CTV Sci-Fi

Space, also known as Space Channel, is a Canadian specialty cable network which has been in operation since 1997. Established as the Canadian equivalent of the American Sci Fi Channel, Space was initially established to show a mixture of science fiction and science programming, with a heavy emphasis on Canadian content. (Over time, the science programming aspect has been reduced considerably.)

The network has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the Doctor Who franchise. Early on, it aired the classic series in the usual half-hour installments, initially in high-profile time slots, but over time as viewership waned, Space eventually moved the show to a middle-of-the-night time slot before dropping it altogether in the late 1990s.

Although not broadcast by them, the Who franchise would be recognized by Space in the mid-2000s when its annual awards show, the Spaceys, included nominations for both the series itself and Billie Piper in its 2006 ceremony (neither won).

In 2008, Space returned to the Who franchise by picking up Torchwood after it had been cancelled by the CBC; Space subsequently began airing the second season of Torchwood in the summer of 2008 and is expected to air the third season as well. It is widely expected that, should the CBC choose to no longer broadcast the main Doctor Who program after 2008, that Space will pick it up as well, and calls for Space to take over broadcasts of the parent series intensified in the blogisphere following the heavy criticism over how the CBC handled its broadcast of the Series 4 finale, Journey's End in December 2008.

Space broadcast the 2008 Doctor Who Christmas special, The Next Doctor on 14 March 2009, despite earlier denials that it was planning to air any episodes of the revived series. It was later announced that Space had acquired the rights to the subsequent specials and 2010 season for broadcast.

The CBC provided some funding to the BBC for its production of Doctor Who during the first four seasons. It is not known if this will continue with Space. On 1 June 2009, Space officially announced that it had obtained the Canadian broadcast rights to Doctor Who, beginning with the ongoing 2009 specials and continuing with Series 5 in 2010, along with the Torchwood: Children of Earth miniseries. Space will also obtain broadcast rights to Series 1 through 4 beginning in March 2010 when the CBC's licence expires, with the exception of Voyage of the Damned (as of June 2009 never broadcast by the CBC), which will be acquired by Space for broadcast after April 2010.