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).
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.
Background
editThe 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]
Development
editIn 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]
Television
edit
| Series | Seasons/Series | Episodes | Originally released | Network | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live-action series | ||||||||||||
| Doctor Who | 26 | 695[a] | 23 November 1963 | 6 December 1989 | BBC1 | |||||||
| TV movie | May 1996[b] | Fox / BBC1 | ||||||||||
| 14 | 187 | 26 March 2005 | Present | BBC One / Disney+ | ||||||||
| K-9 and Company | Pilot | 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 | |||||||
Films
edit| 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 |
Stage plays
edit| 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 |
Escape games
edit| 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 |
Musicals
edit| 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 |
In other media
editThe 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]
Video games
editDoctor 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]
Museums and exhibitions
editThere have been various Doctor Who–related exhibitions in the United Kingdom, including the now-closed exhibitions at:[citation needed]
- Land's End (Cornwall)
- Blackpool
- Llangollen
- Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow
- Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry
- Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Melbourne, Australia
- Kensington Olympia Two, London
- Longleat, which ran for 30 years.[33]
- Cardiff (the city where the series is filmed).[34]
Merchandise
editSince 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]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Capaldi's Past Whoniverse Appearances Not Ignored, Doctor Who TV, 28 September 2014
- ^ Kistler 2013, p. 224.
- ^ Lofficier 1992, Foreword.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (18 April 2008), "She's back in the Whoniverse", Los Angeles Times
- ^ a b Haining 1983.
- ^ Lofficier, Jean-Marc (1981). The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volume 2. London: W. H. Allen. p. 105. ISBN 0491028040.
- ^ Robinson, Nigel (1983). The Second Doctor Who Quiz Book (A Target book). London: Target. pp. Back cover. ISBN 978-0426194064.
- ^ A message from Matt Smith: "To the Whoniverse, thanks a million. You're the best. I'll miss you. And I'll miss the madness.", twitter.com
- ^ "The Sarah Jane Adventures", BBC – Blogs – Writersroom, BBC, 1 November 2010
- ^ "Doctor Who – #Save The Day". BBC.
- ^ "Jessica Simpson to Enter the Whoniverse?". Anglophenia. 7 February 2007. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
- ^ "Whoniverse". The Hub Productions. 2011.
- ^ "Whoniverse: The Doctor Is In – Australia 2014 Convention". Magnificent Matt Smith! – Your newest online resource to the 11th Doctor Matt Smith!. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Morrison, Ryan (12 July 2007). "Battle of Flowers: Cybermen and Dalek for Battle". BBC Jersey.
- ^ "Peter Capaldi's Multiple Appearances in the Whoniverse To Be Explained by an Old Russell T Davies Idea". Bleeding Cool. 29 September 2013.
- ^ Jasper, Matthew (27 November 2021). "New Doctor Who Production Company Name Hints at Shared Universe & Spinoffs". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Welcome to the Whoniverse, blogtorwho.com, 18 January 2023
- ^ Flook, Ray (17 January 2023). "Doctor Who: Bad Wolf As "The Home of The Whoniverse" Very Promising". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Doctor Who: Welcome to The Whoniverse where every Doctor, every companion and hundreds of terrifying monsters live". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ 60 Years of Doctor Who drops on BBC iPlayer alongside landmark online archive, bbc.co.uk
- ^ Colbert, Isaiah (26 July 2024). "Doctor Who Spin-Off The War Between The Land And The Sea Announced at San Diego Comic-Con". IGN. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ Laford, Andrea (15 August 2024). "Doctor Who spin-off 'The War Between the Land and the Sea' coming in 2025". CultBox. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Prom 48: Doctor Who Prom". BBC Radio 3 / BBC Proms. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 7
- ^ Paolini, Christopher (20 September 2008). "Acknowledgments". Brisingr (1st ed.). New York City: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 761. ISBN 978-0-375-82672-6.
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!
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (9 November 2023). "Doctor Who confirms further castings for 60th anniversary specials". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Saavedra, John (8 November 2014). "A Timey Wimey History of Doctor Who Games". Den of Geek.
- ^ Harrison, Mark (21 May 2019). "How Doctor Who Games Have Evolved Since 2005". Den of Geek. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Lovett, Jamie (7 July 2015). "Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman & Michelle Gomez Join LEGO Dimensions Voice Cast". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Paul (28 August 2013). "Allons-y! New Doctor Who Gear Comes to PlayStation Home". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (10 May 2015). "Portal, Doctor Who, The Simpsons and more confirmed for Lego Dimensions". Polygon. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ Musgrave, Shaun (9 May 2018). "'Pinball Arcade' Loses Bally/Williams License, More Than 60 Tables to be Removed from Sale June 30th". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Dr Who Exhibition, Longleat". The Doctor Who Exhibitions Archive. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ "Doctor Who". Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
Bibliography
edit- Lofficier, Jean-Marc (1992). The Universal Databank. Virgin Publishing (Target). ISBN 0-426-20370-4.
- Haining, Peter (1983). Doctor Who: A Celebration; Two Decades Through Time and Space. W.H. Allen. ISBN 978-0-491-03351-0.
- Kistler, Alan (2013). Doctor Who: a history. Lyons Press. ISBN 978-0-7627-9188-0. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
Further reading
edit- Howe, David J; Walker, Stephen James (1998), Doctor Who: The Television Companion
- Wood, Tat (2007). About Time 6:Season 22-26, The TV Movie. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 978-0-975-94465-3.
External links
edit