


Is “Doctor Who” on Netflix?

This new specials are made by BBC exclusively for themselves and Disney+, so it will not be available on Netflix, Max, or Amazon.  However, previous seasons of “Doctor Who” are available on a variety of different platforms depending on where you live.  In the United States, Tubi has a wide selection of Classic “Doctor Who” seasons, while all of the previous seasons are available on Max.  In the UK, all previous seasons are available on iPlayer.


Are you looking forward to watching “Doctor Who” on Disney+?  Let us know on social media!

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Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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