There’s a brand new release schedule for episodes this season.
It’s finally here – we’re now mere hours away from the debut of Doctor Who season 14, the first full season of the show since 2021.
After last being seen in the 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday return in a double bill of episodes, starting with Space Babies and ending with The Devil’s Chord.
The release schedule for the show has been changed this year, so exactly what time can fans watch the episodes? And how?
Read on for everything you need to know about the release time and schedule for Doctor Who season 14.
What time is Doctor Who season 14 out on BBC iPlayer?
For the first time, episodes from Doctor Who season 14 will be releasing at the same time around the world, on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney Plus elsewhere.
As part of this, the episodes will also be arriving on iPlayer before they air on BBC One, with the first two dropping at midnight on Saturday 11th May.
The release schedule depending on your territory around the world is as follows:
- 12am, Saturday 11th May BST (British Summer Time) – BBC iPlayer
- 4pm, Friday 10th May PT (Pacific Time) – Disney Plus
- 7pm, Friday 10th May ET (Eastern Time) – Disney Plus
What time will the first two episodes of Doctor Who season 14 air on BBC One?
While the first two episodes of Doctor Who will be available from midnight on Saturday 11th May, they will also air later that day on BBC One, back-to-back.
The first episode, Space Babies, will air at 6:20pm on the channel, followed by the second episode, The Devil’s Chord, at 7:05pm.
Future episodes will then air once a week in a similar fashion, first dropping on BBC iPlayer at midnight, before being broadcast on BBC One at a scheduled time.
What has been said about the changed Doctor Who schedule?
In previous years, Doctor Who has always aired on BBC One first, usually at a time between 5pm and 9pm, on a Saturday or a Sunday.
When the change in schedule was announced earlier this year, with a switch to the BBC iPlayer-first model at midnight, some fans criticised the move, arguing that they wouldn’t be able to stay up so late to watch the episodes, and worried about getting them spoiled on social media before seeing them.
There was also criticism that the change would mean the show lost its ability to generate instant social media discussion, with fans watching the show together at the same time and discussing it online as it went out.
When the news was announced, former showrunner and returning guest writer Steven Moffat commented on a post by showrunner Russell T Davies saying: “Wait, WHAT??? Two brand new Doctor Who stories ON THE SAME DAY?? This is a whole new level of INSANE GREATNESS!!”.
He then went on to jokingly acknowledging the fan response, saying: “Speaking as a fan, I can’t wait to complain about it!!!”
Meanwhile, Davies wrote in an issue of Doctor Who Magazine that the new release schedule gave fans more choice, saying: “You’re not having to change your habits to fit the show, the show is changing to fit you. And it’s changing to adopt the patterns of all modern TV shows. Yes, I think all of them, very soon. This is the future, and it’s here, right now.”
He added that fans should manage their online activity on a Saturday to avoid being spoiled, while caveating: “I’m not making light of this. I can hear the worries. It’s easy to say ‘stay offline’ when your health or job or nature might make that impossible. And I’m sorry, because then, yes, spoilers will fly.
“Unfortunately, there’s always been a subset of viewers hitting the spoiler problem, like the tons of people who work Saturdays and on night shifts. They’ve had to negotiate this for years. So there has never been a transmission pattern in the digital age that’s perfect for everyone.
“And to be honest. If you’re that online, and cannot change… folks, you stand a high chance of getting spoiled anyway. Before transmission. That’s the modern world. Beyond my control.”
How many episodes are in Doctor Who season 14?
There will be eight episodes in total in Doctor Who season 14, with the titles, writers and directors already having been announced for each.
You can find a full list here:
- Space Babies – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Julie Anne Robinson.
- The Devil’s Chord – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Ben Chessell.
- Boom – Writer: Steven Moffat. Director: Julie Anne Robinson.
- 73 Yards – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Dylan Holmes Williams.
- Dot and Bubble – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Dylan Holmes Williams.
- Rogue – Writers: Kate Herron and Briony Redman. Director: Ben Chessell.
- The Legend of Ruby Sunday – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Jamie Donoughue.
- Empire of Death – Writer: Russell T Davies. Director: Jamie Donoughue.
Doctor Who will return on Saturday 11th May on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.