Doctor Who Rumored To Have Found A New Streaming Home, But I Think There's A Perfect Match Just Waiting To Happen

Doctor Who has been around for over 60 years, but those decades haven’t all been rosy. The show went off the air for more than a decade, save a TV movie, between 1989 and 2005, and now, it looks like 20 years after the show was successfully rebooted, it may be facing its most difficult period. Following reports that Disney+ will not be moving forward with its partnership with the BBC for the show, the future of Doctor Who, or even if there is a future, is unclear.

It’s clear the BBC doesn’t want to foot the bill for Doctor Who on its own anymore, so if the Disney+ deal is dead, a new streaming partner is going to need to step up. It’s being reported that the BBC is already in talks with a couple of potential new homes, though there’s another option that feels like it might be a perfect fit.

Doctor Who May Go To Netflix Or HBO Max

According to a new rumor from Twitter account @MyTimeToShineH (via SFF Gazette), whose accuracy has been mixed, but has been right before, the BBC is currently in talks with both Netflix and HBO Max about bringing future seasons of Doctor Who to their platforms. Whoever picks up the show will have something of a clean slate following the departure of Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor at the end of the most recent season. Gatwa's departure is widely understood to have come specifically because the show’s future was uncertain. Doctor Who is officially on pause as the BBC figures out its options.

Either of these new streaming partners makes a lot of sense for the show. Netflix has the most subscribers of any streaming platform, making the potential audience that much more significant. HBO Max is already home to all of the seasons of the rebooted Doctor Who, save the two that are on Disney+. It’s unclear if any new deal would include moving those seasons or if Disney+ will keep them.

However, while both Netflix and HBO Max have their upside for the further adventures of The Doctor, I think there’s another streaming service that might be a perfect fit for the show.

Apple TV+ Should Take A Serious Look At Doctor Who

While Apple TV+ certainly doesn’t have the subscriber base of Netflix or other high-volume platforms, there are a lot of reasons why Doctor Who and Apple might fit quite well together. First off, Apple TV+ is already home to several high-profile and high-quality sci-fi series. From thrilling tales like Silo and Severence to space sagas likeThe Foundation to quirky and comedic Murderbot, if you’re a sci-fi fan, you should have an Apple TV+ subscription.

Apple TV+ also isn’t as cancel-happy as most other streaming platforms. Disney+ was already apparently unhappy with the viewership of the show and has cut ties as a result. We’ve seen how Netflix and HBO Max are with cancelling series that don’t perform to a certain standard, so there’s every reason to be worried Doctor Who could find itself right back here in a year or two if it ends up in one of those places.

Apple TV Plus: $9.99 A Month With 7-Day Trial
Even if Doctor Who isn't in its library yet, hits like Severance, Slow Horses, Silo, and Prime Target are available to stream for $9.99 a month with a 7-day trial.. Offer available globally, prices vary.

View Deal

At the end of the day, as long as Doctor Who finds a new home, I’ll be happy. Even though the final seconds of the last episode of Doctor Who didn’t make me excited for the future, I’ll still be watching, if only to see how it all goes. We don't know when we'll see Doctor Who again, or where we'll see it, but there's certainly plenty to discuss while we wait.