Doctorwho - Viewership - International

International

New Zealand was the first country outside the United Kingdom to screen Doctor Who, beginning in September 1964, and continued to screen the series for many years, including the new series from 2005. In Canada, the series debuted in January 1965, but the CBC only aired the first 26 episodes. TVOntario picked up the show in 1976 beginning with The Three Doctors and aired each series (several years late) through to series 24 in 1991. From 1979 to 1981, TVO airings were bookended by science-fiction writer Judith Merril who would introduce the episode and then, after the episode concluded, try to place it in an educational context in keeping with TVO's status as an educational channel. Its airing of The Talons of Weng-Chiang was cancelled as a result of accusations that the story was racist; the story was later broadcast in the 1990s on cable station YTV. CBC began showing the series again in 2005. The series moved to the Canadian cable channel Space in 2009.

In Latin America, the original series — known as Doctor Misterio – was shown in Venezuela from 1967; Mexico (Televisa) from 1968, then later syndicated from 1979; and Chile from 1969.

In Australia, it has been exclusively first run since January 1965 on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC1, and periodically repeated—including screening all available episodes for the show's 40th anniversary in 2003. Repeats have also been shown on the subscription television channel UK.TV and more recently on the Australian SciFi channel. The station also broadcast the first run of the revived series, on ABC1, with repeats on ABC2. UK.TV also shows repeats of the revived series. ABC also provided partial funding for the 20th anniversary special episode The Five Doctors.

The series also has a fan base in the United States, where it was shown in syndication from the 1970s to the 1990s, particularly on PBS stations.

Only four episodes have ever had their premiere showings on channels other than BBC One. The 1983 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors had its début on 23 November (the actual date of the anniversary) on a number of PBS stations two days prior to its BBC One broadcast. The 1988 story Silver Nemesis was broadcast with all three episodes airing back to back on TVNZ in New Zealand in November, after the first episode had been shown in the UK but before the final two instalments had aired there. Finally, the 1996 television film premièred on 12 May 1996 on CITV in Edmonton, Canada, 15 days before the BBC One showing, and two days before it aired on Fox in the United States.

As of March 2012, the revived series has been, or is currently, broadcast weekly in about 50 countries, including the following:

  • Australia (ABC1, UK.TV)
  • Austria (Pro 7)
  • Belgium (Één (canceled after first series), Syfy Universal (new series S01-..), Acht (from series 5), La Deux (dubbed in French))
  • Brazil (TV Cultura (dubbed in Portuguese))
  • Bulgaria (AXN Sci Fi, Diema 2 – note: AXN Sci Fi Broadcasts Doctor Who for 5 more countries at the same time)
  • Canada (Space, Ztélé (dubbed in French))
  • Chile (On DirecTV)
  • Croatia (Croatian Radiotelevision)
  • Czech Republic (AXN Sci-Fi)
  • Denmark (Danmarks Radio, TV2)
  • Finland (TV2, MTV3 Scifi)
  • France (France 4)
  • Germany (RTL & VOX – ), (ProSieben & Syfy – ), Fox Channel – )
  • Greece (Skai TV)
  • Guatemala (BBC Entertainment)
  • Hong Kong (ATV World, BBC Entertainment)
  • Hungary (AXN Sci Fi, RTL Klub)
  • Iceland (RÚV)
  • India (BBC Entertainment)
  • Indonesia (RCTI,Global TV (Indonesia),MNCTV)
  • Ireland (TV3)
  • Israel (yes stars Action HD, BBC Entertainment, Yes SCI FI)
  • Italy (Rai 4 and Jimmy (new series), Rai 1 (classic series)), La7, Bonsai TV (IPTV channel))
  • Japan (NHK BS2 (series 1 and 2), LaLa TV (series 1 and 2, series 3 starting from December 2011))
  • Mexico (BBC Entertainment, Televisión Mexiquense)
  • The Netherlands (Syfy Universal)
  • New Zealand (Prime TV, UKTV)
  • Norway (NRK)
  • Philippines (Studio 23)
  • Poland (BBC Entertainment, BBC HD)
  • Portugal (SIC Radical, BBC Entertainment, SyFy)
  • Romania (TVR, AXN Sci Fi)
  • Russia (STS TV, Syfy Universal, NST, Karusel, Nick at Nite)
  • Serbia (B92)
  • Singapore (BBC Entertainment)
  • Slovenia (RTV Slovenia)
  • South Africa (BBC Entertainment)
  • South Korea (KBS2 (dubbed in Korean), Fox and BBC Entertainment (subtitled in Korean))
  • Spain (Sci Fi Channel and Boing (dubbed in Spanish), TV3, 3XL and BBC Entertainment (dubbed in Catalan), ETB 1 (dubbed in Basque), Telemadrid(dubbed in Spanish))
  • Sweden (BBC Entertainment, BBC HD, TV4 Guld, Kanal 9, SVT)
  • Switzerland (Pro 7)
  • Taiwan (CTS)
  • Thailand (Channel 7)
  • Turkey (Cine5, CNBC-e, e2)
  • Ukraine (ICTV (in 2008), QTV (in 2010))
  • United Arab Emirates (Dubai 33)
  • United States (Syfy (first run and repeats of Series 1 – 4), BBC America (first run of 2009/2010 specials and Series 5 – 6, repeats of all Series), and PBS (repeats of classic and new series)
  • Style UK (part of Showtime Arabia) for Middle-Eastern, North Africa and Levant areas

Doctor Who is one of the five top grossing titles for BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm. BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith has said that Doctor Who is one of a small number of "Superbrands" which Worldwide will promote heavily.

A special logo has been designed for the Japanese broadcast with the katakana "ドクター・フー" (romanised as Dokutā Fū). The series has apparently "mystified" viewers in Japan where it has been broadcast in a late evening time slot, leading to some not realising it is a family show.

For the Canadian broadcast, Christopher Eccleston recorded special video introductions for each episode (including a trivia question as part of a viewer contest) and excerpts from the Doctor Who Confidential documentary were played over the closing credits; for the broadcast of "The Christmas Invasion" on 26 December 2005, Billie Piper recorded a special video introduction. CBC began airing series two on 9 October 2006 at 20:00 E/P (20:30 in Newfoundland and Labrador), shortly after that day's CFL double header on Thanksgiving in most of the country.

Series three began broadcasting on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2007. It began broadcasting on CBC on 18 June 2007 followed by the second Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride" at midnight, and the Sci Fi Channel began on 6 July 2007 starting with the second Christmas special at 8:00 pm E/P followed by the first episode.

Series four aired in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel (now known as Syfy), beginning in April 2008. It aired on CBC beginning 19 September 2008, although the CBC did not air the Voyage of the Damned special. The Canadian cable network Space broadcast "The Next Doctor" (in March 2009) and all subsequent seasons and specials.

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