This post is a continuation of a series of posts investigating Henry Jenkins’ concepts of “Convergence Culture” and “Transmedia Storytelling”.
See the full series here.
In 2023 the BBC partnered with Disney, allowing every episode of Doctor Who to be added to the Disney Plus streaming platform for viewers outside the UK and Ireland, and is predicted to increase the funding available to produce the series (Reynolds, 2023, para 5).
Those within the UK and Ireland must watch the series on the BBC iPlayer, which is funded by the television license fee (BBC, 2023), which leaves some viewers in a difficult position: The way in which media is consumed has changed and “as more and more consumers use the Internet to watch video content, the television industry is questioning whether online video threatens the viability of the television industry” (Cha, 2013, p. 71), with some figures suggesting as high as 90% of younger viewers opt for streaming services over traditional television (Sweney, 2022, para. 1).
This means that UK viewers who have a Disney Plus subscription, but not a television license, cannot legally watch Doctor Who.
(Disney Plus, 2023)
Fans expressed their concern and confusion over how much creative control Disney would be given (ixnine, 2022; Gantzer, 2023) and these concerns were addressed in various forms (Welsh, 2023; Nugent, 2023; Reynolds, 2023), though over time it became apparent that Disney were gaining more and more control over production elements, instead of being just the location in which worldwide viewers could watch the Doctor Who (Hargrave, 2023; elsjpq, 2023; Adeyemi, 2023). even angering the UK audience by imposing a global broadcast time for the new series at midnight for UK viewers (Goren, 2024) so it may be released at a more favourable time in the U.S.
In 2021, Davies expressed his desire to see Doctor Who receive the same Marvel-style universe and be “[shifted] up a gear” (Davies, 2021, as quoted in Chilton, 2021, para. 5), which is possible behind the powerhouse of Disney production, and we can examine the way in which they handled the Star Wars continuity reset to predict similar treatment for the future of Doctor Who.
- Adeyemi, B. (2023, December 30). Russell T Davies Reveals The One Scene Disney Requested For Doctor Who’s Seasonal Special. Screen Rant. https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-2023-christmas-special-scene-disney-request/
- BBC. (2023). BBC TV licence fee: How much is it and why is it under threat? BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-51376255
- Cha, J. (2013). Do Online Video Platforms Cannibalize Television? How Viewers are Moving from Old Screens to New Ones. Journal of Advertising Research 53(1), 71-82. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-53-1-071-082
- Chilton, L. (2021, January 23). Doctor Who: Russell T Davies says a Marvel-style shared universe ‘will happen one day’. Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/doctor-who-russell-t-davies-mcu-b1791627.html
- Disney Plus. (2023, Oct 25). Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials | Official Trailer | Disney+ [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Z7JI8j0bk
- [Doctor Who Disney+]. (n.d.). Retrieved 28 January 2025, from https://images.app.goo.gl/dYBbYL745Bw8vn618
- elsjpq. (2023, December 26). In the commentary for the Christmas special RTD says this: So this was the very last scene to be added, and I’ll tell you why, because Disney always test a… [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/18rac2k/rtd_confirms_disneys_involvement_in_story/
- Gantzer, O. (2023, November 25). Doctor Who fans all issue same ‘woke’ complaint as BBC classic makes comeback. Express. https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1839089/Doctor-Who-same-complaint-woke-BBC
- Goren, O. (2024, March 15). Doctor Who Premiere Sparks Frustration Among UK Fans. Cord Busters. https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/doctor-who-premiere-sparks-frustration-uk/
- Hargrave, S. (2023, November 16). Disney Plus’ Doctor Who Showrunner Confirms 1 Frustrating Change for New Episodes. The Direct. https://thedirect.com/article/doctor-who-disney-plus-show-new-episodes-change
- ixnine. (2022, December 30). So I read earlier that, since Disney+ will be picking up Doctor Who starting next fall, this also means Disney… [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/zymxp5/disney_will_help_fund_doctor_who/
- Nugent, A. (2023, January 9). Russell T Davies reassures fans concerned about Disney involvement in Doctor Who. Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/doctor-who-disney-plus-russell-t-davies-b2258547.html
- Reynolds, R. (2023, November 24). Doctor Who: The BBC Did Not Sell Out to Disney+. MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/doctor-who-bbc-disney-plus-partnership-not-sell-out/
- Sweney, M. (2022, August 17). Younger viewers shun traditional TV channels as 90% opt for streaming services. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/17/younger-viewers-shun-traditional-tv-channels-as-90-opt-for-streaming-services
- Welsh, D. (2023, January 8). Russell T Davies Has A Message for Any Doctor Who Fans Concerned About Disney’s Involvement. Huffington Post. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/russell-t-davies-has-a-message-for-doctor-who-fans-worried-about-disney_uk_63baad49e4b0b2e1506857b1
APA7
Cable, J. (2025, Apr 19). Doctor Who – The BBC partners with Disney. JCableMedia.com. https://www.jcablemedia.com/2025/04/19/doctor-who-the-bbc-partners-with-disney/.
Chicago
Cable, John. “Doctor Who – The BBC partners with Disney.” JCableMedia.com. April 19, 2025. https://www.jcablemedia.com/2025/04/19/doctor-who-the-bbc-partners-with-disney/.
Harvard
Cable, J. (2025). Doctor Who – The BBC partners with Disney. Available at: https://www.jcablemedia.com/2025/04/19/doctor-who-the-bbc-partners-with-disney/ (Accessed: 28 April 2025).