Doctor Who spin-offs: Difference between revisions
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{{retitle|''Doctor Who'' spin-offs}}{{real world | {{retitle|''Doctor Who'' spin-offs}}{{real world}} | ||
{{first pic|Megabytes (anthology).jpg|Long after leaving televised ''[[Doctor Who]]'', [[K9]] was the subject of new stories unbound by the Doctor or the BBC — even on television!}} | {{first pic|Megabytes (anthology).jpg|Long after leaving televised ''[[Doctor Who]]'', [[K9]] was the subject of new stories unbound by the Doctor or the BBC — even on television!}} | ||
Since its beginning in 1963, ''[[Doctor Who]]'' has spawned '''a number of spin-offs''' that do not feature [[the Doctor]] as the main character, or, indeed at all. | Since its beginning in 1963, ''[[Doctor Who]]'' has spawned '''a number of spin-offs''' that do not feature [[the Doctor]] as the main character, or, indeed at all. | ||
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{|class="wikitable sortable" | {|class="wikitable sortable" | ||
! class="unsortable" | Title | ! class="unsortable" | Title | ||
! Licensed connection | ! Licensed connection The concept legally closest to "An Unearthly Child" | ||
! Medium | ! Medium | ||
! Publisher | ! Publisher | ||
| Line 402: | Line 402: | ||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |[[BBV Productions]] | ||
|[[October (releases)|]] [[2001 (releases)|]] | |[[October (releases)|]] [[2001 (releases)|]] | ||
|} | |- | ||
|''[[Dionus's War]'' | |||
|[[Faction Paradox]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[6 June (releases)|]] [[2021 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[In 2 Minds (audio story)|]]" | |||
|[[Rutan]]s | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[September (releases)|]] [[2002 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[The Quality of Mercy (audio story)|]]" | |||
|[[Guy de Carnac]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[September (releases)|]] [[2002 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|[[P.R.O.B.E. (series) | |||
|[[Liz Shaw]] | |||
|Home video, Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[1994 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The Brigadier Adventures]]'' | |||
|[[The Brigadier]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[28 June (releases)|]] [[2021 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Erimem: The Audio Adventures]]'' | |||
|[[Erimem]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBV Productions]] | |||
|[[19 August (releases)|]] [[2021 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Vienna (series)]]'' | |||
|[[Vienna Salvatori]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[Big Finish Productions]] | |||
|[[February (releases)|]] [[2013 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Kaldor City (audio series)|]]'' | |||
|[[Kaldor City]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[Magic Bullet Productions]] | |||
|[[September (releases)|]] [[2001 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The True History of Faction Paradox]]'' | |||
|[[Faction Paradox]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[Magic Bullet Productions]] | |||
|[[23 July (releases)|]] [[2003 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Imaginary Boys (audio story)|]]" | |||
[[David Taylor]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[BBC Radio 4]] | |||
|[[3 October (releases)|]] [[2013 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Vince Cosmos: Glam Rock Detective (audio story)|]]" | |||
|[[Vince Cosmos]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[Bafflegab Productions]] | |||
|[[3 February (releases)|]] [[[2013 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Mystery Lady (audio story)|]]" | |||
|[[Dodie Golightly]] | |||
|Audio | |||
|[[Storytel]] | |||
|[[5 September (releases)|]] [[2018 (releases)|] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The Minister of Chance (series)|]]'' | |||
|[[The Minister of Chance]] | |||
|Audio, Novelisation | |||
|[[Radio Static]] (audio series), [[Arcbeatle Press]] ([[The Minister of Chance (novelisation)|novelisation]]) | |||
|[2011 (releases)|]], [[2022 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Children of the Circus (audio story)|]]" (Children of the Circus (novelisation)|novelisation) | |||
|[[Psychic Circus]] | |||
|Audio, Novelisation | |||
|[[AUK Studios]] (audio), [[Oak Tree Books]] & [[Chinbeard Books]] (novelisation) | |||
|[[14 December (releases)|]] [[2023 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The Adventures of K9]]'' ([[The Adventures of K9 (audio anthology)|audio adapation]]) | |||
