BritBox subscribers, rejoice! The online streaming site is about to increase its library of Doctor Who episodes significantly, with six classic Dalek stories made available for the first time on Halloween!
If you’ve enjoyed Doctor Who on BritBox at all, but still wish there could be more of the Classic Series available, then you’re going to love this piece of news. On October 31st, BritBox will be having a night that celebrates the Daleks in a big way with ExtermiNITE!: Night of the Killing Daleks!
Not only will they be focusing on the classic pepper pot monsters. They’re bringing in stories that have never been on BritBox before. Six stories, in fact, all featuring the Doctor’s greatest enemies.
I’m really surprised that this piece of news has slipped under the radar so easily. I’ve only seen some news coverage on sister site Hidden Remote and The British TV Place. And it’s surprising, because this is significant news for fans of Classic Who.
BritBox’s collection is incredibly big. In fact, it has one of the biggest library of Doctor Who episodes online for streaming. The only stories it doesn’t include are most of the incomplete ones and just a few complete Dalek stories. Until now.
Along with the classic serial Day of the Daleks, many other Dalek stories will be available on BritBox for the first time on Halloween.
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: BBC Press.)
A more complete collection
Why were these stories not available on BritBox before, like most of Classic Doctor Who? I’d imagine the rights were simply trickier to negotiate, as the Terry Nation Estate actually owns the Daleks. And they do seem to be very protective of them.
But of course, why were so many Dalek stories already online? Well, it’s interesting to note that, with the exception of The Power of the Daleks and Frontier in Space, all of the stories previously available had been written by Terry Nation.
Regardless of why some were or weren’t available before, the fact is that the remaining complete stories soon will be, and I couldn’t be more excited about that.
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Just a couple of months ago, I was praising the underrated little gem that is Day of the Daleks, for covering similar themes of time travel in storytelling years before the first Terminator film was released. And, just this month, I discussed how Remembrance of the Daleks was one of the very best Dalek stories ever. It’s fantastic to know that a wider audience will soon be able to check out both of these brilliant stories.
Other stories that you’ll get to see include Planet of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks. In addition to those key Dalek stories, The Five Doctors will also be available to watch. This features a Dalek very, very briefly, but it is still worth watching because, well, you know. Five Doctors. (Well, kind of, anyway.)
I’ll be covering these stories in more detail at a later point. Let’s just be glad that, finally, some noticeable gaps in our BritBox collection will finally be filled.
Are you glad that more Dalek stories are finally coming to BritBox? Out of the ones that will soon be available to watch online, which are you a fan of? What are you eager to watch for the first time? Let us know in the comments below.