Doctor Who's first story won't be included in BBC iPlayer back catalogue | Radio Times

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However, the very first story, written by Anthony Coburn, which introduced William Hartnell as the First Doctor, will not be included, the BBC has confirmed to RadioTimes.com.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: "This massive iPlayer back catalogue will be home to over 800 hours of Doctor Who content, making it the biggest ever collection of Doctor Who programming in one place but will not include the first four episodes as we do not have all the rights to those."

From 1st November, fans will be able to watch hundreds of episodes from 1963 to the present day, across the show's classic and modern runs.

Not only that, but various spin-off series will also return to iPlayer – including The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, Class and behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who Confidential.

Russell T Davies, Doctor Who showrunner, said: "I'd like to thank the BBC for all the hard work to get this massive back catalogue under one roof, at long last.

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"I'm so excited for new viewers – imagine being eight years old, spending winter afternoons exploring the '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond. And we're determined this won't be a dusty museum – we have exciting plans to bring the back catalogue to life, with much more to be revealed!"

This November, David Tennant and Catherine Tate will also be starring in three specials to celebrate the show's anniversary.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

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Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.