Doctor Who’s new showrunner, Chris Chibnall, is stepping down after three series. While it’s sad to see him go, it’s less upsetting to say goodbye to him given the poor quality of his last few seasons. ..
In 2023, Russell T. Davies will be returning to head up the show but if you’re looking for something to watch before Whittaker’s grand finale and Gatwa’s debut, you might want to check out the shows we have gathered for you below. ..
Torchwood
Similarities – Jack Harkness, alien nasties, references to Doctor Who
The first season of Captain Jack Harkness was a dark and edgy spin-off of Doctor Who that saw the return of the sexually fluid Time Agent who made his debut in an early Christopher Eccleston episode of Doctor Who. The show was prime time family viewing, but the darker and edgier spin-off series that saw the return of Captain Jack Harkness was not.
Torchwood was a show about a small team of alien hunters led by Captain Jack, but their adventures were more adult in nature than their more famous counterpart. Still, despite the violence and occasional swearing, this was still respectful of the original show, and that’s partly down to the involvement of Russel T. Davies who was the showrunner for this and Doctor Who‘s 2005 reboot.
Quantum Leap
Similarities – Time travel, Historical adventures & Time machine
Sam Becket travelled through time and not space, so there were no extraterrestrial adventures here. But like the Doctor, he did get to change his appearance on a regular basis, but by materializing into someone else’s body instead of regeneration.
Sam was thrust back in time with little hope of getting back to the era that he had departed from. To leave each time period, he had to right the mistakes that had caused him to leap there in the first place, with the hope that his next leap would take him closer to home.
In the fifth season of “Quantum Leap,” Sam didn’t return home as expected. Dr. Ben Seong, the next scientist to use the Quantum Leap technology, may have had more success when the reboot lands at the end of this year.
Life On Mars
Similarities – John Simm, Chris Chibnall & Time travel
This show is a mash-up of Doctor Who and The Master, with Chris Chibnall as the showrunner. It’s a mix of sci-fi and mystery, with a focus on the detective who goes back in time to solve crimes from 1976. It’s an interesting show that I’m excited to see when it airs.
The big question is this: did Sam travel back in time? Or are his adventures part of a delusion brought on by a coma? If you have never seen the show, there will be no spoilers here, but it’s worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of 1970s cop shows as well as science-fiction stories.
Timeless
Similarities – Time travel, Rogue time travelers & Time machines
This NBC series was a disappointment because it only lasted for two seasons. It’s not as epic in scope as Doctor Who, but it still provided plenty of time travelling adventures for viewers to get caught up in.
The trio of travelers set out on a journey to stop Garcia Flynn from changing history, and they meet many famous people along the way. They meet Abraham Lincoln, Bonnie & Clyde, and Harriet Tubman among others. These people have helped change history in different ways, and the trio is determined to make sure that their actions will help keep history on track.
The show is set in the future and follows three people as they travel through time. The twist is that the trio are not actually traveling through time, but instead are stuck in a loop that keeps going back and forth. This makes for an interesting show to watch, as it offers a few surprises along the way.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Similarities – Alien nasties, K9 & Matt Smith cameo
Who is your favourite Doctor Who companion? If you grew up watching the Time Lord during the Matt Smith era of the show, you might well choose River Song. She joined the Doctor on numerous adventures, facing all kinds of monsters, from the Daleks to dinosaurs, while winning the hearts of viewers along the way. River Song also popped up in the rebooted show when David Tennant held the keys to the Tardis.
Sarah Jane returned to the small screen in a new series, which was a joy to watch. She was joined by her son Luke and other kids from the neighbourhood, and K9 popped up occasionally too. Sadly, Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane, passed away in 2011 so the series couldn’t continue. Still, while it’s right to shed a tear at her loss we should still look back on her with fondness and the many adventures she shared with the Doctor in the Tardis. ..
Class
Similarities – Familiar locations, Alien nasties & Peter Capaldi cameo
Doctor Who is the longest-running science fiction series of all time, with 39 seasons. Class, a spin-off of the show, only lasted for one season and was subsequently cancelled. ..
Doctor Who is back on our screens and Coal Hill Academy is the place where we first met Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter. There are plenty of references to both old and new Doctor Who that fans will recognise so if you can excuse the teenage dramas that break up the alien-fighting, you might enjoy this one. ..
Battlestar Galactica
Similarities – A rebooted show, Space adventures & Deadly robots
So what is the difference between Doctor Who and Star Trek? They are both sci-fi shows, but Battlestar Galactica was more intelligent and daring than the original show which premiered in 1978. It lasted a lot longer too, spanning four seasons as opposed to the original’s one. And while its cheesy but still entertaining forebear may have been better, Doctor Who and Star Trek are both great shows that should be watched by everyone.
The original Cylons were a plucky space crew, but this show was far deeper than that. It had a more involving backstory and a whole heap of moral dilemmas. Trying to work out who was and who wasn’t a secret Cylon was part of this show’s fun, although it has to be said that the word ‘fun’ wasn’t always the best way to describe this darker incarnation of the classic series.
K-9
Similarities – K-9 & Alien nasties
Doctor Who spin-off series featuring the famous robot dog that played a major part in the series back in the 1970s has been cancelled. ..
Doctor Who fans who are looking for a show that is not very good and is aimed at younger children might want to tune in to see original K-9 voice actor John Leeson provide the dialogue for the mechanical hound. There are 26 episodes in total so it will take some time to watch them all. However, despite its inclusion on this list, you might want to check out the earlier K-9 and Company instead or any of the vintage episodes where he assisted (and hindered) the Doctor on his time travelling adventures. ..
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Similarities – Time travel, Arthur Darvill, Companions & Time machine
The series was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. The cast and crew are still available for fans to watch online, and some new footage has been released of the show’s future plans.
The CW’s new series “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” has a lot in common with BBC’s “Doctor Who.” The show features a time-traveling spaceship called the Waverider, and the bad guy is as villainous as The Master. Arthur Darvill, who played Rory in BBC’s “Doctor Who,” plays Rip Hunter in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. This light-hearted addition to the run of DC shows on the CW was far different than the more murkier and (and often depressing) Arrow, which kicked off the televised DC universe. ..
Sliders
Similarities – Time travel & Altered histories
Quinn and his friends, Doctor Strange and Wong (Benedict Cumberbatch), set out on a journey to find the coordinates to home before they are pushed into other universes and meet worlds that are quite unlike their own. Along the way, they must use their skills as doctors to help others, and face challenges that would test even the most experienced heroes.
The show managed three seasons before cancellation but news has emerged that a reboot might be in the works. This will certainly be good news to fans who felt bereft when the show ended, a little like the Doctor Who fans who were deeply upset when the BBC cancelled the original run of Doctor Who in 1989. It just goes to show, you just can’t keep a good time traveler down as they will always pop up again in your future!
Doctor Who is a popular British television show that has been running for over 50 years. While it is a great show, there are other shows out there that are just as good or even better. Here are 10 TV shows that you can watch instead of Doctor Who when it finishes airing on BBC One. ..
Our picks for the best summer reads are just the beginning! Let us know in the comments below what books you’re looking forward to reading this season. ..
