The entire Doctor Who catalogue will soon be available in China, and so will episodes from other renowned British television shows, including Sherlock and Luther, thanks to a deal between the BBC and Chinese streaming platform Youku.
Youku secured the licensing for the most recent Doctor Who series at a BBC showcase event in Liverpool, United Kingdom, this week, which means the Alibaba subsidiary is now the only platform in China with the broadcast rights to the entire science fiction franchise.
Doctor Who has a large and growing fanbase in China, according to the BBC. The long-running series follows an anonymous extraterrestrial-often referred to as the Doctor-who battles forces of evil across time and space. The protagonist visits China on several occasions in the long-running series, during historically significant periods in the third century BC, and the 13th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
The deal, which is an extension of an existing partnership between Youku and the BBC, also sees classic British political comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister make their debuts in China.
"The content produced and distributed by BBC Studios has always been the unrivalled representative of British creativity," said Xie Ying, who is general manager for television series at Youku. "We are delighted to introduce these distinctive series to the Chinese market through our ongoing collaboration. Our ambition is to be the number one platform for British drama, and we are committed to delivering the freshest content to Chinese users."
Youku also gained the rights for: Good Omens, which is a fantasy mini-series based on a novel of the same name by British writer and satirist Terry Pratchett; the period drama Sanditon, which is based on an unfinished manuscript by the author Jane Austen; the first three seasons of British police drama Luther, which stars British actor Idris Elba; and all four seasons of Sherlock, which is a critically acclaimed crime series based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books starring UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
"It is great to see our relationship with Youku going from strength to strength with this agreement to show more quality British contemporary and classic drama in China," said Phil Hardman, who is the BBC's senior vice-president for commercial operations in Asia.
Hardman also indicated that the BBC is interested in taking Chinese productions overseas.
"We look forward to contributing to the prosperity of China's developing television industry through collaboration with local players, while also helping them to explore overseas markets and to tell Chinese stories around the world," he said.
The BBC also announced this week that celebrated British naturalist David Attenborough will present a five-part nature program called A Perfect Planet, which will be co-produced by Chinese studies Tencent Penguin Pictures, China Media Group, and CCTV9.
