The world is just weeks away from witnessing the Season 11 premiere of Doctor Who, which will showcase the first full adventure of Jodie Whittaker's new Doctor. The BBC and BBC America want to ensure fans around the world are watching this historic event, so it was agreed that both Americans and U.K. citizens will get to experience the episode together at the exact same time through simulcasting. Of course, this means the U.S. will need to shift things to match up with Britain's primetime hours, so Doctor Who Season 11 is now set for a time-altered premiere on Sunday, October 7, at 1:45 p.m. ET.
That time slot for the Doctor Who simulcast is several hours ahead of what will be the sci-fi adventure's regular premiere time in the U.S. going forward, which is on Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For NFL fans who don't want to miss out on the afternoon's games, BBC America will still allow them a chance to see the premiere without the use of DVR, as an encore presentation for "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is scheduled later that night for 8:00 p.m. ET. The good news is, any American Who fans who don't care about football will be able to live-tweet and experience the episode right alongside those in the mother country, and they won't be spoiled by all the U.K. viewers posting reactions and reveals all day long.
American fans may have been cheated out of a primetime premiere for Doctor Who Season 11, but the show is attempting to make good on the timing issue with fans stateside. New York Comic Con attendees will be able to watch the premiere live, along with the rest of the world, at the Hulu theater in Madison Square Garden. Attendees will also be treated by a Q&A panel featuring Jodie Whittaker, showrunner Chris Chibnall, and executive producer Matt Strevens. The event could provide a lot of excitement and answers to questions about how the rest of the season will play out. Alternately, the even could feature a lot of backlash if audience members aren't fans of the various changes Chibnall made to the show. In either case, it will be something for everyone to keep tabs on.
BBC America is already attempting to drum up excitement for the premiere by starting a mega Doctor Who marathon that began on Tuesday, September 25. "13 Days of Doctor Who" will air every episode of Seasons 1-10 on the network, all in celebration of the program's 13th Doctor Jodie Whittaker. It all leads up to the day of the premiere episode "The Woman Who Fell To Earth," which will find the Doctor with a bit of amnesia in South Yorkshire, where she'll meet some new friends that will join her in attempting to defend the city (and the world) from strange occurrences.
As mentioned, Season 11 of Doctor Who kicks off on BBC America at 1:45 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation scheduled later that night for 8:00 p.m. ET. It's one of the many shows coming to television over the next few weeks, so be sure to visit our fall premiere guide to keep tabs on everything that's arriving.
