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8 Doctor Who Spin-Offs We’d Rather See Than the Announced Class


4. Madam Vastra and the Paternoster Gang

I’m not the largest fan of the great Silurian detective Madam Vastra, for some reason. There’s no particular reason for the dislike; she’s just not a character I take too much interest in. That being said, there are many people out there who don’t share in my opinion and absolutely love her, enough to make a series about the exploits of Vastra, her wife/maid Jenny Flint, and her violence-prone Sontaran butler Strax must-see TV.

Just like Jago and Litefoot, a period piece about a trio of (mostly) alien detectives could be incredibly compelling, but the nerd ante would certainly be upped with the Paternoster Gang. While Jago and Litefoot would have more similarities with Sherlock, a show starring Vastra and friends would be like a Hannibal and Buckaroo Banzai sandwich, and regardless of my feelings for Vastra, it sounds pretty delicious.

3. Susan/Romana/Jenny Adventures

The rumors of casting a woman as the Doctor have been around for decades, with names like Joanna Lumley being mentioned way back in the eighties for the role. Fans have been pretty vocal as well, some in support of a gender change, others deeply opposed, but until the day comes where a woman walks in the shoes of our favorite Time Lord, why not revisit some of the previous Time Ladies?

When we last saw Romanadvoratrelundar, or Romana for short, she was stranded in E-Space with a bunch of Space Lions, having decided to stay and help them fight for freedom. Romana stood out from other companions in that she was the Doctor’s intellectual equal. Certainly there were intelligent companions prior such as Zoe Heriot and Liz Shaw, but Romana was essentially on the same level, and certainly less prone to shrieking. While the novels depict Romana escaping from E-Space, regenerating into a tyrant, and hunting the Doctor from her throne as Lady President of Gallifrey, they are not necessarily canon. The concept of Romana stealing her own TARDIS and flitting about the universe like her mentor would be the perfect way to put a Time Lady at the helm of a time machine.

One of the questions left from the early episodes of Doctor Who is whether Susan Foreman, granddaughter of the Doctor, is a Time Lord. After “The Dalek Invasion of Earth,” the Doctor, in one of his first major dick moves, decided to ditch his granddaughter on future Earth with a guy she barely knew because she loved him. They were briefly reunited years later during the anniversary special “The Five Doctors”, but since then we’ve only been given occasional glimpses of her fate. If she’s indeed a Time Lord (or Lady), theoretically she could be played by anyone (though I would love to see a Carol Anne Ford regeneration scene). Now, when last we saw her she didn’t have a TARDIS, but I’m sure there could be a way to get one in her more than capable hands.

Finally, if producers want a more modern take, they can always look at possible adventures featuring Jenny, the Doctor’s clone daughter from the season four tearjerker “The Doctor’s Daughter.” After what seemed to be resurrection via regeneration energy, she took to the stars, intent on saving lives, righting wrongs, and lots of running. Jenny hasn’t shown back up on the series since season 4, and aside from a visit to the comics, hasn’t been heard from in any medium. Of course, fans would likely welcome her back to the small screen just on pedigree alone; Georgia Moffet is the daughter of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison and the wife of Tenth Doctor David Tennant.

2. The Curator

I’m not afraid to admit that I got a little misty-eyed when Tom Baker showed up in the last moments of “The Day of the Doctor”. Judging by some of the reaction videos floating out there on Youtube, I wasn’t the only one. Now, I know this would be a tough one to pull off. Tom Baker doesn’t do too many TV appearances these days, but imagine, if you will, a series in which The Curator guides a group of young museum volunteers, solving mysteries surrounding what is likely the most dangerous art collection on planet Earth. Obviously, Class is supposed to fill a void left by The Sarah Jane Adventures for a young adult series, but bringing back Baker could very likely draw in audiences of adults too, like Elizabeth Sladen did.

1. The Missing Adventures

It’s become pretty obvious that some of the actors who have inhabited the role of the Doctor were more than a little disappointed when they didn’t get the call to appear in the 50th anniversary special. As upset as they were (Colin Baker particularly), I don’t think it would be too difficult to get any of them to don their unique costumes again and step through the Police Box doors. Peter Davison has already done it for a charity special, and all of them (the living Doctors of course) have reprised their roles in Big Finish audio productions.

Sure, there would be some complications. The writers would have to figure out a creative way to account for them having aged, and three of the Doctors have passed on from this world (though I would love to see Sean Pertwee don a curly gray wig and take over his father’s role, even though he said he never will). It would be more difficult to explain the advancing ages of their companions, but new companions could always be introduced, and hell, us hardcore Doctor Who fans could suspend disbelief long enough to see our childhood heroes back on screen.


 

Previously By Jason Helton

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