Doctor Who fans scouring iPlayer for old episodes will currently find all instalments from the modern era (2005 onwards) available to stream, but won't be able to watch any of the classic series.
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This means no episodes from the First Doctor era through to the TV movie featuring the Eighth Doctor are currently available on the platform - however, it seems this may be about to change.
Returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies recently spoke with The Times alongside Mark Gatiss, ahead of their new show Nolly, and was asked what he wants to do with the long-running sci-fi series now he's back in the hot seat.
Davies said: "You make all of the back catalogue available, first, on iPlayer. I can’t swear that will happen, but there are contracts. It’s our heritage, it deserves to be there so kids can fall in love with Doctor Who like they love Friends."
Russell T Davies Eamonn M McCormack/Getty Images
Episodes from the classic series are currently available to stream on BritBox, but it sounds as though Davies is hoping to make them available for free on iPlayer in their entirety.
This marks just one in a number of big plans Davies has recently unveiled for the future of the series. He told GQ in an interview published last week that he is returning to the show in order to bring about "the next stage for Doctor Who", including making new "spin-offs".
Davies has also spoken about the bigger budget he is working with for the upcoming 14th season, with this being thanks to the involvement of Bad Wolf Studios as a co-producer and Disney Plus as an international broadcast partner.
He said: "It's one of the reasons I've come back – you can tell stories on a bigger scale. It's the same old problems, I still have to cut scenes because they're too expensive, and I still have to reduce the number of monsters, and things like that. But my imagination feels more free, a lot more free, actually. It's just a joy to write anyway.
"I'm really proud of it. Oh my god, there are some strong episodes coming up."
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.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
