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Doctor Who spinoffs are happening (eventually), and here's what we want to see!
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00:00It's been a long time coming, but the Who-niverse is finally here.
00:03Russell T. Davis has promised content galore,
00:06and there's no doubt that we're entering another great and bountiful Doctor Who empire.
00:10So, if we were the bigwigs making the important decisions,
00:13which shows would get the thumbs up?
00:15I'm Ellie for Who Culture, here with 10 Doctor Who spin-offs fans want in the Who-niverse.
00:20Number 10. The Master Adventures
00:22The Master has been a Doctor Who mainstay since 1971,
00:26and has appeared alongside almost every Doctor in that time.
00:29Played masterfully by Sasha Dewan, the latest incarnation,
00:33who isn't trapped inside a gold tooth, that is,
00:35underwent something of an identity crisis upon learning the Doctor was the progenitor for the whole Time Lord race.
00:41He even managed to forcibly regenerate her into him.
00:44For a brief moment, the Master was the Doctor.
00:47Were the Master or Missy to have their own show,
00:50they would no longer need to play second fiddle to their bestest enemy.
00:53They could be the main character for a whole series rather than just 25 minutes.
00:57It would also be a chance to plug the gaps in the Master's admittedly rather confusing timeline.
01:02We could have a series based around Missy, charting her descent back to evil following the Doctor Falls.
01:07It could even end with her regeneration, setting the stage for a second series with then Sasha Dewan.
01:12Having a more morally dubious character leader spin-off would be a refreshing change,
01:16and given how many actors have played the part, the possibilities really are endless.
01:20Number 9. Unit
01:21One Doctor Who spin-off has been rumoured far more than any other, and that is Units.
01:26And though Russell T. Davis has since indicated that the planned spin-offs aren't necessarily the ones you read about online,
01:32it's still an idea worth discussing, not least because it's a brilliant one.
01:36The alien-fighting, skyscraper-building, paramilitary organisation has been around for almost as long as Doctor Who itself.
01:42It hasn't featured in every single era, but characters like the Brigadier, Benton, Kate and Osgood have appeared often enough to be considered regulars.
01:50A Unit series would be a budget-conscious choice, as it would be mostly set on Earth.
01:54It could be grittier and allow for different types of invasion stories, properly delving into the differences in approach between the Doctor and his office buddies.
02:02With Unit playing a prominent role in Doctor Who, and new regulars Shirley and Colonel Ibrahim being set up alongside old favourites Mel and Kate Stewart,
02:10the cast is ready and waiting.
02:11And in today's television landscape, it would fit perfectly alongside popular crime dramas like Silent Witness and Line of Duty.
02:17Even Stephen Moffat agrees that Unit should be the obvious choice for a spin-off.
02:21The Moth has spoken, people.
02:23The Moth has spoken.
02:24Number 8. Animated Villains Anthology
02:27Unit isn't the only spin-off to have been rumoured in recent months.
02:30Reportedly, the monsters of Doctor Who will also be getting their own show.
02:34The Mirror has since claimed that this project will comprise a number of limited series,
02:38beginning with Sea Devil's Saga, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
02:42As epic as this would be, we're going to propose something different.
02:45An animated anthology series, encompassing various animation styles and monsters.
02:50Animation would be the perfect medium for a monster show,
02:53because it would immediately eliminate the need for costly CGI or prosthetics.
02:57It wouldn't just have to be one type of animation either.
02:59You could have a 2D cartoon run around with the Pating one week,
03:02and a 3D modelled fleet of Daleks the next,
03:05followed by a creepy stop-motion story with the Silence or the Weeping Angels.
03:09This could also be a perfect spin-off for younger audiences.
03:12It's important for the Hooniverse to appeal to different crowds,
03:14and having an animated show in the roster would be a smart move.
03:18Number 7. Tales of the TARDIS Knew Who
03:20Tales of the TARDIS wasn't exactly a fully-fledged spin-off like Torchwood,
03:24but it was nevertheless a delightful way of incorporating past Doctor Companion duos.
03:29Oh, and according to Russell T. Davis, it's canon.
03:32The first six instalments starred most of the obvious surviving classic cast members.
03:36Sure, some actors like Paul McGann and Daphne Ashbrook were suspiciously absent,
03:40and elsewhere there are many classic stars who are sadly no longer with us.
