Doctor Who: What Monster Spin-Offs Could the Expanded Whoniverse See?

Returning showrunner Russell T Davies has spoken in the past about how the previous Doctor Who spin-offs came too soon. Given the current expanded universe boom across various franchises led by Marvel’s dominance of cinema and subsequent ventures into TV, the launch of The Sarah-Jane Adventures, Torchwood, etc…. was ahead of its time.

Now, Davies argues, is the moment for Doctor Who‘s version of the MCU. And according to a recent article on mirror.co.uk, that’s exactly what’s about to happen. Rumour has it that fans can expect spin-off series featuring some of the Doctor’s most famous enemies.

The Mirror’s anonymous source suggested: “Fans can expect to see Sontarans, Weeping Angels and Sea Devils in separate series showing what they get up to when the Doctor isn’t there to stop them, along with Daleks and Cybermen.”

Doctor Who spin-off fiction has dabbled in stories featuring Sontarans, Daleks and Cybermen without the Doctor’s involvement. The TV show even did a one-off Dalek episode featuring none of the regulars (1965’s ‘Mission to the Unknown’, which functioned as a prelude to ‘The Dalek Master Plan’).

Davies’ return to the role of executive producer, combined with co-producers Bad Wolf announcing a partnership with Sony Pictures Television, added to the news that Disney+ will be the global streaming host, makes the expanded Whoniverse feel closer than ever. Purely speculatively at this stage, if we can expect to discover the answer to the burning question of ‘What do Sea Devils do in their spare time?’ then perhaps the production team would also consider these equally valid, and entirely serious suggestions…

Undercover B.O.S.S

In which B.O.S.S. (or Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor) – the megalomanic computer system that controls Global Chemicals in ‘The Green Death’ – is resurrected by UNIT and given a realistic android body in the shape of popular character actor Harry Lloyd for the purposes of industrial espionage.

Reasoning that the threats UNIT deals with often have their origins in private companies (plastic factories, International Electromatics and so on), and after Captain Yates’ undercover work at Global Chemicals results in his eventual departure from UNIT, it was decided that the perfect spy would be someone who was both expendable but also understood the perspective of corrupt business types in their suits and ties.

In each story B.O.S.S. will investigate a company that UNIT suspect of sinister dabbling, with his line manager unsure if he can ever trust him and the executives also unsure if they can ever trust him. Expect incredibly tense meetings, intense corridor whispering and B.O.S.S. learning to feel as a human does (specifically loneliness and isolation).

Special guest appearances from Ingrid Oliver.

Gossip Kraal

In which Byggron – the son of Styggron from ‘The Android Invasion’ – attempts to conquer the Earth to avenge his father’s death. Looking at places of power on Earth, he settles on Manhattan’s Upper East Side as somewhere that apparently contains multiple influencers. Like his father Byggron is a scientist with extensive knowledge of androids, using this in his schemes, and so Manhattan’s social scene is about to meet Sara van Kreeft-Doorwaden, who returns to New York after a mysterious absence. Her presence throws the social scene into chaos: why has she returned now? What happened to her? Why can nobody quite place her from before? And why has an anonymous blogger revealed that someone in this group might not be quite what they seem?

Snog Marry Vervoid

In which Jenny Frost aided by supercomputer POD asks the public whether they think Vervoids – an enslaved race of artificially created humanoid plants – look better with or without make-up and leaf extensions.

Drahvin’s Den

In which members of the slave class of Drahvin (the antagonists from ‘Galaxy 4’) plot a rebellion in hiding. Fed up of being expected to unquestioningly obey the elite class, receiving pills instead of real food, and being unable to vote, Drahvin 4 dreams of a world where she is not a number, she is a free Drahvin. To succeed, she’ll have to discover the secret behind the elites, where the remaining Drahvin men are kept in a regimented breeding programme; she’ll have to visit… The Village.

Written by Tony Gilroy.

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel in Space

In which seven celebrities, designated experts in different subjects (parapsychology, anti-magnetic field generation, the weaponization of x-rays, that sort of thing) are made to crew a large space station near Venus while being asked multiple choice questions by popular light entertainment personality Michael McIntyre.

In each round, a contestant chooses a subject. The wheel is then spun to choose an expert at random. The contestant may discuss it with the expert before answering; a correct response adds £10,000 to the bank if the subject expert was spun, or £3,000 otherwise. If the contestant misses a question or spins an expert who has been shut down, their turn ends. Each subject remains in play until a contestant correctly answers a question in it. Meanwhile the Wheel is being attacked by Cybermen who are attempted to invade Earth for its mineral resources.

If all seven experts answer correctly, the Wheel turns Gold and any nearby Cybermen will instantly suffocate.

MasterChef

The multiple incarnations of the renegade known as the Master – one of the most evil and corrupt beings the Time Lord race has ever produced, their crimes without number and villainy without end – are taking part in a competitive cooking competition. Perhaps, at last, we will discover how he ended up all crispy.

Presented by Gregg Wallace and John Torode, narrated by Charley Pollard India Fisher with special guest judge the Doctor (Paul McGann) acting as a security consultant in case the Masters try anything (It seems even as a chef you can’t trust him).