How to watch Tales of the TARDIS — the unmissable spinoff ahead of the Doctor Who finale
BBC/Disney+Here’s how to watch the new Tales of the TARDIS episode, and information on why it’s so important to the Doctor Who Season 14 canon.
Doctor Who Season 14 is nearing the end, with only the finale left to come. The Doctor and Ruby Sunday have just encountered their biggest foe yet in the god-like Sutekh, and UNIT is in chaos. That’s a lot to handle, but there’s a new episode of Tales of the TARDIS coming to set some things straight.
You see, the big Sutekh reveal works a lot better for those who know who he is. But if you’re not an long-standing Who fan, you might be a bit confused. Thankfully, Tales of the TARDIS is a spinoff specifically designed to call back to old Doctor Who episodes and encounters.
Here’s how you can find the special Tales of the TARDIS episode, so you can watch the Season 14 finale in the know.
How to watch new Tales of the TARDIS episode
Tales of the TARDIS: Pyramids of Mars airs on Thursday 20th June at 8pm BST on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, before the Season 14 finale arrives the next day.
That’s if you’re in the UK. Right now, there’s no news on whether the Tales of the TARDIS episode will be available on Disney+ or other streaming services, meaning international viewers might have a little wait.
This isn’t anything new. Fans have been complaining about the scattered streaming layout for Doctor Who for a while now.
Disney+ helped fund Doctor Who Season 14, hence the sudden appearance of the show on the platform. (If you’re looking for old episodes prior to this deal, though, you’ll need to spread out across Tubi and Max.)
With that in mind, it’s perfectly possible Disney helped pay for this new Tales of the TARDIS episode, meaning it should arrive on the streamer for US viewers at some point, too.
What is Tales of the TARDIS?
Tales of the TARDIS is a spinoff series that first aired in 2023, bringing together six classic Doctor Who pairings to reflect on past adventures.
It all takes place in the “Memory TARDIS” (or “remembered TARDIS”), and sees past versions of the Doctor and his companions coming together to reminisce about old stories. There were only six episodes produced previously, but now a special episode is being released with Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby.
Other Tales of the TARDIS episodes focused on:
- Episode 1: Fifth Doctor and Tegan
- Episode 2: Second Doctor and Jamie & Zoe
- Episode 3: Sixth Doctor and Peri
- Episode 4: Third Doctor and Jo & Clyde
- Episode 5: First Doctor and Vicky & Steven
- Episode 6: Seventh Doctor and Ace
The new episode will arrive before the Season 14 finale and riff on the old four-part episode arc, ‘Pyramids of Mars’. This original story aired in 1975, and has since been remastered and turned into an omnibus episode with new visual effects.
This was the first time the Doctor encounters Sutekh, who just revealed himself as the main Doctor Who Season 14 villain in ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’ ending.
Do I have to watch it?
Yes, you should watch it, since the new Tales of the TARDIS episode will provide a lot of context for Sutekh and the original ‘Pyramids of Mars’ episode.
It’s a free country, but if you want to make the most out of the big Season 14 finale, it’s worth checking out the new Tales of the TARDIS installment.
BBCIt’s essentially a brief interlude between now and the finale, and will give a lot more insight into Sutekh. There’s a lot of ground for Episode 8 to cover, so it’s worth taking a breather and having the Doctor and Ruby A) recount what’s happened so far, and B) set ourselves up for this big bad confrontation.
The synopsis for the new episode with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson reads: “Tales of the TARDIS: Pyramids of Mars sees the TARDIS land in 1911. In the grounds of the Old Priory, Egyptian mummies are walking and the Doctor and Sarah find that an ancient and powerful evil is menacing mankind.
“And back on board the Remembered TARDIS, the Doctor and Ruby pause in battle to reflect on their recent adventures — all before they fight to save the universe in this Saturday’s highly anticipated season finale Empire of Death. The finale also sees Gabriel Woolf return as the legendary Sutekh, 48 years after his original role as the villain.”
For more, check out our ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’ review. You can also remind yourself of all the biggest Doctor Who Season 14 theories, as well as what happened with Susan Twist in the end.
Don’t miss our feature on why The Fifteenth Doctor’s costume is secretly brilliant, and make sure you’re keeping up to date with all the best new TV shows to stream this month!