Doctor Who is not only a British institution, but a global science fiction mainstay. Beginning in 1963 before going off-air in 1989, only to be revived in 2005 and still going strong today, the show has become a pop culture phenomenon. The main show features the regenerating Time Lord traveling across space and time in the T.A.R.D.I.S, bringing along companions, usually from different periods in Earth's history, for perilous adventures.
With the phenomenal popularity of the show, it was only a matter of time before spinoffs happened. The series has a huge expanded media universe, from audio dramas, to books, to comics, and even occasional video games. Along the way, there have also been a few television spinoff series. Some have been short-lived, while others carried on for multiple seasons. Let's dive into these shows before discussing which is the best Doctor Who spinoff.
Lesser-Known Spinoffs
While there have been a few very successful series based on the core show, there have also been a few that either didn't connect with audiences after a season or just never got off the ground. In total, there have been four live-action spinoffs based on the original series all featuring either former companions or key recurring characters from the run of the main show.
The first attempt at a spinoff show came in 1981, and was called K9 and Company. The premise was based on everyone's favorite robot dog K9 and beloved companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen). The show also saw Sarah Jane get her own companion, a young man called Ian who was studying computers and math. Ian's study subjects tied into the beginning of the rise of the popularity of computers, and would have potentially played a large role.
The first episode of the show was called "A Girl's Best Friend" and was technically the first Doctor Who Universe Christmas special, taking place largely over the Christmas period. The plot centered on a strange supernatural cult surrounding the Ancient Greek goddess Hecate, who turned out to be a woman in a mask. The show's first episode was also the last, canceled before it could take off. However, it is often credited with being the blueprint for future spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The most recent spinoff adventure was a show called Class. Released in 2016, the show also branched out into audio drama and books. It took place at Coal Hill Academy, a school that has appeared throughout the main series. In fact, it appears in the first ever episode — it is the school that Susan attends, and where companions Barbara and Ian teach. The show followed students of the school as they dealt with time and space distortion and the creatures that came through. It was in a similar vein to Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the recurring issues the Hellmouth brought, except it was aimed at a younger audience. However, its poor performance saw the show canceled after one season.
The Best-Known Spinoff Shows
Now it's time to discuss the two fully fledged spinoffs that were the most popular, and which could both arguably be classed as the best spinoff. The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood both ran for several seasons, and both received positive reception from critics and fans alike. The shows couldn't be more different. The Sarah Jane Adventures was aimed at younger audiences, featuring Sarah Jane Smith and K9. Meanwhile, Torchwood was very much aimed at adult audiences, featuring fan-favorite Captain Jack Harkness and his Torchwood team dealing with rift incursions.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures began in 2007 and ran until 2011. The series followed on from Sarah Jane's meeting with the Tenth Doctor in the episode "School Reunion" from the second series of the Doctor Who revival. Sarah Jane is a highly successful journalist and mother to adopted son Luke, who also happens to be a highly-intelligent child created by the Bane. In the series, Luke and his friends join Sarah Jane and occasionally K9 on adventures fighting aliens, while also trying to balance their schoolwork and family life.
Despite being generally well received, the show was patchy and had several inconsistencies, mainly the appearance of K9. K9 had seen a resurgence in popularity after "School Reunion," and it was expected that the robot companion would be a regular fixture in the spinoff. However, writer Bob Baker retained the rights to and owned K9, meaning that the appearances of the character had to be routinely negotiated. This led to K9 having only sporadic appearances in the series, apart from Series 3 when he was a regular fixture.
The show ended following the death of actress Elisabeth Sladen, triggering tributes, specials, the release of the truncated season 5, which had been completed before Sladen passed away on April 19, 2011. While some wanted the show to go on, none of the cast or crew wanted to continue without her.
Torchwood
This brings us to Torchwood, the edgier adult spinoff that featured sex, drugs, and a lot more violence. It also showcased LGBTQ relationships and tackled heavier issues in its storylines. Torchwood (whose name is an anagram of Doctor Who) is a Cardiff-based, semi-secret organization that is stationed on the time rift, which features heavily in the main show. Captain Jack Harkness leads the team, which featured medical officer Owen Harper, scientist Toshiko Sato, support man Ianto Jones, and police officer Gwen Cooper, who stumbles into Torchwood and its activities by accident.
The show went in strong on the adult themes immediately, with the first episode featuring an alien that survives by draining the life of humans at the point of orgasm. It ran for four seasons, the fourth being a collaboration between the BBC and Starz network in the US. Torchwood hit hard with emotional punches, but its its heavy adult themes were tamed a little by season three. The show came to an end in 2011, but the stories of Torchwood continued in audio adventures.
Which Series Is The Best?
When it comes to which spinoff show is best, it comes down to quality and consistency. While The Sarah Jane Adventures is a fun family adventure show with a focus on a beloved companion, the show was patchy and changed its direction and focus frequently. Cast changes also made it hard to create attachments.
Torchwood wins this battle thanks to the consistency of its story and writing, as well as the core relationships of the show. It is easy to become heavily invested in the agents of Torchwood, each a unique individual with interesting and flawed stories to tell. The more adult approach also led to a wider range of subjects being explored. Torchwood could be resurrected today easily, as the characters and mythology of the organization are woven deep within the Doctor Who revival series. With how television and streaming have changed in the last decade, it would be interesting to see what could be done with the premise now.