In what is sure to be a huge boost to its business, BritBox today became the only streaming service to offer the bulk of classic episodes from Doctor Who’s original 1963-1989 run.
Nerdist broke the news that adventures from the first seven Doctors, all 550 surviving intact episodes, are available on the subscription service, with many “lost” episodes planned to be offered in audio form in the future.
Episodes from the original run of Doctor Who have been hard to come by on streaming services, with only a select few stories previously offered on platforms like Netflix, and then labeled in confusing “season” numbers that neglected many unavailable episodes that were, nonetheless, available on VHS and DVD.
As an added value for those who don’t want to binge from the beginning of their offerings, BritBox will curate the vintage Who library into playlists based on Doctor as well as familiar villains and monsters like the Cybermen, Daleks and the Master, and other companion characters.
The BritBox service costs $6.99 on a monthly basis and includes content from the BBC and ITV UK networks. You can stream in your browser at BritBox.com or using mobile apps, or use peripherals such as Roku devices and Apple TV to stream on a television.
Doctor Who “extras” available to BritBox subscribers at launch included the “Doctors Revisited” series that aired on BBC America in 2013 for the program’s 50th anniversary, the golden jubilee tribute docu-drama An Adventure in Space and Time, the original “Unearthly Child” pilot episode and the 50th anniversary spoof “The Five(ish) Doctors, as well as 1981 aborted spinoff pilot K9 & Company: A Girl’s Best Friend featuring the late Elisabeth Sladen as favorite plucky companion Sarah Jane Smith, who would eventually get her own spin-off after all many years later.
“New” Who — those episodes from the series’ relaunch in 2005 — remain on Amazon Video, their exclusive home digitally for the time being.