03:44Arguably then, the most obvious direction to go in with a second series would be a collection of new Who vignettes.
03:49Tales of the TARDIS allowed established fans to reminisce about the Doctor Companion pairings they grew up with.
03:55Terrifying a thought it might be, but Modern Who has now been around long enough
03:58for viewers to get nostalgic about it the same way classic fans feel about older Doctors.
04:02Extending the concept to include companions like Rose, Martha, and Amy
04:06would literally open Tales of the TARDIS to a whole new audience.
04:09And why stop there?
04:10We could have recollections from smaller side characters like Jackson Lake, Madame Vastra, or Elton Pope.
04:15And what's Jeff up to these days?
04:17Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.
04:19Number six, The Fugitive Doctor.
04:21Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor was the highlight of the Timeless Child storyline,
04:25yet she only actually made four appearances on screen, three of which were cameos.
04:29And she only physically appeared once in her first story.
04:32Every other iteration we saw was either a vision, a flashback, or a hologram.
04:35Now it is possible that she would have featured more in the original Series 13 before it was curtailed by COVID.
04:41Others argue that this incarnation was doomed from the start,
04:44and that it was irresponsible of the show's writers to sideline her,
04:47not least because she was the first person of colour to play the part.
04:50However, The Fugitive Doctor is starting to find a home in the expanded universe.
04:55Her movements prior to Fugitive of the Jadoon have been detailed in Titan Comics Origins,
04:59and she's set to get her own Big Finish series too.
05:02So why not extend her story to the TV screen?
05:05Series 12 and 13 are bursting with elements that could be spun off into a Fugitive Doctor show.
05:10Why not pair her up with Carbonista and explore her time in Division?
05:13Or how about her history with Swarm and Desire?
05:16Jo Martin is fantastic in the role, so this would be a canny choice.
05:19Number 5. Sarah Jane Adventures Follow-Up
05:21Each of the TV spin-offs we've had so far have ended prematurely.
05:25With Torchwood and Class, there simply wasn't enough demand from audiences.
05:29But the Sarah Jane Adventures was different.
05:30That show would have continued had it not been for the untimely passing of Elizabeth Sladen.
05:35The fifth series was originally planned to be six stories rather than three,
05:39culminating with The Battle of Bannerman Road.
05:41More stories were being planned beyond this,
05:43with one suggestion seeing Sarah Jane relocate to the countryside for a soft reboot in Series 6.
05:48Ultimately, it wasn't to be.
05:50At the time, the production team were quite rightly adamant that the show couldn't go on without Sarah Jane herself.
05:55Even so, it's a great shame that we never got to see more of her companions, Luke, Clyde and Rani.
06:01The actors who played these characters are now all adults,
06:03and Sarah Jane's death has been addressed in Universe in The Giggle.
06:07So, why not pick up from there with a show that centres on the Sarah Jane Adventures kids?
06:11A similar concept has been explored on audio, while Clyde has popped up in Tales of the TARDIS.
06:16But a show like this could give the Hooniverse a vital presence on CBBC,
06:20in the same way that the Sarah Jane Adventures did.
06:23They could even throw in an experienced mentor character like Mel, Ace or Martha Jones to lead the change.
06:28Yes, please!
06:29Number 4. The Shadow Proclamation
06:31In simple terms, a unit series would be a police procedural with aliens, not unlike Torchwood.
06:37But what about a police procedural in space?
06:39Were such a series to be commissioned, there's an obvious choice for an organisation to base it around.
06:43The Shadow Proclamation.
06:45Despite only appearing in two TV stories, this extraterrestrial police force has cast a large shadow over the revived series.
06:52The Doctor has invoked its laws on numerous occasions, as long ago as Rose and as recently as the Star Beast.
06:57From a production standpoint, a futuristic police procedural wouldn't be as practical as a contemporary one.
07:03But the premise would lend itself well to animation.
07:05This would allow for a more light-hearted approach in the vein of other sci-fi tunes like Rick and Morty and Lower Decks,
07:11differentiating this show from the grittier tone of units.
07:14But the real stars of the show would be the aliens.
07:16Most prominent would be the Jadoon and the Wrath Warriors, and Atraxi could also feature.
