Doctor Who has had its fair share of spin-offs in the past. There was Torchwood in 2006, which ran for three seasons and followed Captain Jack Harkness's (John Barrowman) team of extraterrestrial experts. Then The Sarah Jane Adventures came along in 2007 and ran for five seasons. This spinoff followed the beloved companion (Elisabeth Sladen) and her son, Luke (Tommy Knight). Then most recently we had Class in 2016 that had one season. Class centered on the teen students from the school at which Clara (Jenna Coleman) taught.
Despite the slump in spin-off popularity as of late, there are endless suggestions for new Who shows still being tossed around. Some of these are great ideas that could really capture an audience and reinvigorate the Who franchise. Others...not so much.
No Thanks: The Doctor's Daughter
Jenny (Georgia Tennant) is truly the Doctor's daughter. She was created from Ten's (David Tennant, yes he's now Georgia's husband) DNA that was used in a machine that fast-tracks human growth to create new soldiers. The Doctor watches her die, mourns her, and leaves. But, after he's gone, Jenny revives and flies off into space in her own ship.
We love Jenny as much as you do. She's spunky, sweet, and a chip off the old block. It's just simply been too long. The episode aired in 2008, twelve years ago now. In order for the spin-off to catch fire, it needs to be something recent in the audience's mind.
Love: Martha & Mickey
In the Tenth Doctor's final episode, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), both former companions of the Doctor, are shown to be married and fighting aliens side-by-side. Martha left the TARDIS after choosing her future over her unrequited love for Ten. Mickey traveled with Nine (Christopher Eccleston) and companion Rose (Billie Piper) and was more or less dumped by Rose for the Doctor.
Neither Martha nor Mickey got their due in the Who universe. They really deserved better. To have each other is a good start, but what about their own series? They could be the defenders of Earth, much like the other spin-offs, but their marriage adds a unique dynamic.
No Thanks: UNIT
UNIT stands for the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, a team that deals with extraterrestrial threats. The Doctor is a member of UNIT and seems to actually get a paycheck from them. The organization is now defunct, but was most recently featured in the ninth season of Doctor Who with the twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi).
Our most recent UNIT friends, Petronella Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) and Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) are great, but a UNIT spin-off would be too similar to Torchwood to get off the ground. An organization that protects Earth from alien threats? Been there, done that.
Love: Bill And Her Liquid Girlfriend
Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) was Twelve's final companion. She was a quirky young woman who was sadly converted into a Cyberman. Earlier in the season, she had a short-lived relationship with a woman named Heather (Stephanie Hyam), who is turned into a water creature. Her love interest returns to save Bill, turns her into a water creature, as well, and the two set off into the great unknown together.
Bill's conversion into a Cyberman was unpalatable, so her happy-ish ending is much appreciated. What if we explored all the places she and Heather traveled to? Their show could be based on the fantastical places they go, rather than action, like Doctor Who itself. And, to feature a lesbian couple as the protagonists? Revolutionary.
No Thanks: The Ponds
Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and her husband, Rory (Arthur Darvill) were Eleven's (Matt Smith) first companions. They went on many adventures together before they were sent back in time by a Weeping Angel. Because of a paradox, the TARDIS can never get near them again.
The Ponds are a great couple; Amy is compassionate, and Rory is devoted. They tried to make sure the Doctor never traveled alone, but, like all the Doctors before, they had their time. They had the most incredible storylines (consider: River Song, The Pandorica). A spin-off focusing on their mid-20th century lives would be superfluous.
Love: Rose & Ten's Clone
At the end of the tenth Doctor's tenure, Rose Tyler returned and a part-human clone of the Doctor was created with Ten's regeneration energy. Ten deposits Rose back on the beach that's a window back to her universe. She and the clone choose to go home together and give us the Ten/Rose kiss we always wanted.
We know we said we should let go of characters that are so long gone, but we just can't let go of Ten and Rose's relationship. Their separation into different universes was as heartbreaking as saying goodbye to them a second time. It's unlikely to happen, but what if we peeked into their life in the other universe? They'd for sure be saving the world there, too.
No Thanks: Time War
The Time War was the hyper-violent clash between the Time Lords and the Daleks that destroyed much of the two species. The War Doctor (John Hurt) fought in the war, and, with help from Eleven and Twelve in "The Day of the Doctor," found a way to freeze Gallifrey, and the war along with it.
The War Doctor is an intriguing character. He's burdened with his failure to protect his people and by the atrocities committed. But, an entire show centered on the War would be deeply depressing and extremely violent. Those things have their place, but it would be hard to maintain Doctor Who's sense of wonder and hope in such a dark setting.
Love: Gallifrey Prequel
Gallifrey is the homeworld of the Doctor. It's always lurking in the mind of the Doctor and in the pockets of the show's writers. It comes back frequently, but never with a totally complete background. That is to say, much of Gallifrey remains a mystery. And, after that explosive series 12 finale, we have even more questions than answers.
Imagine a Doctor Who prequel set on Gallifrey. There's no Doctor involved (...or is there?), but it gives the audience an idea of what the Doctor's life would've looked like on the planet. What are the people like? What is the hierarchy like? What is the culture like? This would open up a whole new world of Who storytelling.
No Thanks: Clara & Ashildr
After Clara Oswald faced the raven and died, Twelve came back and saved her just in time. Ashildr, or Me, was a Viking girl the Doctor saved from death. Unfortunately, his cure caused her to be immortal, and, over time, she's become hardened and tough. The two run off together in a stolen TARDIS to travel the universe.
This situation presents the perfect situation for a spin-off. It could feature the travels of Clara and Ashildr as they perform Doctor-like feats with more edge. That being said, we don't want it. Clara became too much like the Doctor in her last season and her recklessness could be difficult to watch. Ashildr isn't much better herself.
Love: Jo Martin's Doctor
In the season 12 episode "The Fugitive of the Judoon," Jo Martin is introduced as another incarnation of the Doctor, named Ruth. The season finale explains that there are many regenerations of the Doctor out there that she doesn't remember. But, as for Ruth, we know almost nothing about her.
Ruth is such a juicy mystery. Where does she fit into the Doctor's past? We get to know her briefly as a confident, capable woman, but what else is her personality like? This spin-off could veer off into the Doctor's past in new and exciting ways. And Jo Martin is current, enchanting, and a fantastic choice to helm another Doctor Who show.