The Whoniverse is a British media franchise and shared universe centring on the BBC television series Doctor Who , its spin-offs [1] and other associated media. [2] [3] The shared universe nature was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, usually deriving from the main programme. [4]
Doctor Who depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being with a human appearance. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. With various companions, they combat foes, work to save civilisations, and help people in need.
Doctor Who was first broadcast in 1963 and ran for 26 seasons until 1989, briefly returning in the form of a TV film in 1996. It was later revived in 2005, when the show's newfound success led to the commissioning of several spin-offs – Torchwood (2006–2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011) and Class (2016). Other spin-offs include the pilot K-9 and Company (1981) and non-BBC produced series K9 (2009–2010) while several new spin-offs are currently in production.
The franchise name, a portmanteau of the words "who" and "universe", was originally used to describe Doctor Who's production and fanbase. [5] In 2023, the year of the show's sixtieth anniversary, the BBC adopted the name in an official capacity, making the Whoniverse the umbrella brand for all programmes connected to Doctor Who, including documentaries.
The majority of the Whoniverse's programmes have been commercially successful and generally received positive reviews. They have also inspired an extensive collection of book, comic and magazine publications, audio plays, films, video games, exhibitions, and stage plays.
The earliest official usage of "Whoniverse" was in the introduction to the appendices of The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volume 2 by Jean-Marc Lofficier published May 1981 in its hardcover edition. [6] The publicity blurb on the back of The Second Doctor Who Quiz Book by Nigel Robinson published in December 1983 also used the term. [7] In his 1983 book Doctor Who: A Celebration; Two Decades Through Time and Space, Peter Haining called his final chapter "The Whoniverse". [5] The section assembled factual information about all the episodes to date, but also gave information about fan clubs and ancillary entertainments related to the programme. Thus, the term Whoniverse referred to everything connected with the programme behind-the-scenes. In this meaning, standing exhibitions, discussions about the filming of episodes and even the fandom itself were considered part of the "Whoniverse". The term Whoniverse is still used with this definition today, [8] [9] [10] [11] including as the name of a Doctor Who convention in Australia. [12] [13]
The term began to appear in mainstream press coverage, placing greater emphasis on it as a fictional universe, following the popular success of the 2005 Doctor Who revival and the establishment of its spin-offs Torchwood (2006–2011) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011). [14] [15]
In October 2022, it was reported that Bad Wolf Studios had filed for a new subsidiary company, run by former Doctor Who executive producer Julie Gardner and former BBC head of drama Jane Tranter, called "Whoniverse1 LTD". [16] On 17 January 2023, outlets reported that a new sign at Bad Wolf Studios possessed the tagline "Home of the Whoniverse". [17] [18]
On 30 October 2023, the BBC announced it would be using the term "Whoniverse" in an official capacity to describe all shows within the orbit of Doctor Who , and specifically their home on BBC iPlayer, including documentary programming. [19] It had previously been announced that over eight hundred previous episodes would be available to stream on BBC iPlayer. [20] A Whoniverse ident was also adopted to unify content within the Whoniverse collection. [19]
Series | Seasons/Series | Episodes | Originally released | Network | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Live-action series | ||||||||||||
Doctor Who | 26 | 695 [a] | 23 November 1963 | 6 December 1989 | BBC1 | |||||||
TV film | May 1996 [b] | CITV-DT / Fox / BBC1 | ||||||||||
14 | 187 | 26 March 2005 | Present | BBC One / Disney+ | ||||||||
K-9 and Company | 0 [c] | 1 | 28 December 1981 | BBC1 | ||||||||
Torchwood | 4 | 41 | 22 October 2006 | 9 September 2011 | BBC Three / BBC Two / BBC One / Starz | |||||||
The Sarah Jane Adventures | 5 | 53 | 1 January 2007 | 18 October 2011 | CBBC / BBC One | |||||||
K9 | 1 | 26 | 31 October 2009 | 20 November 2010 | Network Ten / Disney XD | |||||||
Class | 1 | 8 | 22 October 2016 | 3 December 2016 | BBC Three | |||||||
Tales of the TARDIS | 1 | 7 | 1 November 2023 | 20 June 2024 | BBC iPlayer / BBC Four | |||||||
The War Between the Land and the Sea | 1 | 5 [21] | 2025 [22] | TBA | BBC One / Disney+ | |||||||
Animated series | ||||||||||||
Real Time | 1 | 6 | 2 August 2002 | 6 September 2002 | BBCi | |||||||
