Every Doctor Who TV Spinoff, Ranked

Every Doctor Who TV Spinoff, Ranked


In its long, long history, Doctor Who has naturally had numerous spinoffs, but not all of those spinoffs are created equal, with some being far superior to the rest. The universe continues to expand, too, with another Doctor Who spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, having wrapped filming and set for release in 2025. The story will follow the battle between UNIT and old Doctor Who foe the Sea Devils. It’s just one of many Doctor Who spinoffs planned in the next few years.

With a franchise as sprawling as Doctor Who, the continuity issue of what’s canon and what’s not is incredibly messy. Spinoffs, tie-ins, non-canonical series, mini webisodes, radio plays, and more have all added to the lore, and it’s not always clear what’s considered official canon – in the case of Doctor Who, with its wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey nature, it could all be considered part of the lore. Still, for the purposes of focus, this list will stick with actual TV series (or specials) that are true spinoff stories, not holiday specials or lost episodes turned into animated miniseries.

4

K-9 and Company

1981

Five years after she’d left Doctor Who, Elisabeth Sladen returned. K-9 and Company was originally meant to be a full spinoff featuring Sladen as former companion and investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog companion, K-9. Unfortunately, the series was never picked up for production, and a single pilot episode, “A Girl’s Best Friend,” was released as a 50-minute spinoff special. It was a great concept, and both Sarah Jane and K-9 would return in later episodes and spinoffs, but K-9 and Company is last on the list due to its brief nature and unfulfilled potential.

3

Class

2016

Class is one of the more disappointing Doctor Who spinoffs, lasting one short season. The premise was a really interesting one, following students at Coal Hill Academy as they dealt with various alien threats and run-ins with the Doctor while trying to balance their normal teen lives. The darker tone was a refreshing take, and it was generally well-received by critics, all of which promised good things for the show. A particular standout was Katherine Kelly’s snarky, sassy delivery as physics teacher Miss Quill.

Class failed to resonate with British audiences, and the plug was pulled after one eight-episode season.

Unfortunately, not even an appearance by Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor in the premiere could save it. Class failed to resonate with British audiences, and the plug was pulled after one eight-episode season, turning the intended multiseason show into a miniseries. Still, it lasted longer than the failed K-9 and Company spinoff, making it second-to-last on the list.

2

The Sarah Jane Adventures

2007-2011

Even though K-9 and Company failed to launch, Elisabeth Sladen got a second chance at a Sarah Jane spinoff in 2007 with The Sarah Jane Adventures. Following an older Sarah Jane Smith and K-9, along with her son, Luke, and his friends, The Sarah Jane Adventures involved them investigating various alien threats and uncovering the truth behind different cases. In essence, it was the spinoff that K-9 and Company was always intended to be, just two and a half decades later.

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From the moment it premiered, The Sarah Jane Adventures was embraced by audiences, who had been delighted to see the return of Elisabeth Sladen in the rebooted Doctor Who season 2 episode “School Reunion” during David Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor. The story was more kid-friendly than other Doctor Who spinoffs, and a throwback to Classic Who, eschewing the longer arcs of modern Doctor Who in favor of cliffhangers and one-off episodes.

Despite being aimed at kids, its writing was smart, and it was really well-received as a result. It also helped that Matt Smith appeared in one of the Doctor’s rare cameo TV appearances outside of Doctor Who. Had Sladen not tragically passed away in 2011, The Sarah Jane Adventures would have continued even longer.

1

Torchwood

2006-2011

Number one on the list is the undisputed king of Doctor Who spinoffs, not just on TV, but arguably across all franchise media: Torchwood. The series followed John Barrowman’s fan-favorite scoundrel, Captain Jack Harkness, as the immortal conman who leads the team of the secretive Torchwood Institute. The entire cast is great, but Barrowman’s charming, chronically insouciant Jack is the beating heart of the show. To fans’ excitement, a Torchwood revival has been kicked around, and it’s not without reason.

In the Doctor Who media universe, Torchwood is the most mature and adult-oriented of all, incorporating LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, and grappling with complex topics like existentialism, the corruption of human nature, and the corrosive nature of power. Torchwood was uneven, but when it was firing on all cylinders, it was excellent. While other Doctor Who spinoffs are graded on how they add to or fit in with the existing lore, Torchwood is the one spinoff that became beloved in its own right, gaining a cult following that included people who had never watched the original show. That makes it #1 on the list.

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