The TV present Physician Who is again once more for its second full season on Disney+ on Saturday, April 14. 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 can be greater on the within.
When you do not perceive all that, then you definitely’re most likely asking the query Why Watch Physician Who?. If you realize, you realize; in the event you don’t, click on that hyperlink to be taught in regards to the time-traveling madman in a blue field.
However the query we’re right here to reply isn’t why, however how. As a result of there may be numerous Who to observe. You may’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. This may appear daunting, but it surely’s quite a bit simpler than many years in the past, whenever you needed to wait to your native PBS channel to air repeats of the present on Saturdays at 11 p.m. after Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
This is the place to search out all the pieces within the Who catalog. Merely click on a streamer brand to get to the present.
Traditional 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 needed to go away, received sick, or received sacked.
The place are you able to stream Traditional 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 Traditional Who “stay channel” that always streams the present, although not within the order wherein it aired. There’s additionally a “New to Who” part that options seven “seasons;” every one has the episodes which can be thought of the very best of every Physician with the corresponding season quantity. As a result of sure, it’s true, there’s numerous 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 referred to 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 referred to as The 5(ish) Docs; it stems from the fiftieth anniversary in 2013 and follows a number of basic Physician actors attempting to interrupt into the fashionable Physician Who set.
Need extra?
The Fourth Physician had a narrative referred to 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 characteristic referred to as “The Misplaced Episode.” It is not 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 fully-animated reconstruction of the primary journey of the Second Physician, utilizing the unique audio, as a result of all of the video is lacking. Nevertheless, 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 report over grasp tapes to reuse the media. Some episodes that had been misplaced have been recreated as animated variations of the episodes because of 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. Nevertheless, many recreation episodes are solely out there by shopping for or renting the video on demand, or typically solely on DVD and Blu-ray disc. To this point, 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—apart 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 an entire new collection, but it surely’s canon for the reason that seventh Physician, actor Sylvester McCoy, did a cameo in the beginning to regenerate into star Paul McGann.
Whereas not taken completely severely 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 again and again in audio dramas created within the UK by writer Huge End. The Eighth Physician later obtained a brief movie throughout 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 without cost. Nevertheless, the total movie is presently uploaded to YouTube.
It’s not legally on any US subscription streaming service in the intervening time. You may’t even purchase it. It is just official on Prime Video and Stan within the UK, in response to Reelgood.
It’s also possible to watch the fiftieth anniversary brief “The Night time 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 in regards to 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 means of returning.)
Fashionable Who (2005 to 2022)
Physician Who returned to TV correct in 2005 with a way more Buffy: The Vampire Slayer method to storytelling and higher budgets, whereas absolutely 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 find out about, such because the Battle 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 baby” whose thriller was the idea for all the pieces the Time Lords ever achieved. It’s a bit a lot, however the present is sticking with it, for now. The long run is a thriller, and Physician Who isn’t above a main retcon.
The place are you able to stream fashionable Physician Who?
Max
Within the US, the exhibits that includes the Ninth to the Thirteenth Docs are completely on Max. That features all the vacation specials and even the “non-season” from 2009 when David Tennant (the Tenth Physician) bid farewell to the position by starring in 4 “specials” over the course of the 12 months (all are tacked on to the top of Season 4). That means, you possibly can see all of them in the identical order as initially broadcast. (It’s also possible to purchase or hire all 13 seasons on Apple, Google Play, Prime Video, Microsoft, Fandango, and YouTube.)
There are a few brief movies which can be canon to the tales of the Physician throughout this time, such because the aforementioned “The Night time 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 characteristic the Physician or his companion Rose although. They’re out there 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, has a house on the BBC; the movies can solely be considered within the UK (or strive a VPN).
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The Infinite Quest and Physician Who: Dreamland are additionally on the DVD Physician Who: The Animated Assortment.
