They are official BBC uploads and therfore are legal ... but the videos are country restricted, so only available to Americans (or those using American proxy / VPN servers).
Doctor Who Fans in America Can Now Watch
Some Classic Episodes Free on YouTube
----------------------------------------
In the age of various streaming services as well as commercial
media such as Blu-rays, not having access to a television
series or film might seem like a problem that only existed in
the Dark Ages, or at the very least the Nineties (same
difference). For Doctor Who fans outside the UK in those times,
finding an outlet for your fix of what is now considered
'classic' Doctor Who could be difficult if not outright
impossible.
As a kid, I had to beg for cheap VHS tapes to record the latest
season or at least part of it when it came out about a year
behind the UK broadcast on my local PBS station.
Sadly for some, in modern times, it still is difficult.
Here in the States, all the classic episodes are on BritBox,
the new series before the partnership with Disney is on HBO/Max,
and the latest episodes are on Disney+.
So that means three paid subscriptions to watch the entirety of
one show, albeit a show that has been 'on TV' for nearly 46
years!
It seems the BBC has heard our cries and has been uploading
full episodes of classic serials to the Doctor Who Classic
channel on YouTube:
"Welcome to the Doctor Who Classic channel!
Travel in the TARDIS with full episodes dating
back to the Doctor's first incarnation.
See the Doctor meet the Daleks and the Cybermen
for the first time, watch all of their
regenerations and relive friendships with
companions like Sarah Jane Smith, Ace and many
more!"
Note: Some episodes have also been uploaded to the main Doctor
Who channel.
At the time of writing, there are more than 10 episodes on the
channel, but it seems one additional story is being uploaded
daily. Of those available now, some, like Genesis of the Daleks,
The Sea Devils, and Day of the Daleks, are considered some of
the best the classic run of Doctor Who has to offer.
It's a great start for those curious about older Doctor Who. All
of these adventures are shown in the episodic format they were
originally broadcast in, but all in one long video segregated
into 'tracks' for each episode of the serial. This channel was
previously used when the BBC divided its YouTube Doctor Who
footprint between classic and new series content before moving
it all onto the Official Doctor Who channel.
You can find most of the currently uploaded episodes on the
Doctor Who Classic YouTube channel here, but I have made a
public playlist with all the full episodes currently available
through YouTube including those placed on the main channel,
which you can view here (and if you want to subscribe to my
channel while you're there, I won't complain).
Doctor Who Classic YouTube Channel:
<
https://www.youtube.com/@BBCClassicDoctorWho>
Artilce Writer's Playlist:
<
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjWFcuR_G010cllFYVL_ppb4LWSX7EhR->
This seems like a great way to celebrate the classic television
series and to let people see the stories that drove multiple
generations of kids and adults alike to become Doctor Who fans.
<
https://thedoctorwhocompanion.com/2024/12/17/doctor-who-fans-in-america-can-now-watch-some-classic-episodes-free-on-youtube/>