Horror Channel has acquired the rights to air classic Doctor Who episodes.

The channel has completed a deal with BBC Worldwide to broadcast 30 stories from the show’s classic era.

A classic Doctor Who marathon will launch on Friday 18 April with the very first story, ‘An Unearthly Child’, followed by one story from each of the first seven Doctors over the Easter weekend.

Double-bills will then air in daytime and evening slots each day in chronological order starting from Monday 21 April.

Stories will include ‘Genesis of the Daleks’, ‘The Mind Robber’, ‘The Daemons’, ‘The Talons of Weng Chiang’, ‘The Caves of Androzani’, ‘Attack of the Cybermen’ and ‘The Curse of Fenric’.

The channel is available in the UK on Sky 319, Virgin 149 and Freesat 138.

Alina Florea, Horror Channel’s Director of Programming, commented: “There are many horror themes that Doctor Who has tackled over the years and people of all ages have been terrified and found cowering behind the sofa. Our selection from the classic series include the original appearances of some of the most revered monsters and TV moments which captured the imagination of children and adults throughout the decades. Doctor Who is an iconic brand and we are proud and thrilled to welcome this giant of British television to our channel.”