Why BBC iPlayer Won't Feature The Initial Four Doctor Who Episodes

An Unearthly Child, the first ever storyline of the iconic British sci-fi series Doctor Who, will not be included in the BBC's Doctor Who Archive set to hit iPlayer this November, as reported by IGN's Ryan Leston. Due to a rights dispute, these initial four episodes written by BBC staff writer Anthony Coburn will be excluded from the collection, which encompasses over 800 hours of Doctor Who content.

Coburn's son, Stef Coburn, contends that the rights to his father's script ideas were lost after Anthony Coburn's death in 1977. Stef Coburn has since rejected all attempts to license these episodes and has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the BBC's handling of the situation, stating on Twitter that the BBC had every opportunity to negotiate a deal he proposed.

This proposed deal had an additional stipulation: the production of an unrelated TV pilot written by Anthony Coburn before his death, Anthony Coburn's Frontier 21, a fact that reportedly dissuaded the BBC from agreement. Stef Coburn, who has in the past challenged the BBC over their use of the iconic blue police box design from Doctor Who, maintains his aim is to secure due recognition and lawful compensation for his father's significant contributions to Doctor Who.

Doctor Who fans have expressed disappointment and accusation towards Stef Coburn, with claims his actions tarnish his father's legacy. Amid the controversy, Stef Coburn has promised that upon his death, all of his father's Doctor Who related copyrights will be left to an 'enemy of the BBC'