|[[K9]], [[Omegon]], [[Time Lord]]s | |||
|Anthology, Audio | |||
|[[Sparrow Books]] (prose), [[Explore Multimedia]] (audio) | |||
|[[20 Octover (releases)|]] [[1980 (releases)|]] (prose), [[19 November (releases)|]] [[2013 (releases)|]] (audio) | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Virgin New Adventures|The New Adventures]]'' (1997-1999) | |||
|[[Bernice Summerfield]] | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[Virgin Books]] | |||
|[[1 May (releases)|]] [[1997 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Faction Paradox]]'' prose | |||
|[[Faction Paradox]] | |||
|Prose | |||
|[[Mad Norweigian Press]] (2002-2006), [[Random Static]] (2008), [[Obverse Books]] (2013-present) | |||
|[[17 September (releases)|]] [[2002 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[To the Devil - a Diva! (novel)|]]" | |||
|[[Cleavis]] and other concepts from {{cs|Mad Dogs and Englishmen (novel)}} & {{cs|Kept Safe and Sound (short story)}} | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[Allison & Busby]] | |||
|[[September (releases)|]] [[2004 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Time Hunter (series)|]]'' | |||
|[[Honoré Lechasseur]] and [[Emily Blandish]] | |||
|Novella | |||
|[[Telos Publishing]] | |||
|[[20 August (releases)|]] [[2007 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Iris Wildthyme]]'' | |||
|[[Iris Wildthyme]] | |||
|Prose & Audio | |||
|[[Big Finish]], [[Obverse Books]] | |||
|[[August (releases)|]] [[2005 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|]]'' | |||
|[[Bernice Summerfield]] | |||
|Audio & Prose | |||
|[[September (releases)|]] [[1998 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[The Coming of the Queen (novel)|]]" | |||
|[[Erimem]] | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[Big Finish]] | |||
|[[13 October (releases)|]] [[2005 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Project Valhalla (novel)|Project: Valhalla)" | |||
|[[William Abberton|William "Nimrod" Abberton]] | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[Big Finish]] | |||
|[[13 December (releases)|]] [[2005 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Worlds of the Spiral Politic]]'' | |||
|[[Faction Paradox]] | |||
|Anthologies, Novel | |||
|[[Obverse Books]] | |||
|[[1 June (releases)|]] [[2022 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The Periodic Adventures of Señor 105]]'' | |||
|[[Señor 105]] | |||
|Anthology, Novellas | |||
|[[Obverse Books]] | |||
|[[30 September (releases)|]] [[2011 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[The Casebook of the Manleigh Halt Irregulars (anthology)]]" | |||
|[[Manleigh Halt Irregulars]] | |||
|Short story anthology | |||
|[[Obverse Books]] | |||
|[[February (releases)|]] [[2013 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"{{cs|The Unwoken Princess (short story)}}" | |||
|[[Icnopilli]] | |||
|Short story | |||
|[[26 April (releases)|]] [[2013 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The City of the Saved (series)|]]'' | |||
|[[City of the Saved]] | |||
|Anthologies | |||
|[[1 June (releases)|]] [[2012 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Welcome Home, Bernard Socks (novel)|]]" | |||
|[[Panda]] | |||
|[[Obverse Books]] | |||
|[[2015 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[Closing the Casebook (novel)|]]" | |||
|[[Manleigh Halt Irregulars]] | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[Obverse Books]]| | |||
|[[9 December (releases)|]] [[2019 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Paradise Towers (series)|]] | |||
|[[Paradise Towers]] | |||
|Anthologies, Comics | |||
|[[Obverse Books]], [[Cutaway Comics]] | |||
|[19 October (releases)|]] [[2021 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|"[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|]]" | |||
|[[Panda]] | |||
|Novel | |||
|[[The Berkley Publishing Group]] | |||
|[[4 November (releases)|]] [[2014 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|[[The Lora Trilogy]] | |||
|[[Celestial Omnibus]]es | |||
|Novel series | |||
|[[Firefly Press]] | |||
|[[14 May (releases)|]] [[2015 (releases)|]] | |||
- | |||
|''[[Lethbridge-Stewart]]'' | |||
|[[Lethbridge-Stewart family]] | |||
|Prose | |||
|[[Candy Jar Books]] | |||
|[[26 February (releases)|]] [[2015 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[Travers & Wells (series)|]]'' | |||
|Concepts from {{cs|Timelash (TV story)}} | |||
|Short stories | |||
|[[Candy Jar Books]] | |||
|[[May (releases)|]] [[2017 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|''[[The Lucy Wilson Mysteries]]'' | |||
|[[Lucy Wilson]] | |||
|Prose | |||
