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It’s nearly time. If you want to make sure you’re all set for Jodie Whittaker’s historical debut as Thirteen this week, you need to be primed and ready. Here’s how to watch Doctor Who in both the UK and US, so no matter what side of the Atlantic you’re on, you won’t miss out on the season 11 premiere.
We’ve even included the timey-wimey madness of different time zones for BBC America's simulcast of the first episode. Plus, hey, if you want to squeeze in as much Who as you can before October 7 (and why not?), here’s how to watch Doctor Who from the reboot’s humble beginnings with Christopher Eccleston's Nine and Rose, right through to Peter Capaldi’s Christmas goodbye. Allonz-y!
How to watch Doctor Who in the UK
Doctor Who season 11 kicks off on October 7, 2018 on BBC One at 6:45pm BST. Don’t forget: that’s a Sunday; the show has been shifted from its regularly-scheduled Saturday slot. There’s ten episodes in the season, so expect the season 11 finale to air on December 9, 2018 with the Christmas Special coming a few weeks later on December 25.
You can then catch up on iPlayer for up to 30 days after release, plus you have the ability to download each episode to watch at your leisure for up to 30 days, too.
Fancy a binge with Capaldi and co? You’re in luck. The first nine seasons of the show, plus the 2016 Christmas Special are all available on Netflix. The Doctor Who BBC iPlayer page also has all 10 seasons available until November.
If you're looking to catch up after November, unfortunately, your only course of action would be to purchase Doctor Who season 10 on Amazon Video. Or, you can fire up a VPN (see below) and browse through Amazon Prime US.
How to watch Doctor Who in the US
It’s a little more straightforward Stateside. As long as you have an Amazon Prime account, you can watch all 10 seasons of Doctor Who’s post-2005 reboot, plus all additional Christmas specials.
BBC America holds the rights for the US broadcast of the new season. In fact, it’s going above and beyond this year by carrying the Doctor Who season 11 premiere in simulcast, meaning it’ll be shown at exactly the same time as the UK, and then shown later in the day at prime-time. That's 10:45am PT and 1:45pm ET.
If you don't have access to BBC America though, or you want to watch the new season in your own time, figuring out how to watch Doctor Who on demand in the US is a little trickier. You’ll have to dive into VPN territory – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
It’s pretty simple: You need to download and install a VPN - we recommend ExpressVPN for all-round quality and ease-of-use - and then open up the app or VPN and choose a location in the UK, such as London or Manchester.
Then you’re going to want to head on over to TVPlayer, which will let you watch Doctor Who season 11 every Sunday as it airs. There’s also an on-demand option if you want to watch via catch up, but you'll have to pay for it. You’ll need to sign up to its TV Player Plus service, which will give you access to its catch up selection, including the Doctor Who season 11 premiere.
For more viewing guides to some of best new TV shows this year, find out how to watch Doctor Who and how to watch Bodyguard, no matter where you are in the world.
