How to watch Doctor Who in the UK, US and abroad
Read our guide for an up-to-date list of ways to catch your favourite Doctor in action
Are you suffering from Doctor Who separation anxiety? Are you struggling to sleep at night because you miss the beloved Jodie Whittaker? Then fear not, as we’ve collated a list of sites for you to watch all the series from the Christopher Eccleston era onwards.
For decades, Doctor Who has been a pillar of British TV, lauded as our most-loved show and attracting huge attention for its ever-changing lead. If you’re not already familiar with the show, then what follows is our best attempt to sum up the show in a single paragraph:
Set in various galaxies and time periods, Doctor Who follows the Doctor – along with his famous sonic screwdriver – and his assistant as they fight to save the world. Together they travel in their tardis to fight off all manner of bad guys ranging from crying angels to emojibots. Truly terrifying stuff.
Although we’re talking about the reboot that bought the Doctor back to our screens, it would be shameful not to mention the Doctor Who series that started it all. The original series graced our screens in 1963-1989; the very first Doctor was played by William Hartnell, marking the beginning of the craze that has influenced British pop culture for decades.
While the originals can be found as box sets on Amazon, the following recommendations on where to watch it are for the newer series that started up again in 2005.
How to watch Doctor Who in the UK: Netflix
Thankfully, you can stream all episodes of the Doctor Who reboot on Netflix. A Standard Netflix account starts at £8.99 a month. This lets you stream Netflix on any two devices in HD. Upgrading to the Premium plan will cost you £11.99 a month but this lets you stream Netflix simultaneously on four devices at the same time in UHD. If you’re already a subscriber, sit back and relax as you stream the Time Lord to your heart’s content.
How to watch Doctor Who in the UK: BBC iPlayer
Doctor Who is produced by the BBC, so it’s no surprise that all its episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. So long as you pay for your TV license and have internet access on a laptop, smartphone or Xbox One, Playstation 3 or 4, you can watch all Doctor Who episodes (since the 2005 reboot) for free on BBC iPlayer via the website or relevant apps for each platform.
How to watch Doctor Who in the UK: Amazon Prime Video
Unfortunately, Doctor Who is not available to stream on Amazon Prime. However, it is available to purchase from Amazon Video. Episodes start at £1.89 for the first five seasons and rise to £2.50 for the following seasons. Alternatively, you can buy the entire series, with prices ranging from £12.50 (season one) to £21 (season eleven).
Last but not least, you could go old school and purchase a physical box set from Amazon. The most recent series can be purchased for £24, with previous series all being available for similar prices. There are also box set bundles that include seasons 1-7 plus extras for £130.
How to watch Doctor Who in the US and abroad: use a good VPN service
The only way to get your Time Lord fix when you’re away from home is to use a good VPN service. Apart from letting you access BBC iPlayer and the UK versions of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video outside the UK, a good ‘virtual private network’ will also shield your browsing traffic from everyone, including your ISP, keeping you completely anonymous.
While there are many VPN services available, the ones we’ve chosen below are perfect for video streaming and can be used simultaneously on multiple devices – including PCs, mobile phones, tablets and even gaming consoles. Both VPNs also have 24/7 online customer support and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with the service.
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ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN is our number VPN service and for good reason. It’s not only the fastest VPN service we’ve used, but it’s also one of the very few that has been independently audited to prove that it doesn’t log or store any user data whosoever. Our readers can save 49% when they sign up for the one-year plan.
Cyberghost VPN: Among all the worldwide video streaming services, the BBC iPlayer is particularly hard to access if you live abroad. Along with ExpressVPN, CyberGhost is another VPN that successfully manages to give you access to BBC iPlayer regardless of where you’re browsing from. The service supports seven simultaneous connections and its three-year plan will only cost you £2.1 a month.