In its long, long history, Doctor Who naturally it had several spinoffs, but not all of these spinoffs are created equal, with some being far superior to the others. The universe also continues to expand, with another Doctor Who spin off, The War between Land and Seahaving wrapped filming and scheduled for release in 2025. The story will follow the battle between UNIT and the former Doctor Who enemy of the Sea Devils. This is just one of many Doctor Who planned spinoffs in the coming years.
With a franchise as extensive as Doctor Whothe question of continuity of what is canon and what is not is incredibly confusing. Spinoffs, tie-ins, non-canon series, mini webisodes, radio plays, and more have been added to the lore, and it's not always clear what is considered official canon—in the case of Doctor Whowith its unstable and unstable nature, this could all be considered part of the tradition. Still, for the purposes of focus, This list will consist of real TV series (or specials) that are true derivative storiesnot holiday specials or lost episodes turned into animated miniseries.
4
K-9 and Company
1981
Five years after she left Doctor WhoElisabeth Sladen has returned. K-9 and Company was originally intended to be a full spinoff, featuring Sladen as former companion and investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog 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 unrealized potential.
3
Classroom
2016
Classroom is one of the most disappointing Doctor Who spinoffs, lasting a short season. The premise was really interesting, following the students of Coal Hill Academy as they dealt with various alien threats and run-ins with the Doctor while trying to balance their normal teenage lives. The darker tone was refreshing and generally well received by critics All of this promised good things for the show. A particular highlight was Katherine Kelly's sarcastic and sassy performance as physics teacher Miss. Quill.
Classroom failed to resonate with British audiences, and the plug was pulled after an eight-episode season.
Unfortunately, Not even the appearance of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor in the premiere could save him. Classroom failed to resonate with British audiences, and the plug was pulled after an eight-episode season, turning the intended multi-season show into a miniseries. Still, it lasted longer than the failure K-9 and Company spinoff, making it second to last on the list.
2
The Adventures of Sarah Jane
2007-2011
Although K-9 and Company failed to launch, Elisabeth Sladen got a second chance in a Sarah Jane spinoff in 2007 with The Adventures of Sarah Jane. Following Sarah Jane Smith and older K-9 along with her son Luke and his friends The Adventures of Sarah Jane it involved them investigating various alien threats and uncovering the truth behind different cases. In essence, it was the spinoff that K-9 and Company it was always intended to be, just two and a half decades later.
From the moment it debuted, The Adventures of Sarah Jane was embraced by the publicwho was delighted to see the return of Elisabeth Sladen in the reboot Doctor Who season 2 episode "School Reunion" during David Tennant's tenure as the Tenth Doctor. The story was more suitable for children than others Doctor Who spinoffs and a throwback to Classic Who, avoiding the longer arcs of the modern Doctor Who in favor of suspense and unique episodes.
Despite being aimed at children, its writing was clever and as a result it was very well received. It also helped that Matt Smith appeared in one of the Doctor's rare TV appearances outside of Doctor Who. If Sladen hadn't tragically passed away in 2011, The Adventures of Sarah Jane it would have continued for even longer.
1
Torch
2006-2011
Number one on the list is the undisputed king of Doctor Who spinoffs, not just on TV, but possibly across all franchise media: Torch. The series followed John Barrowman's fan-favorite scoundrel Captain Jack Harkness as the immortal con man who leads the team at the secretive Torchwood Institute. The entire cast is great, but Barrowman's charming and chronically carefree Jack is the heart of the show. To the delight of fans, a Torch the revival has been launched, and not without reason.
Node Doctor Who media universe, Torch is the most mature and adult of all, incorporating LGBTQ+ characters and relationships and dealing with complex topics such as existentialism, the corruption of human nature and the corrosive nature of power. Torch It was uneven, but when it was firing on all cylinders, it was excellent. While others Doctor Who spinoffs are evaluated according to how they add to or fit into the existing tradition, Torch is the only spinoff that became beloved in its own right, gaining a cult following that included people who had never watched the original show. This makes it number 1 on the list.