Ever since Russell T. Davies returned to helm what promises to be a thrilling new era of Doctor Who, fans have suspected that a bevy of fresh spinoffs were on the way. The returning showrunner has made no secret of the fact he believes the Whoniverse could rival the likes of Star Trek, Star Wars, and Marvel if given the opportunity to expand, and thanks to a lucrative partnership between the BBC and Disney, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Although the news has yet to be officially confirmed at the time of writing, it’s being widely reported that the first spinoff of this next chapter in Who‘s history — which will be headed up by Ncuti Gatwa’s Fourteenth Doctor — is already in the works. As the story goes, the series will focus on U.N.I.T., the alien-busting military organization that’s been part of the mythology for decades. So what do we know about this prospective spinoff? Read on for a full debriefing.
What is U.N.I.T. in Doctor Who lore?
The Unified Intelligence Taskforce (previously United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, until the U.N. requested the BBC stop using its name) was introduced into Doctor Who in 1968, helping Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor face an invasion of Cybermen. For the Third Doctor’s era, U.N.I.T. gained much more importance, as Jon Pertwee’s Time Lord was marooned on Earth by his people and so joined the organization as their scientific advisor. Even after the Doctor’s banishment was lifted, he’s allied with U.N.I.T. many times across subsequent regenerations.
Throughout the classic series, U.N.I.T. was synonymous with its leader — Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) — who began as a thorn in the Doctor’s side before becoming one of his most trusted friends. In the 21st century series, a few different commanding officers were introduced before Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), the Brigadier’s daughter, debuted in 2012 and has remained with the show ever since.
Is a Doctor Who U.N.I.T. spinoff really happening?
The U.N.I.T. spinoff was first reported by The Daily Mirror, which may be a British tabloid but has broken many accurate Doctor Who-related scoops in the past. Sure enough, Deadline has since corroborated the aforementioned outlet’s claims. However, neither BBC Studios nor Disney have commented on the situation as of yet so fans should maybe restrain themselves somewhat before assuming this is 100 percent happening.
If the U.N.I.T. does go ahead, though, it will be the fifth officially sanctioned Doctor Who spinoff series, following on from 1981’s K-9 and Company (which only received a single aired pilot), Torchwood (2006-2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2011), and Class (2016). K-9, an Australian series produced without the involvement of the BBC, also aired for a single season in 2009-10.
Which U.N.I.T. characters could return?
News on the U.N.I.T. show specifies that Jemma Redgrave would naturally be set to return once more as Kate. This would follow on from her already confirmed appearance in season 14 opposite Gatwa’s new Doctor — which will be her eleventh guest spot as the character overall, following appearances with David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker.
No one else is being linked to the spinoff at this time, but it’s easy to imagine that Kate will be joined by her right-hand woman, Osgood (Ingrid Oliver), a genius fangirl of the Doctor’s who may or may not be a shapeshifting Zygon (it’s Doctor Who — just roll with it). Given Catherine Tate’s return for 2023’s 60th anniversary specials, it’s entirely possible other U.N.I.T.-related characters from Davies’ original run could feature too. Most notably, former companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman).
When could the U.N.I.T. spinoff hit screens?
It’s far too early to have any kind of solid release information about the U.N.I.T. show, but rumors are already brewing. One Twitter user who claims to have insider sources has shared that the BBC is eyeing up a premiere date of winter 2024. Even if we should take this with a large dose of salt, this release window would make a lot of sense considering it would be an effective way to bridge the gap between season 14 and that year’s Christmas special (a tradition that’s being reinstated, remember).
As for where it would release, any Whoniverse spinoffs will follow the same release pattern established by the central series. As of 2023, new Doctor Who episodes will premiere on the BBC in the United Kingdom, as is typical, but will stream on Disney Plus in international territories. So get ready to hop between the Marvel universe, Star Wars, and Who all in one place. It looks like Russell T. Davies is wasting no time in nestling the time-travelling franchise among its big-time competition.