Ncuti Who (2023 to Current)
We separate out the latest Who as a result of it’s received a brand new streaming house, not solely within the US, however worldwide (a minimum of outdoors of the UK). After the Thirteenth Physician regenerated in 2023, there have been three specials that starred David Tennant, once more, returning to the position however legit taking part in a brand new incarnation: the Fourteenth Physician. That is superb as a result of they’ve been the identical individual all these instances. 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 means again in 2005.
Tennant started this minor reboot post-regeneration with a brief video referred to as “Vacation spot Skaro,” to ship a comedic take a look at the Physician having a hand in creating his biggest enemies.
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 in a fourth particular for Christmas of 2023. After that, we received a full season of 9 new episodes.
The place are you able to stream the much more fashionable Physician Who?
Disney+
Disney went with renumbering for advertising and marketing Ncuti’s Who, calling it “season one” regardless that everyone knows it’s technically collection 15. However you possibly can’t combat the Mouse. It additionally aired a 2024 Christmas particular. Season 2 (aka collection 16) kicks off Saturday, April 14.
True Who Spin-Offs
Ok-9 and Firm (1981)
Actor Elisabeth Sladen’s character of Sarah Jane Smith was highly regarded when she starred with the Third and Fourth Docs within the Seventies. A lot in order that she was given a spin-off…however 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 may stream it on BritBox.
Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood is an anagram for “Physician Who.” It additionally turned the identify of an elite drive of British secret brokers preventing 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. You may watch all 4 seasons of the present on Max.
The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2010)
After a visitor spot with Ok-9 on the returned Physician Who, Sladen received one other shot at a spin-off. 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 unhealthy guys (Sontarans!). Plus, Ok-9 was sometimes seen. The present was sadly lower brief in its fifth season by Sladen’s premature demise. All 5 seasons are on Max.
Beneficial by Our Editors
Class (2016)
Class was a one-season marvel that was clearly a spin-off from Who as a result of it happened 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 without 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 in regards to the fascist killer pepper-pots he’s been preventing since 1963, or time immemorial, relying on the way you measure this stuff.
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, a serious streamer within the UK. They got a house referred to as The Whoniverse. It additionally received 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 way back to getting companions of the First and Second Docs, however 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, throughout the first few years of the existence of Star Trek, a few films with basically the identical premise had been cranked out to reap the benefits of the identify 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 an excellent 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 greater on the within. He traveled by house and time and fought alien tank Nazis referred to as Daleks. The budgets had been increased, and the star was Peter Cushing—already a Hammer Movies horror legend at that time, later to grow to be 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 referred to 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 presently out there on the Web Archive. It’s also possible to purchase or hire them on Apple, Google Play, Prime Video, Microsoft, Fandango, and YouTube; or stream it within the UK by way of Channel 4.
FUN FACTS:
You may hire a model of the primary movie on Prime Video that was performed 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 turned 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 Loss of life (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 in the event you’re a Whovian, because it has the Physician cycle by 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 eventually, within the first trace that Gallifreyians may gender-swap, Joanna Lumley.
The place are you able to stream The Curse of Deadly Loss of life?
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 underneath the moniker BBV and has made plenty of movies starring former Docs and companions. It started with a collection referred to as The Stranger that includes Colin Baker. Many are performed with as a lot Physician-style storytelling as potential, 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 truth, 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 go together 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 received the Ninth Physician, Christopher Eccleston—an actor who stated he’d by no means come again to the present—to report new adventures 15 years after he left.
Huge End exhibits usually are not, nevertheless, streamable, apart from some samples on Huge End for Free. The remainder you should purchase to obtain or get on CD.
An Journey in Area and Time (2013)
The fiftieth anniversary of the primary broadcast of Physician Who was an enormous deal for the BBC, in fact. One of many options it made to have fun was the TV film An Journey in Area 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 films—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 towards the twelfth and thirteenth Docs. Then he performed him once more in audio for Huge End. You may stream An Journey in Area and Time on BritBox.
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