Streaming service Twitch is to host 500 classic Doctor Who episodes as it continues to grow beyond the confines of video games streaming.

The platform will offer viewers the chance to catch up with some 500 episodes of the cult sci-fi show that originally aired on the BBC between 1963 and 1989, starting on May 29th. The news will be of particular interest to US viewers, who currently have to turn to Amazon Prime (or BritBox) for their Doctor Who fix. In the UK we’re still able to watch Doctor Who on Netflix.

The plan is for eight hours of Doctor Who to be streamed per day, with each eight-hour block then looped for 24 hours (for international audiences) before the episodes are rotated.

There will also be prizes for those who join in. Watching 10 minutes of the show enters you into a prize draw to win a fan pack that includes a Tardis money box, themed Monopoly set and Doctor Who doormat. The grand prize is a trip to London Comic Con.

Time and relative dimension in space

“Before Daleks became a modern sci-fi staple, and before Weeping Angels made Whovians too scared to sleep, Doctor Who was a bold and quirky sci-fi show with hundreds of classic episodes,” Twitch said.

“Together we’ll make our way through the first seven Doctors spanning 26 seasons. Come relive (or experience for the first time ever) the origins of the iconic Daleks, the Cybermen, and the trusty Sonic Screwdriver.”

The deal does not include post-revival Doctor Who, so don’t expect episodes featuring the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) or Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi). Or, by the sounds of it, the 1996 movie – something that many fans will be delighted about.

The announcement comes after reports yesterday that material other than streamed games will form an increasingly important part of Twitch’s offering.

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