Doctor Who Episode Pulled From Streaming by BBC

BBC has pulled an episode of Doctor Who from its streaming service over the appearance of a controversial figure. BBC iPlayer is the UK broadcaster’s on-demand streaming service that allows subscribers to watch programs such as Doctor Who. The show features a rotating cast of actors taking on the role of the Time Lord, who travels through different universes using a TARDIS spaceship. However, according to Deadline, one of the Doctor Who episodes, titled “Fear Her,” is no longer available to stream on BBC’s Player after news anchor Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to indecent child image charges.

Huw Edwards’ voice can be heard in a new clip on the “Fear Her” episode, which originally aired in the second season of Doctor Who featuring David Tennant and Billie Piper. Archived internet records show “Fear Her” still being on the Player platform as recently as last month. The description of “Fear Her” reads, “The Doctor has brought Rose to see the Olympics, but a girl threatens billions of lives.” Edwards’ voice is heard responding to an incident at a sports stadium when a girl named Chloe Webber makes everyone disappear.

“My God, what’s going on here? The crowd has just vanished, right in front of my eyes,” Edwards says in the now-removed footage. “It’s impossible. Bob, can we go to you in the box? Bob? Not you too?”

BBC has also removed an episode of The Great British Menu from iPlayer that had Huw Edwards on as a guest judge.

Doctor Who spinoff announced at San Diego Comic-Con

Disney Branded Television and BBC announced The War Between the Land and the Sea, an upcoming Doctor Who spinoff series, during the Friday of San Diego Comic-Con. The announcement revealed the five-part series’ cast includes Russell Tovey (Feud, American Horror Story: NYC) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface, Loki) alongside some familiar faces from Doctor Who in Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim. As The War Between the Land and the Sea‘s title hints, the series brings back a classic Doctor Who species, the Sea Devils, last seen in “Legend of the Sea Devils,” one of the 2022 Doctor Who specials.

The official synopsis for The War Between the Land and the Sea reads, “When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.” Doctor Who showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies created The War Between the Land and the Sea and wrote the series with Pete McTighe (A Discovery of Witches, The Pact, Doctor Who).