Doctor Who spin-offs

Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Television

Only one attempt has been made to produce a Doctor Who spin-off television series (the 1996 television movie being a revival attempt). In 1981, a 50-minute pilot episode for a series to be called K-9 and Company was aired. It focused on the adventures of former Doctor Who companions Sarah-Jane Smith and K-9, a robot dog. The pilot, subtitled "A Girl's Best Friend" did not garner strong enough ratings for a series to be commissioned, though Sarah and K-9 would later appear together on the main Doctor Who series and her adventures would be continued in audio form by Big Finish Productions in the 2000s. There was some discussion about spinning off the characters of Henry Jago and Professor Litefoot from the 1977 serial The Talons of Weng Chiang into their own series, but this was not taken forward.

Related Topics:
1996 - 1981 - K-9 and Company - K-9 - Big Finish Productions - 2000s - 1977 - The Talons of Weng Chiang

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Doctor Who also appeared on television in the form of special one-off productions to benefit charity. In 1993, Dimensions in Time was produced for the benefit of Children in Need, coinciding with the series' 30th Anniversary. It was a special in two parts, running about 12 minutes in total, which featured all surviving Doctors (including Tom Baker in his first appearance as the character since 1981), and more than a dozen former companions. Not meant to be taken seriously, the story had the Rani opening a hole in time, cycling the Doctor and his companions through his previous incarnations and menacing them with monsters from the show's past. It also featured a crossover with the soap opera Eastenders, the action taking place in the latter's Albert Square location.

Related Topics:
1993 - Dimensions in Time - Children in Need - Tom Baker - 1981 - Rani - Eastenders

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1999, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, a parody starring Rowan Atkinson as a future incarnation of the Doctor in his final battle with the Master (Jonathan Pryce), was created for the charity Comic Relief. During the parody's climax, when the Doctor regenerates several times, actors Richard E. Grant, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent and Joanna Lumley all had a chance to play the character. Richard E. Grant would go on to play another unofficial incarnation of the Doctor for the webcast of Scream of the Shalka. The Curse of Fatal Death is not considered canon, though BBC Video has released it to video using the same format as regular Doctor Who releases.

Related Topics:
1999 - Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death - Rowan Atkinson - Master - Jonathan Pryce - Comic Relief - Richard E. Grant - Hugh Grant - Jim Broadbent - Joanna Lumley - Scream of the Shalka

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~