Doctor Who Series 15 Finale Release Time Will Break With (New) Tradition

In news that will come as comfort to traditionalists, the finale of the current series of Doctor Who (which we’ve stubbornly been calling series 15 for consistency, but almost everywhere else is called season two, so take your pick), won’t be released early on BBC iPlayer. As confirmed on the official Doctor Who website, the first time anybody will be able to see the episode will be in an as-yet-unannounced primetime evening BBC One slot on Saturday, May 31. That means no ducking and hiding from potential spoilers in the daytime.

The release strategy means that the episode will be simultaneously available around the world, on BBC One, Disney+ and in the select UK cinemas holding special showings of the current run’s final two episodes, “Wish World”, and “The Reality War”.

Previously, the Disney+-distributed episodes have been made available to stream on BBC iPlayer either at midnight on Fridays (for last year’s series 14) or at 8am on Saturdays (for series 15). Hardcore fans wanting to see the episodes at the earliest opportunity therefore had to stay up late, or get up early and watch them with a bowl of breakfast cereal. Not for the finale.

There are new plot details about that finale, too, straight from showrunner Russell T. Davies:

“The Doctor is doomed, Belinda is lost, Ruby is trapped, UNIT is powerless, the Unholy Trinity rule supreme and the Underverse is rising. And now we can all experience this devastating climax together, all at the same time, with a unique worldwide premiere. I can promise shocks, scares and revelations off the scale. Come and have fun!”

Mention of “The Unholy Trinity” and “the Underverse” is a new tease, and makes it sound like the Doctor and co. will be facing suitably god-like forces. Will the mysterious Mrs Flood be among them? Anita Dobson’s character has followed in Susan Triad’s footsteps by popping up in every episode so far this run, and the true nature of her character is destined to be revealed come the finale.

We also heard from actor Millie Gibson on The One Show around the publicity for “Lucky Day” that villainous podcaster Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King) will be returning for the final episode. Could he form one of the Trinity, or is that trio reserved solely for actual deities? Time will tell.

“Wish World” and “The Reality War” are both written by Russell T Davies and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai, who also called the shots on the 2024 Christmas special “Joy to the World,” guest-starring Nicola Coughlan and Joel Fry. Find out more about the special Doctor Who cinema screenings here, and read our latest review of Inua Ellams and Makalla McPherson’s episode “The Story and the Engine”, with spoilers, here.

Doctor Who airs on Saturdays on BBC One in the UK and streams on Disney+ around the world.

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