Doctor Who Classic is quickly becoming one of my favorite YouTube channels. For the past couple of months, it has been uploading entire Doctor Who serials daily. This is impressive enough, especially since a huge portion of the Classic Series is now free to watch on the YouTube channel.
But last weekend, they went one step further by releasing an entire season in one massive YouTube video. We’ve seen lengthy compilations released on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, of course. But these have generally been a compilation of selected clips highlighting either a theme, a season, or an entire era. But this is the first time we’ve seen an entire season of Who uploaded in one go.
Of course, what likely helps – and a key reason why Season 17 was selected as the first full season for the channel – is that all the individual stories of the season have been uploaded already. Beginning with the much-loved "City of Death", Season 17's serials were gradually uploaded in random order from Dec 16, 2024, to Jan 15, 2025.
What is/isn't missing?
Having said that, eagle-eyed fans might be disappointed to see that one story is technically missing from the compilation. I say “technically”, because while the story was meant to be released as part of Season 17, it wasn’t broadcast. At least, not until 2017.
Yes, I am of course referring to “Shada”. In case you’re unaware of the story, “Shada” was meant to be the final serial of Season 17, but production of the story was interrupted due to strike action. By the time the strike finished, it was decided that it was too late to complete the story, so Season 17 was broadcast with just five serials rather than the planned six.
As a result, “Shada” became something of a curiosity to fandom, not least because it was the final Doctor Who story written by the legendary Douglas Adams. Unsurprisingly, there were several attempts to “complete” the story. These included narration, a novelization, and even a new audio production featuring Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor.
But it wasn’t until 2017 that the serial felt truly complete, thanks to newly animated scenes filling in the crucial gaps. Initially released as a movie-length omnibus, a six-part version of the story was released in 2021 as part of Season 17’s Blu-ray release.
Understandable absence
It is easy to see why “Shada” wasn’t included as part of the Season 17 compilation. For one thing, it was never broadcast as part of Season 17 itself, and the partly animated story has yet to be uploaded onto Doctor Who Classic. Still, it’s hard not to notice its absence, although I admit that’s likely a result of seeing it included with other Season 17 serials on Blu-ray.
Still, if you feel like watching an entire season of Classic Who for free – regardless of either Doctor or chronology – then Season 17’s certainly worth a watch. It’s not my favorite Fourth Doctor season, but it is fun, especially if you enjoy Doctor Who with a sense of humor and a style that’s just a little bit silly. (Or, in the case of “The Horns of Nimon”, more than a little bit.)