In the early 21st century, the mainstream landscape for TV and film in the world of science fiction was significantly different than today. Now, despite turmoil and constant scrutiny, when one Star Trek or Star Wars film or movie ends, a new project is already in the works. The X-Men are back on TV. From For All Mankind to Silo and Dune: Prophecy, the number of epic sci-fi shows is a normal part of the current zeitgeist. But in 2005, Doctor Who brought back a crowd-pleasing, heroic sci-fi to television, and the geek world was never the same.
But for American fans, watching Doctor Who since 2005 has always been a little like being Amy Pond, waiting for the Doctor to return. During Season 1 of the Christopher Eccleston era, and Season 2 of David Tennant’s tenure, Doctor Who aired on the SyFy Channel, and by the Matt Smith era in 2010, the show aired on BBC America, which remained the case through the Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker eras. But streaming the series was slightly more inconsistent. Doctor Who was on Netflix for a spell, and during the Whittaker years, new episodes ended up on AMC+. More recently, prior to the Disney+ era and Ncuti Gatwa, the 2005-2022 version of the show was streaming on HBO Max until July 2025. And now, the entire modern era of Doctor Who (minus Gatwa and the 2023 Tennant specials) is finally all in one place again.