Death Comes to Time | 1 | 5 | 14 February 2002 | 3 May 2002 | ||||||||
Shada | 1 | 6 | 2 May 2003 | 6 June 2003 | ||||||||
Scream of the Shalka | 1 | 6 | 13 November 2003 | 18 December 2003 | ||||||||
The Infinite Quest | 1 | 13 | 2 April 2007 | 29 June 2007 | CBBC / BBC One | |||||||
Dreamland | 1 | 6 | 21 November 2009 | 26 November 2009 | BBC Red Button | |||||||
Daleks! | 1 | 5 | 12 November 2020 | 10 December 2020 | YouTube | |||||||
Web series | ||||||||||||
Tardisodes | 1 | 13 | 1 April 2006 | 1 July 2006 | Mobile | |||||||
Torchwood: Web of Lies | 1 | 10 | 9 July 2011 | 10 September 2011 | iTunes Store |
Film | UK release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producers |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Who and the Daleks | 23 August 1965 | Gordon Flemyng | Milton Subotsky | Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg |
Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. | 5 August 1966 | Milton Subotsky and David Whitaker |
Title | Date premiered | Writer(s) | Premiere venue |
---|---|---|---|
The Curse of the Daleks | 21 December 1965 | David Whitaker and Terry Nation | Wyndham's Theatre, London |
Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday | 16 December 1974 | Terrance Dicks | Adelphi Theatre, London |
Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure | 23 March 1989 | Terrance Dicks | Wimbledon Theatre, London |
The Trial of Davros | 14 November 1993 16 July 2005(revised) | Kevin Taylor and Michael Wisher | The Village Hotel, Hyde, Greater Manchester Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-under-Lyne (revised) |
Doctor Who Live | 8 October 2010 | Will Brenton and Gareth Roberts | Wembley Arena, London |
The Crash of the Elysium | 1 July 2011 | Tom MacRae | MediaCityUK, Salford |
Doctor Who: Time Fracture | 26 May 2021 | Daniel Dingsdale | Davies Mews, London |
Title | Date premiered | Writer(s) | Premiere venue |
---|---|---|---|
Worlds Collide | 16 January 2019 | Escape Hunt | Bristol |
A Dalek Awakens | 9 March 2020 | Escape Hunt | Reading |
The Hollow Planet | 8 August 2020 | Escape Hunt | Print and play game |
Title | Date premiered | Broadcast | Premiere venue |
---|---|---|---|
Doctor Who: A Celebration | 19 November 2006 | BBC Red Button | Wales Millennium Centre |
Doctor Who Prom (2008) | 27 July 2008 | BBC Radio 3 | Royal Albert Hall |
Doctor Who Prom (2010) | 24 July 2010 | BBC Radio 3 | Royal Albert Hall |
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (Melbourne) | 4 February 2012 | N/A | Plenary Hall |
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (Sydney) | 15 December 2012 | N/A | Concert Hall |
Doctor Who Prom (2013) | 13 July 2013 | BBC Radio 3 | Royal Albert Hall |
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (2014) | 31 January 2014 | N/A | Plenary Hall |
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (Australia & New Zealand Tour 2015) | 24 January 2015 | N/A | Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Australia), Vector Arena (New Zealand) |
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (UK Tour 2015) | 23 May 2015 | N/A | The SSE Arena Wembley |
Doctor Who Finale Countdown | 17 June 2017 | N/A | Wales Millennium Centre |
Doctor Who @ 60: A Musical Celebration | 12 October 2023 | BBC Sounds | Wales Millennium Centre |
Doctor Who Prom (2024) [23] | 26 August 2024 | BBC Radio 3 | Royal Albert Hall |
The Whoniverse version of Earth is referred to as Earth-5556 in the Marvel Multiverse. [24]
References to the Whoniverse appear in The Inheritance Cycle fantasy novels by Christopher Paolini. [25]
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies cast John MacKay as John Logie Baird for the episode "The Giggle" (2023), reprising the role he played in Davies' ITV series Nolly earlier in 2023. Davies joked that this casting meant that all the television series he has written are set in the same universe. [26]
Doctor Who has had 19 video games ranging from computer and browser games, console and mobile. [27] [28] [29] Doctor Who characters have appeared in other games such as Fall Guys, Minecraft, Lego Dimensions, PlayStation Home and LittleBigPlanet 3. [30] [31] The 1992 Doctor Who pinball machine was included in the 2012 pinball video game The Pinball Arcade. [32]
There have been various Doctor Who–related exhibitions in the United Kingdom, including the now-closed exhibitions at:[ citation needed ]
Since its beginnings, Doctor Who has generated hundreds of products related to the show, from toys and games to collectible picture cards and postage stamps. These include board games, card games, gamebooks, roleplaying games, action figures and a pinball game. Many games have been released that feature the Daleks.[ citation needed ]
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes. The Doctor often travels with companions.
