Whoniverse

The Whoniverse is the non-narrative name given to the fictional setting of the television series Doctor Who,[1] Torchwood,[2] The Sarah Jane Adventures and Class as well as other related media.[3][4][5] The word, a portmanteau of the words Who and universe, was originally used to describe the show's production and fanbase.[6]

Not to be confused with the fictional setting of two Dr. Seuss children's books, Whoville.

The term is used to link characters, ideas or items which are seen across multiple productions, such as Sarah Jane Smith from Doctor Who, K-9 and Company (1981) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011),[7] Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood as well as K-9 from Doctor Who, K-9 and Company, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and K-9.

Unlike the owners of other science fiction franchises, the BBC takes no position on canon, and recent producers of the show have expressed distaste for the idea.[8] The term has recently begun to appear in mainstream press coverage following the popular success of the 2005 Doctor Who revival.[9][10] At Bad Wolf Studios, the production company who have been making Doctor Who since 2023, they display that they are 'The Home of the Whoniverse'.[11]

Some have also speculated that the Blake's 7 series is also part of the same universe, due to a character known as Carnell appearing in the Blake's 7 episode "Weapon", who would also later appear in the Doctor Who novel Corpse Marker and the Kaldor City spin-off audio series. Another issue sometimes puzzling fans are the canonicity and fictional existence levels of the 1960s Dr. Who film adaptations, which were sometimes hinted to or referenced in ambiguous manners in other media both as fictional works based on the Doctor's adventures and as actual events happening.

The Whoniverse is also referred to as Earth-5556 in the Marvel Multiverse.[12]

Features

The Whoniverse has given rise to a wide variety of lifeforms, including the Time Lords,[13] the Daleks,[14][15] and the Cybermen,[16] as well as the Sontarans,[17] Silurians,[18] Ice Warriors,[19] and the Weeping Angels, who have appeared in several episodes.[20]

Due to the time travelling nature of the show, the Whoniverse setting has been covered across points from its formation in a big bang event (in 1983's Terminus and the 1985 audio drama Slipback),[21] to its heat death in the year "100 trillion" (in 2007's "Utopia").[22] Important events shown include the Time War, the formation of the Earth[23] and its eventual destruction in the year "5 billion" (in 2005's "The End of the World"),[24] and the destruction and recreation of the universe (in 2010's "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang").

Original usage
Main article: Doctor Who fandom

In his 1983 book Doctor Who: A Celebration; Two Decades Through Time and Space, Peter Haining called his final chapter "The Whoniverse".[6] The section assembled factual information about all the episodes to date, but also gave information about fan clubs and ancillary entertainments related to the programme. Thus, the term Whoniverse referred to everything connected with the programme behind-the-scenes. In this meaning, standing exhibitions, discussions about the filming of episodes and even the fandom itself were considered part of the "Whoniverse". The term Whoniverse is still used with this definition today,[25][26][27][28] including as the name of a Doctor Who convention in Australia.[29][30]

See also

References
Citations
  1. Fraser McAlpine (2 August 2012). "'Doctor Who' Science Fact: Five Whovian Things That Exist in Real Life". BBC America – Anglophenia.
  2. Capaldi's Past Whoniverse Appearances Not Ignored, Doctor Who TV, 28 September 2014
  3. Kistler (2013) Page 224
  4. Lofficier (1992) Foreword
  5. "Take the Quiz: Who – or What – in the Whoniverse Are You?". BBC America.
  6. Haining 1983
  7. Lloyd, Robert (18 April 2008), "She's back in the Whoniverse", Los Angeles Times
  8. Davies, Russel T. (2005). "Doctor Who Magazine". Doctor Who Magazine (356): .
  9. Morrison, Ryan (12 July 2007). "Battle of Flowers: Cybermen and Dalek for Battle". BBC Jersey.
  10. "Peter Capaldi's Multiple Appearances in the Whoniverse To Be Explained by an Old Russell T Davies Idea". Bleeding Cool. 29 September 2013.
  11. Flook, Ray (17 January 2023). "Doctor Who: Bad Wolf As "The Home of The Whoniverse" Very Promising". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  12. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 7
  13. "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The origins of the Time Lords". BBC. and "Doctor Who – A Brief History of Time Lords". BBC.
  14. "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The first history of the Daleks". BBC. and "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The second history of the Daleks". BBC.
  15. Kistler (2013) Page 33
  16. "Doctor Who, Series 7 Part 2 – Cybermen". BBC One. and "Cult Television – Doctor Who – The Classic Series – Characters – The Cybermen". BBC.
  17. "Doctor Who, Series 6 – Sontarans". BBC One.
  18. "Doctor Who, Series 5 – Silurians". BBC One.
  19. "Doctor Who, Series 7 Part 2 – The Ice Warriors". BBC One.
  20. "Doctor Who, Series 7 Part 1 – Weeping Angels". BBC One.
  21. "Doctor Who, Season 20, Terminus, Part 3, Terminus: Part 3". BBC One. 22 February 2013.
  22. "Doctor Who, Series 3, Utopia". BBC One. and "Doctor Who – Utopia – Episode Guide". BBC.
  23. "Creation of the Earth – Doctor Who – The Runaway Bride", YouTube, BBC Worldwide, archived from the original on 19 December 2021
  24. "Doctor Who, Series 1, The End of the World". BBC One.
  25. A message from Matt Smith: "To the Whoniverse, thanks a million. You're the best. I'll miss you. And I'll miss the madness.", twitter.com
  26. "The Sarah Jane Adventures", BBC – Blogs – Writersroom, BBC, 1 November 2010
  27. "Doctor Who – #Save The Day". BBC.
  28. "Jessica Simpson to Enter the Whoniverse?". Anglophenia. 7 February 2007. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
  29. "Whoniverse". The Hub Productions. 2011.
  30. "Whoniverse: The Doctor Is In – Australia 2014 Convention". Magnificent Matt Smith! – Your newest online resource to the 11th Doctor Matt Smith!.
Bibliography

Further reading
  • Howe, David J; Walker, Stephen James (1998), Doctor Who: The Television Companion
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