David Farnor | On 31, Mar 2016

Doctor Who Season 8 landed on Netflix UK today, as the SVOD giant’s deal with the BBC shows no sign of stopping.

Earlier this year, there was some doubt over whether the Beeb would continue to provide programmes to stream on the SVOD service, with a horde of titles, including Doctor Who, Spooks and Sherlock, all set to be removed on 30th March 2016. On the final day of the month, though, the broadcaster surprised subscribers by not only apparently renewing the rights to several series, but also adding a wave of new titles.

“Our position hasn’t changed with regards to licensing our content to SVOD platforms,” the BBC confirmed with us when the pending removals became apparent.

Indeed, Fawlty Towers, David Attenborough’s Life and other BBC series were previously set to be removed on 30th March 2014, suggesting that the Beeb’s SVOD deals with Netflix are often agreed around this time of year.

Today, Doctor Who’s Season 8 – the maiden season of Peter Capaldi – led the charge of new arrivals (although 2013 specials The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor remain absent), accompanied by fellow space lover Brian Cox, whose Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe were also added. BBC comedies, including a double-bill of Twenty Twelve and W1A, also arrived, alongside the cancelled House of Fools.

Attenborough in Paradise, Bob Servant Independent, Fry’s Planet Word, Hidden Kingdoms and Zen have all been removed, along with two seasons of Top Gear. Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip, however, remains on Netflix UK.
Amazon Prime Video users, meanwhile, have proven less fortunate, with only Season 7 of Doctor Who currently available to stream. None of today’s new titles on Netflix UK have been added to Amazon Prime Video. Indeed, all of the below BBC titles were removed as warned from Amazon Prime Video, with exception of Luther: Season 3, Outnumbered: Season 4 and 5, and Sherlock: Season 3. There are now just 12 BBC titles available on Amazon Prime Video UK:

Sherlock: Season 3
Luther: Season 3
Doctor Who: Season 7
Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
Doctor Who: The 11th Doctor Specials
Top of the Lake: Season 1
The Fear: Season 1
Orphan Black: Season 1
Outnumbered: Season 4 and 5
Ripper Street: Season 1 and 2

With Amazon Prime Video in the US recently signing an exclusive deal with the BBC for Doctor Who, it remains yet to be seen whether Netflix is moving into a similar arrangement with the broadcaster for UK audiences.

In the meantime, here’s a full list of today’s new BBC arrivals on Netflix UK:

Absolutely Fabulous: Seasons 1 to 5 and Specials
Silent Witness: Season 16 to 18
The Honourable Woman
Wonders of Life
Wonders of the Universe
Wonders of the Solar System
W1A: Season 1
House of Fools: Season 1
The Musketeers: Season 1 and 2
Jonathan Creek: Season 4 and 5
Twenty Twelve: Season 1 and 2
Doctor Who: Season 8
Death in Paradise: Season 1 to 3

For more on what’s coming soon to Netflix UK, click here.

 

Original story as published on 6th March below.

Bye bye, Doctor Who? BBC shows to leave Amazon Prime Video and Netflix UK

Update: The majority of BBC shows listed as expiring from Netflix UK below now appear to have had their licences renewed.

According to uk.newonetflix.info, as of 9th March, the following BBC titles are still to be removed from Netflix UK on 30th March: Attenborough in Paradise, Bob Servant Independent, Fry’s Planet Word, Hidden Kingdoms, Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip, Zen.

Other BBC titles, such as Spooks, Top Gear, Parade’s End, Snse & Sensibility, The Thick of It, Planet Earth and the original House of Cards, will remain on the SVOD service, despite previous warnings to the contrary.

As of 9th March, the BBC titles listed below as expiring on Amazon Prime Video are still set to be removed, however. Indeed, Twitter users still report that messages are showing on Netflix UK warning that Doctor Who will be removed at the end of March 2016. Watch this space for more news.

Original post below:

Last month, we reported that a large number of BBC shows would be leaving Amazon Prime Video UK in the near future. Now, we can confirm that BBC series are also set to depart Netflix UK, in what could prove a landmark landslide of content.

TV series such as Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Luther, Miranda, Sherlock and Spooks are all about to disappear from Prime Video’s subscription line-up, according to Amazon, although the exact date of departure is not currently confirmed. According to uk.newonnetflix.info, meanwhile, Spooks, That Mitchell and Webb Look, The Thick of It and Top Gear will expire on Netflix UK on 30th March 2016, along with a range of other shows.

