The BBC is under pressure after viewers accused it of “ruining” Doctor Who by releasing episodes on iPlayer at midnight, hours before their traditional tea-time slot, a change designed to sync with Disney+ overseas. Internal figures provided to Ofcom show scheduling issues became the single largest cause of viewer complaints last year, with 18 logged on one June weekend alone. Fans argue the staggered launch gives American audiences spoilers while forcing UK families off social media to avoid them.
Showrunner Russell T Davies publicly liked posts condemning the plan yet maintains that modern audiences expect on-demand flexibility. In a subsequent Q&A he urged fans to “curate spoiler-free spaces,” saying the midnight slot was the price of Disney’s global deal. The row escalated when the BBC’s own YouTube channel revealed Billie Piper’s surprise cameo from penultimate episode “Wish World” within hours of release.
Meanwhile overnights have continued to slide: April’s “Lux” drew a franchise-low 1.58 million on BBC One. The broadcaster counters that consolidated seven-day viewing exceeds six million and that the series is its top drama for under-35s. Media analysts note that global day-and-date streaming can boost long-tail reach but warn it risks “eroding the show’s cultural ritual” at home.
Facing mounting criticism, the BBC abandoned the early drop for 31 May’s finale “The Reality War,” opting for a worldwide simulcast on BBC One, iPlayer and Disney+. Forum reactions were broadly positive, though many felt the climb-down came too late to restore communal viewing habits.
Complicating matters, industry reports suggest Disney may exit its £100 million co-financing pact, with Netflix and Max touted as potential successors. Until a new deal is struck, observers say the BBC must balance international ambition with the domestic expectation that Doctor Who remains a Saturday-night institution.