Could BBC1 Miss A UK Doctor Who Premier For The First Time Ever?

Could BBC1 Miss A UK Doctor Who Premier For The First Time Ever?

Belinda and the Doctor standing next to the TARDIS and looking open-mouthed with excitement. Belinda is holding the Doctor's arm.
Belinda and the Doctor standing next to the TARDIS and looking open-mouthed with excitement. Belinda is holding the Doctor’s arm.

Things might be about to get very timey-wimey, as it seems Doctor’s Who’s Eurovision-inspired episode is in danger of not getting a BBC One transmission – because of the real-life Eurovision Song Contest.

The sixth episode of the show’s upcoming 15th season, which comes from writer Juno Dawson, is titled The Interstellar Song Contest, and will see Rylan Clark guest starring as one of the hosts of the space-bound version of Eurovision.

Rylan Clark and Julie Dray as Sabine in Doctor Who
Rylan Clark and Julie Dray as Sabine in Doctor Who

It’s set to be released on BBC iPlayer at 8am on the same day as this year’s Eurovision grand final, but Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has revealed there is currently a question mark over whether it will get a BBC One transmission like the season’s other episodes.

Speaking during a Q&A for the new run, Davies said:
 
“The most exciting week of all is the Eurovision week, because that afternoon is the FA Cup Final live on BBC One. At 8 o’clock at night is Eurovision live across Europe.

“We’re in the middle. If the football has lots of goals and things, going into extra time and penalties, we get crushed in the middle.”

He continued:

“It’s like we cannot move – the football can’t move, Eurovision can’t move. So we genuinely don’t know if we’ll be transmitted that day. It’ll be on the iPlayer, but you’ll have to sit there that day.

“I’ll have to sit through a f**king football match to find out whether Doctor Who’s going out that night.

“They said to us, ‘Do you want to move it?’ and I said, ‘That’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever heard. Let’s find out if we’re transmitting. Let’s feel alive.’ So that Saturday is going to be fun.”

Season 15’s scheduling is slightly different than the previous run – episodes will now stream on iPlayer from 8am UK time, rather than midnight.

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