The sudden departure of BBC titles would leave subscribers to either VOD platform with no free access to the original House of Cards trilogy, Fawlty Towers, Extras, Parade’s End and more. The dates and titles departing currently vary between the sites, but if the departures indicate the overall expiry of rights between the BBC and the SVOD platforms, then you can expect all of the titles to be removed eventually. Indeed, while Doctor Who is currently confirmed as leaving Amazon Prime Video in the near future, there is no official expiry date for the programme on Netflix UK (the site usually makes its upcoming removals public approximately a month in advance). The Independent, however, reports that the sci-fi series will be removed from Netflix in May 2016.

The news arrives as the BBC has launched its own streaming platform, BBC Store, designed to sell titles that are no longer available on BBC iPlayer – a key part in the corporation’s revenue generation in the digital age. When the site launched in November 2015, Dan Phelan, Head of Communications UK at BBC Worlwide, told us that the BBC would “continue to licence programmes” to SVOD platforms, as BBC Store operates under an ownership model rather than a streaming model.

“Our position hasn’t changed with regards to licensing our content to SVOD platforms,” the BBC confirmed with us this weekend.

That means that there is a possibility that these expiring rights could be renewed, not unlike the situation that unfolded with Channel 4 recently, as the broadcaster sought to place emphasis on its relaunched VOD service, All 4. While many shows were removed from both Amazon Prime Video UK and Netflix UK, Babylon, Skins and Top Boy are all now available on Netflix, while Black Mirror, Complicit, Friday Night Dinner, Southcliffe, Peep Show, My Mad Fat Diary, Nathan Barley, Skins and Top Boy are back on Amazon Prime Video. Indeed, The Independent reports that there is “a chance” Doctor Who may stay on Netflix UK after May.

These situations can change quickly, as deals are negotiated and broadcasters increasingly seek ways to monetise their content – a small number of ITV shows are also set to depart Amazon Prime Video UK. For now, though, the below BBC titles are currently set to be removed from Netflix UK and Amazon Prime Video in the coming weeks and months. You have been warned.

BBC titles leaving Amazon Prime Video UK (dates TBC)

Absolutely Fabulous: Seasons 1 to 5, 9
Ashes to Ashes: Season 1 to 3
Blackadder: Season 1 and 2
Bottom: Season 1 to 3
Call the Midwife: Season 1 to 2
Come Fly with Me: Season 1
Doctor Who: Season 1 to 7, Specials
Doctor Who: The Movie
Extras: Season 1 to 3
Fawlty Towers: Season 1 and 2
Gavin and Stacey: Season 1 and 2
House of Cards (BBC)
Hustle: Season 1 to 8
Ideal: Season 1 to 7
Last Tango in Halifax: Season 1
Life on Mars: Season 1 and 2
Little Britain: Season 1 to 3
Luther: Seasons 1 to 3
Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow: Season 1 and 2
Miranda: Season 1
Only Fools and Horses: Season 1 to 3
Only Fools and Horses: Specials
Outnumbered: Season 1 to 4
Parade’s End
Persuasian (2009)
Pride and Prejudice (BBC)
Red Dwarf: Season 1 to 8
Robin Hood: Season 1 to 3
Rome: Season 1 and 2
Sherlock: Season 1 to 3
Spooks: Season 1 to 9
The Mighty Boosh: Season 1 to 3
The Office: Season 1 to 3
The Thick of It: Season 1 to 3, 5, Specials
Top Gear: Best of 2011

BBC titles leaving Netflix UK (30th March)

Africa
Attenborough in Paradise
Bob Servant Independent
Daniel Deronda
Death in Paradise
Extras
Fawlty Towers
Fry’s Planet Word
Hidden Kingdoms
Hiroshima
House of Cards Trilogy
Life
Louis Theroux: LA Stories
The Office
Parade’s End
Planet Earth
Rock & Chips
The Royle Family
The Secret of Crickley Hall
Sense & Sensibility
Spooks
Survivors
That Mitchell and Webb Look
The Thick of It
Top Gear
Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip
The Wrong Mans
Yellowstone: Battle for Life
Zen

Photo: BBC / Adrian Rogers

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