Wondering why Doctor Who is leaving Max? As the long-running sci-fi series prepares to exit the platform, fans face major changes in where and how to watch the Doctor’s adventures. With no new home announced and future seasons uncertain, the show’s streaming future remains unclear.
Here’s what to know about its removal and what it means for the series.
Here’s when and why Doctor Who is leaving Max
Max has confirmed that all 13 seasons of the modern-era Doctor Who reboot will leave the platform on July 31, 2025. Its spin-off Torchwood will exit earlier, on July 26.
These removals cover episodes from 2005 to 2022, featuring Doctors played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker. No one has confirmed a new streaming home yet.
Currently, viewers can find Doctor Who content split across multiple platforms. Tubi and BritBox stream the classic episodes from 1963 to 1989. Disney+ exclusively hosts Seasons 14 and 15, which star Ncuti Gatwa. The latest season ends with Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. So far, the BBC has not commissioned any additional seasons.
In a production diary published in Doctor Who Magazine, showrunner Russell T Davies wrote, “We don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page … Hopefully, we’ll have news soon” (via Deadline). A Doctor Who source added, “This letter is a production notes diary for when the show is in production, or on air, and as Russell has stated within the piece, it is a pause.”
Tom Spilsbury, former editor of Doctor Who Magazine, wrote on the Gallifrey Base forum: “I suspect the show will indeed come back at some point, but as of right now, nothing is commissioned and nothing is guaranteed.” He cited delays in television production and uncertainty around the Disney co-funding agreement. “On the assumption that Disney doesn’t renew before its option officially expires, that will be the point when the BBC can start to shop the show around” (via Parade).
According to Spilsbury: “My guess—and it is just a guess—is that it will be five or six years before we see anything new.”
