As Doctor Who fans anxiously await the beginning of the second era of Russell T Davies as showrunner, rumors have been running rampant on the possibility of spin-off shows. Said rumors have received more credibility recently, being picked up by reputable sources such as Deadline. They are currently reporting that a spin-off series set to star Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart is in the works.
What’s Happening:
- Deadline is reporting that a spin-off based on military research organization UNIT, first introduced in Doctor Who back in the late 1960s, is in development.
- Redgrave will reprise her role as Kate Stewart, the head of UNIT, in the series, alongside a returning role in the upcoming series of Doctor Who.
- She made her first appearance in 2012’s “The Power of Three” alongside Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, and has appeared alongside every Doctor since, including Jodie Whitaker in the most recent story, “The Power of the Doctor.”
- Since striking a mega international distribution deal for the show with Disney+, showrunner Russell T Davies has been clear that spin-offs will arrive as part of an expanded “Whoniverse.”
- He recently told GQ that he wants to take Doctor Who to the “next stage,” stating that he has “always believed in spin-offs.”
- That fact is definitely true, as during his original tenure, Davies created the kid-focused Sarah Jane Adventures and the adult-focused Torchwood as companion pieces to the main shows. Both endured successful multi-season runs before coming to an end in the early 2010s.
- One further spin-off, Class, followed in 2016, but that was not as successful as the others, running for only one season.
- Rumors also indicate that a second spin-off series may be in development, this one focusing on the various monsters the Doctor has faced over the years.
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