07:21Beyond that, there'd be tons of malevolent creatures for the Proclamation to track down,
07:25and plenty of planets, spaceships, and adventure.
07:27And why not throw in Alonso Frame as the lead?
07:30Why not?
07:31Number 3. The River Song Diaries
07:33This is the one I've been waiting for.
07:35There is no character more ripe for a spin-off than River Song.
07:39Alex Kingston's time-travelling archaeologist quickly became a fan-favourite following her debut,
07:45and further appearances across the Moffat era cemented her as a force to be reckoned with.
07:49And yet, the show has barely scratched the surface on her doctorless adventures.
07:53We've had glimpses of what solo River stories might look like, but there's much more to explore.
07:58And given that her diary is already full of spoiler-filled escapades,
08:01a River Song spin-off would basically write itself.
08:04And of course, Big Finish has already explored such a concept in its Diary of River Song series.
08:08For a River-led TV show, though, we'd like to see River take front and centre,
08:12without sharing the spotlight with any of the doctors.
08:15There would inevitably be the odd reference to her husband-slash-wife,
08:18but ultimately, this would be about River, visiting new worlds and battling new enemies.
08:23I mean, she could even have her own team of companions.
08:25Now, intriguingly, the Diary of River Song did recently come to an end with Big Finish.
08:29Does this mean that River's adventures are finally about to make their move from expanded universe to television?
08:34Watch this space, sweeties, and please let this happen!
08:37Number two, The Time War.
08:39Poor Paul McGann.
08:40He got just one story on TV as the Eighth Doctor,
08:43and has, to date, only made two further appearances on screen.
08:46Well, technically, The Power of the Doctor was, in McGann's own words,
08:50the only time the Eighth Doctor got on the telly.
08:52His first outing was a TV movie, and his second was a minisode.
08:55McGann has reprised the role on audio countless times,
08:58but the cries for an Eighth Doctor TV spin-off have never died down,
09:02with many citing The Night of the Doctor as a proof of concept.
09:05And it's not hard to see why.
09:06McGann effortlessly slipped back into the part after 17 years away,
09:10proving that he still has what it takes to play the Doctor on telly.
09:13A gritty Time War series would be particularly exciting,
09:16detailing the evolution of the character from romantic hero to tortured warrior.
09:21Something along the lines of Star Wars spin-off Andor,
09:23with the Eighth Doctor leading rebellion from behind enemy lines, would be amazing.
09:28And hey, according to a recent report from The Mirror, there's hope.
09:31If ever there was a time for McGann to get his own show, it's now.
09:34Number 1. At Home with the Nobles
09:36The Giggle changed the game for spin-offs with the introduction of Bi-Generation.
09:40This trick allows past and future Doctors to exist simultaneously,
09:44as demonstrated by the transition from David Tennant's 14th Doctor to Shuty Gatwa's 15th.
09:49In theory, it means that each of the old Doctors could now have their own show.
09:53But as the first Doctor to experience Bi-Generation, it would only be fair for 14 to get dibs.
09:58The Giggle provided the perfect set-up for a 14th Doctor spin-off,
10:02showing us a glimpse of his new life at home with the Nobles.
10:05The supporting characters are all in place, from best friend Donna to mad auntie Mel.
10:09And how about a cameo from Nerys?
10:10Of course, food would feature heavily too.
10:12I mean, we've already learnt of Sylvia's giant sausage roll and tuna madras.
10:16Viewers would literally be on the edge of their seats to see what she's cooked up next.
10:20Now, from a purely practical standpoint,
10:21David Tennant and Catherine Tate are an all-time favourite TARDIS team.
10:25And this would be an easy way for them to stay involved without being committed to the main show.
10:30Having such popular characters would also make the spin-offs feel truly triple A,
10:34as opposed to a lesser side offering.
10:36We don't doubt that Russell T. Davis has at least thought about giving this one a go.
10:39But personally, I think they need to wait a little while.
10:41And there you have it.
10:42Now, as I mentioned, Doctor Who is about to be bigger than ever.
10:45So make sure you watch 10 Reasons We're Entering a Doctor Who Golden Age.
10:49In the meantime, I've been Ellie for Who Culture,
10:51and in the words of River Song herself, goodbye, sweeties.
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