Former Doctor Who Showrunner Thinks It Should Become An MCU-Style Franchise
Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has called for the BBC to franchise out the sci-fi show with multiple spinoffs, like we’re seeing with Marvel and Star Wars on Disney Plus and Star Trek on CBS All Access.
During Davies’ era – from 2005-2010 – the series produced two successful spinoffs, the adult-oriented Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, for younger audiences. Since then, however – barring 2016’s swiftly-cancelled Class – the mainline show is all we’ve had.
The writer doesn’t think the BBC is making the most of the Whoniverse’s potential, then, and in a new interview has suggested we should be enjoying a wealth of spinoffs featuring characters from up and down Doctor Who‘s history. Or maybe even a crossover miniseries featuring a couple of Doctors.
“There should be a Doctor Who channel now,” he says. “You look at those Disney announcements, of all those new Star Wars and Marvel shows, you think, we should be sitting here announcing The Nyssa Adventures or The Return of Donna Noble, and you should have the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors together in a 10-part series. Genuinely.”
Davies went on to stress that he was being serious, noting that the idea of Captain Pike getting his own Trek spinoff – the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – once seemed “insane,” too.
“You laugh, but did Star Trek fans ever think they’d be getting a Captain Pike series? Ever? That’s insane,” he says. “The whole science fiction world is so creative and so money making right now, I think your wildest dreams can come true.”
As said above, the last Who spinoff to hit the airwaves – the teen-themed Class, which only lasted eight episodes – was now five years ago. On the plus side, Big Finish Productions produces countless licensed audio dramas featuring multiple Doctors including Tom Baker, David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston and spinoff series for the likes of Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble and more.
Fans love the audios, but obviously it’s not quite the same as the Whoniverse being expanded on screen. For now, though, the BBC is focusing on the central show. Season 13 is currently in production and believed to be Jodie Whittaker’s final run as the Thirteenth Time Lord. It’s feasible that the era of the Fourteenth Doctor, though, could see Doctor Who relaunched with a spinoff or two to go with it.