The BBC and Disney+ have confirmed the start-date for Doctor Who Series 15, i.e. season 2 with Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, and further that the controversial midnight streaming drop has been canned.

Series 15 will indeed start on 12th April 2025, as previously revealed by an early Doctor Who teaser trailer broadcast as part of the half-time ads during the BBC Sport coverage of Under-20s Six Nations Rugby.

And in contrast to the previous season, for which episodes were added to streaming services at midnight in the UK, episodes of Series 15 are going to be available from 8am (GMT) on BBC iPlayer before airing on BBC1 later the same day. This now arguably prioritises UK viewers, as episode will begin streaming in the US on Saturday mornings from 12am to 3am, depending on the time zone.

Last year, after backlash over the midnight UK drops, showrunner Russell T Davies, said:

“You’re not having to change your habits to fit the show; the show is changing to fit you. And it’s adapting to the patterns of modern TV shows, which I believe will soon be the norm. This is the future, and it’s already here… Stay up! Have a party! This includes kids, too — many children attended midnight releases of new Harry Potter books. It was part of the excitement, a story they would remember for years.”

It appears, then, that the future has changed. Maybe we can pin that on Sutekh — he tries to change time. But in actuality, this is a more sensible notion. Not perfect, of course, but we need to pick our own battles.

The DWC will continue posting polls after each episode airs on BBC1.

The next series will be comprised of eight episodes, so, unless it’s a two-episode premiere as with Series 14, this means the season should conclude on 31st May 2025. There could be other changes, naturally, but this a fair bet at any rate.

So: Doctor Who is back on 12th April 2025. Hoorah!