Disney+ is screwing British Doctor Who fans with a global rollout strategy

The latest series of Doctor who will debut on iPlayer and globally on Disney+ at midnight in the United Kingdom. The first two hour-long episodes are released on May 11, which will then be broadcast on BBC One later that day in prime time. Those who know how time zones work have already guessed this Doctor who will now be available to watch in the US on May 10 at 7:00 PM ET and 4:00 PM PT.

There are many nasty things about life in the UK, one of which is that we are a day behind the US TV schedule. Buzzy shows as Lost were often spoiled by the internet long before they were legally available for viewing here. To curb rampant piracy, shows like Game of Thrones and Inheritance were aired at 2 or 3 in the morning.

That way, ardent viewers could record these broadcasts and watch them before starting work so they don’t get spoiled. Because if you didn’t, you’re going to have to be extremely careful when you walk the Internet. There were very few shows I didn’t spoil for myself, considering I work the internet all damn day.

So you can imagine my horror to learn this Doctor who, one of the crown jewels of the British television firmament, will now be treated in the same way. It’s hard not to feel annoyed, given that most of the series’ funding comes from the license fee paid by the majority of UK TV owners. It seems crazy to me that the global simulcast isn’t tied to the UK broadcast, rather than this obvious setup to ensure the US gets it first. Especially when the alternative is staying up until 2am on a Saturday morning.

(Yes, I know there is precedent for this, The Five Doctors aired on PBS two days before the UK broadcast, and the TV movie aired on Fox twelve days earlier. But that was in the pre-internet heyday, when you didn’t have every big moment from a show shared by its own official social channels seconds after it aired.)