|[[Candy Jar Books]] | |||
|[[15 August (releases)|]] [[2017 (releases)|]] | |||
|- | |||
|[[Candy Jar UNIT series|Candy Jar Books ''UNIT'' series]] | |||
|[[UNIT]] | |||
|Anthologies | |||
|[[Candy Jar Books]] | |||
|[[2021 (releases)|]] | |||
|}!--> | |||
'Doctor Who'' franchise in 2005, several ongoing non-fiction series have been commissioned to supplement the main programmes. All primarily featured behind-the-scenes documentary coverage of production, but some also served as the venue for the release of some new licensed ''Doctor Who'' fiction: ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]'' included a serialised form of the animated serial ''[[The Infinite Quest (TV story)|The Infinite Quest]]'', and ''[[The Fan Show]]'' frequently included more-or-less developed humorous skits. | 'Doctor Who'' franchise in 2005, several ongoing non-fiction series have been commissioned to supplement the main programmes. All primarily featured behind-the-scenes documentary coverage of production, but some also served as the venue for the release of some new licensed ''Doctor Who'' fiction: ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]'' included a serialised form of the animated serial ''[[The Infinite Quest (TV story)|The Infinite Quest]]'', and ''[[The Fan Show]]'' frequently included more-or-less developed humorous skits. | ||
* ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' (2005-11) | * ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' (2005-11) | ||
Revision as of 17:57, 4 March 2024
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Since its beginning in 1963, Doctor Who has spawned a number of spin-offs that do not feature the Doctor as the main character, or, indeed at all.
These can be separated into two distinct categories: productions officially licensed by the BBC, whose lack of use of the Doctor or their TARDIS are a stylistic choice; and ones created without BBC involvement, grown around an element of the DWU owned by another party.
While some series spin off directly from a Doctor Who-branded work, spinoffs can themselves engender spinoffs. The sum total of Doctor Who's licensed "descendance", provided they pass our four little rules of validity, comprise the DWU as we define it.
Pete McTighe stated in DWM 571 that he viewed each of his minisodes packaged with trailers for The Collection as "the opportunity for a brand-new Doctor Who spin-off (…) albeit on a budget of 59p", although these minisodes were still released under the Doctor Who name rather than having their own series names.
Officially licensed by the BBC
Television
K9 and Company
- Main article: K9 and Company (TV series)
Torchwood
- Main article: Torchwood (TV series)
The Sarah Jane Adventures
- Main article: The Sarah Jane Adventures
Class
- Main article: Class (TV series)
Prose
Souvenir Press Ltd
World Distributors Ltd
Target Books
BBC Books
- The Legends of Ashildr
- The Legends of River Song
- The Missy Chronicles
- I Am The Master: Legends of the Renegade Time Lord
Panini Comics
Audio
Silver Fist/Who Dares
Big Finish
- Main article: Big Finish Doctor Who audio spin-offs
BBC Audio
Comics
Marvel UK
- Main article: DWM backup comic stories
Multi-media
Home video
Officially licensed from individual copyright holders
Beginning in 1987 with the release of Wartime by Reeltime Pictures, a number of professionally produced spin-off films and audio dramas have been produced. As noted above, these differ from BBC and Big Finish productions in that they usually only feature characters or monsters not owned by the BBC, but rather licensed from their creators. Some spin-offs are original works using original character strongly suggested by characters in Doctor Who (such as The Stranger). In many cases, original cast members from Doctor Who reprised their TV roles for these films and several involved behind-the-scenes veterans of the series (for example, Christopher Barry, who co-directed the very first Daleks story in 1963-64, directed Downtime).
A number of writers and actors involved in these productions later went on to work with BBC licensed Doctor Who spinoffs such as the Big Finish Productions audio dramas, and even on the revived Doctor Who series itself when it returned to TV in 2005 (most notably Nicholas Briggs and Mark Gatiss). By way of comparison, these spin-off productions, often classified as fan films, are in spirit similar to the professionally made fan films based upon the Star Trek franchise that began to emerge in the early 2000s when the rights holders for Star Trek relaxed their restrictions. However, unlike the Star Trek fan films, all of the productions listed below were fully licensed.