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 Doctor Who serial The Daleks, in casings designed by Raymond Cusick.
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
Doctor Who is a British television science fiction series, produced and screened by the BBC on the BBC TV channel from 1963 to 1964, and on BBC1 from 1964 to 1989 and since 2005. A one-off television film, co-produced with Universal Pictures was screened on the Fox Network in the United States in 1996.
The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant in three series and nine specials. The character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs. In 2023, Tennant returned to the role, this time as the fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor.
Peter Dougan Capaldi is a Scottish actor and director. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, for which he received four British Academy Television Award nominations, winning Best Male Comedy Performance in 2010.
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who and is aimed at a younger audience than Doctor Who. It focuses on the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist who, as a young woman, had numerous adventures across time and space with the Doctor. Following Sladen's death in 2011, the BBC confirmed that the show would not return for a sixth series.
"The Fires of Pompeii" is the second episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 12 April 2008. Set shortly before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, this episode depicts alien time traveller the Doctor and his new companion Donna Noble on a trip to Pompeii, where they uncover an alien invasion. Their clashing worldviews present an ethical dilemma for the Doctor.
"Journey's End" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, preceded by "The Stolen Earth", which aired on 28 June.
"Music of the Spheres" is an interactive mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in London before the Intermission of the Doctor Who Prom on 27 July 2008, for which it was especially made. The Doctor Who Prom, including the audio for "Music of the Spheres", was broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio 3. "Music of the Spheres" was shown on the official BBC Doctor Who website during the interval and the concert itself was filmed for later broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2009.
The eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who began on 23 August 2014 with "Deep Breath" and ended with "Death in Heaven" on 8 November 2014. The series was officially ordered in May 2013, and led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, alongside executive producer Brian Minchin. Nikki Wilson, Peter Bennett and Paul Frift served as producers. The series is the eighth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, the thirty-fourth season overall, and the first series since series five not to be split into two parts.
Class is a British science fiction drama programme and a spin-off of the long-running programme Doctor Who. It was created and written by Patrick Ness, who also produced alongside Doctor Who showrunner and lead writer Steven Moffat, and Brian Minchin, who acted as producer on Doctor Who and two of its previous spin-offs, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
"For Tonight We Might Die" is the first episode of the British science-fiction television series Class, a spin-off series of Doctor Who. It is written by Patrick Ness and was released online by BBC Three on 22 October 2016. "For Tonight We Might Die" received generally positive reviews from critics.
"Twice Upon a Time" is a special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2017 as the programme's thirteenth Christmas special. The episode was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay. It features the final regular appearance of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, the first official appearance of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, and also stars David Bradley as the First Doctor. Pearl Mackie stars as the Twelfth Doctor's former companion Bill Potts, while his other companions make guest appearances – Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald and Matt Lucas as Nardole. Mark Gatiss plays a First World War British army captain. The episode is a continuation of "The Doctor Falls", and takes place during the final serial of the First Doctor, The Tenth Planet (1966); footage from The Tenth Planet is used in the special. "Twice Upon a Time" is Capaldi's fourth and final Christmas special as the Twelfth Doctor, and at the time was the last Doctor Who story to be written and produced by Moffat, who served as the show's executive producer and chief writer since taking over from Russell T Davies in 2010. After the special's broadcast, Moffat was succeeded as executive producer and showrunner by Chris Chibnall.
The 2023 specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who are three special episodes that aired between 25 November and 9 December 2023, to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. They were written by Russell T Davies and marked the start of his second tenure as showrunner, having served in the role from the start of Doctor Who's revival in 2005 until leaving in 2010. The specials were broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally.
The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.
Tales of the TARDIS is a companion series to the television series Doctor Who which features re-releases of stories from the show's original run, enclosed by additional material featuring actors reprising their roles. The series is produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios, and executive produced by Russell T Davies, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson, and Joel Collins. The new material takes place within Doctor Who's official canon, the Whoniverse.
Also, for those who understood the reference to a 'lonely god' when Eragon and Arya are sitting around the campfire, my only excuse is that the Doctor can travel everywhere, even alternate realities. Hey, I'm a fan too!