Classic Doctor Who comes to Retro TV

Retro TV, the American network that airs classic television shows, has signed a deal with BBC Worldwide to show classic episodes of Doctor Who across the United States.

The deal will see episodes from the first thirty years of the series screened on the channel, which currently airs such classics as The Lucy Show, Petticoat Junction, The Beverly Hillbillies, Highway to Heaven, Naked City and I Spy.

The channel has a licence to show all the classic episodes that are currently available from BBC Worldwide, just under 500 in all, covering the adventures of the first seven Doctors. 695 episodes were originally made, with 97 still missing from the BBC archives after being destroyed in the 1970's.

The deal was welcomed by Matthew Golden Vice President of Production at Luken Communications. Classic Doctor Who episodes have been seen in the states on Public Television since the 1970's, and selected stories were shown on BBC America to celebrate the series 50th Anniversary.

Doctor Who will makes its debut on Retro TV this summer.