Television
Metal Mutt Productions
Video
Reeltime Pictures
- Wartime
- Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans
- Downtime
- Mindgame Saga
- Dæmos Rising
- The White Witch of Devil's End
- Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor
BBV Productions
Audio
BBV Productions
- The Time Travellers
- Adventures in a Pocket Universe
- Zygon
- Krynoid
- Sontarans
- The I
- The Rani
- Wirrn
- Faction Paradox
- Rutans (In 2 Minds)
- The Quality of Mercy
- P.R.O.B.E.[2]
- The Brigadier Adventures
- Erimem: The Audio Adventures
Big Finish Productions
Magic Bullet Productions
BBC Radio 4
Bafflegab Productions
Storytel
Radio Static
AUK Studios
Prose
Sparrow Books
Virgin Books
- The New Adventures (1997-99)
Mad Norwegian Press
- Faction Paradox (2002-06, 13)
Allison & Busby
Random Static
- Faction Paradox (2008)
Telos Publishing
Big Finish Productions
Obverse Books
- Iris Wildthyme (2009-present)
- Faction Paradox (2013-present)
- Obverse Quarterly
- The Periodic Adventures of Señor 105
- The City of the Saved
- Welcome Home, Bernard Socks
- Obverse Sextet
- Paradise Towers
The Berkeley Publishing Group
Firefly Press
Candy Jar Books
- Lethbridge-Stewart
- Travers & Wells
- The Lucy Wilson Mysteries
- UNIT
- Counter Measures
- The Analysis Bureau
Thebes Publishing
Meteoric Books
Arcbeatle Press
Snowbooks Ltd
Ce Acatl
Ryan Fogarty
BBV Productions
Oak Tree Books & Chinbeard Books
Comics
TV Century 21
Marvel UK
Image Comics
Graveyard Shift Comics
Comeuppance Comics
Meteoric Books
Lucky Comics
Telos Publishing
Cutaway Comics
'Doctor Who franchise in 2005, several ongoing non-fiction series have been commissioned to supplement the main programmes. All primarily featured behind-the-scenes documentary coverage of production, but some also served as the venue for the release of some new licensed Doctor Who fiction: Totally Doctor Who included a serialised form of the animated serial The Infinite Quest, and The Fan Show frequently included more-or-less developed humorous skits.
- Doctor Who Confidential (2005-11)
- Totally Doctor Who (2006-07)
- Torchwood Declassified (2006-11)
- Doctor Who Extra (2014-15)
- The Fan Show (2015-18)
- Inside Look (2017)
- Closer Look (2018)
- Access All Areas (2018-19)
Reeltime Pictures
- Myth Makers (1985-2016)
Mad Norwegian Press
- AHistory (2006-present)
- About Time (2006-present)
Obverse Books
- The Black Archive (2016-present)
Other
Devious
Devious is an incomplete privately made fan film notable for featuring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor in his final known performance in the role. Audio of Pertwee was reused by Big Finish Productions for the audio drama Zagreus. In 2009, a 12-minute excerpt/trailer from the production, featuring the extant footage of Pertwee, and which cannot really be deemed a complete narrative in its own right, was released by BBC Video with the DVD release of The War Games.
Notwithstanding a few Reeltime-produced comedy skits included in previous DVD sets, this makes Devious to date the only fan/unofficial spin-off to actually be released by the BBC. It is not, however, by far, the only unlicensed spin-off project to have featured a DWU actor returning to their original part in an unauthorised context.
Non-valid and non-covered spin-offs
Some series feature characters and/or elements that originated in a Doctor Who universe story but do not pass this wiki's four little rules and as such are not considered valid; in some cases, their connection to Doctor Who is even so tenuous that they are not even covered on the Wiki at all.
BBV
- Do You Have a Licence to Save this Planet? (video; featuring Autons, a Krynoid and a Sontaran)
Big Finish
- The Confessions of Dorian Gray (audio; featuring a version of Dorian Gray)
Epic Comics
- The Sleeze Brothers (comics; featuring the Sleeze Brothers)
Snowbooks Ltd
Bafflegab Productions
Footnotes
- ↑ The BBC allowed for several characters, such as Sarah Jane Smith and Victoria Waterfield, to appear in the film.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The BBC authorised the use of Liz Shaw in the P.R.O.B.E. home video releases so long as they received an acknowledgement, but had no direct involvement with the production of the films. (REF: DWM 219) This license does not extend P.R.O.B.E. releases in other media, such as audio and prose, which have avoided using the character, and have only referenced her indirectly, for example through her BBV-owned married name of "Director Haggard".
