7 best shows to binge if you’re already missing Doctor Who after finale
Here are seven options to fill that Tardis-shaped hole in your life.
The second season of Doctor Who’s run with Ncuti Gatwa came to an end this Saturday, capping off a batch of episodes that introduced a new companion and forever changed the show’s lore.
It was a lot of take in, as we travelled along through eight episodes trying to return Belinda (Varada Sethu) to her home planet.
So if, like us, you’re reeling from the two-part finale in the Tardis, we have some palate cleanser TV shows you can turn to while we wait for news of what is next in the Whoniverse.
We don’t yet know when – or even (gulp) if – the beloved BBC show will be back on air. So what better time to get stuck into something similar?
We’ve compiled a list of shows to turn to in your time of need, some of which even feature characters Whovians will already know.
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From Doctor Who spin-offs to shows that are just a bit timey-wimey, here are seven options to fill that Tardis-shaped hole in your life.
The Sarah Jane Adventures Sarah Jane was a beloved Who companion (Picture: BBC)This a Doctor Who spin-off for the younger ones in the house, starring one of the most beloved companions to ever travel across the universe at the Doctor’s side.
Sarah Jane Smith, played by the late great Elisabeth Sladen, joined the Third and Fourth Doctors in the 70s.
This might have first aired on CBBC, but it has everything an adult Whovian can enjoy – including guest appearances from David Tennant and Matt Smith.
This answers the question of what becomes of those the Doctor has crossed paths with and teases the possibility that there’s always a Slitheen or the Judoon just around the corner, even on a humdrum suburban street.
The Sarah Jane Adventures is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Torchwood Torchwood is like a gritty, dark version of Who (Picture: BBC)Another hit Doctor Who spin-off, but Torchwood is definitely not for kids. This is Doctor Who with a dark, sexy and violent rebrand – in this instance, you might have to tune in to get a sense of what we mean.
The BBC miniseries stars the Ninth Doctor’s companion Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and his team at the covert Torchwood Institute, which is much like UNIT in today’s Who, and lends a hand to fend aliens off from humanity when the Doctor is otherwise indisposed.
That is, when they’re not dealing with heaps of personal drama at the institute.
The third season Torchwood: Children of Earth is a must-see for any tried and tested Whovian.
Torchwood is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Sherlock From one clever clogs to another (Picture: Hartswood Films/Rex/Shutterstock)Over a decade since it first aired, Sherlock was pure appointment viewing at the time. If you didn’t tune it, how would you avoid being spoiled the following day?
But if you somehow missed the moment and are in need of a brainbox-led show like Doctor Who, who’s brainier than Sherlock Holmes?
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the aloof, scarf-toting genius and has Martin Freeman as Watson, forever side-eyeing next to him.
The cast popping up along the way is exceptional and the writing superb. Just try not to feel too inferior to Holmes when you fail to crack the case.
Sherlock is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Primeval Primeval was a dinosaur mystery-of-the-week hidden gem (Picture: ITV Plc /Impossible Pictures 2007)Have you ever watched a Jurassic Park film and thought, I wish I could hang out with these dinosaurs more? Enter Primeval.
Truly a hidden gem, this sci-fi show from ITV sees a professor and his prehistoric-obsessed team track down and capture dangerous dinosaurs as they manage to slip through a rip in time from the past.
There are too many good episodes to pick from. When a vicious sabre-toothed dinosaur breaks into a Go Ape-type park? Loved it. When a huge water dino gets into London’s plumbing? Yikes. When a pack of velociraptors break into a mall? Run, don’t walk, to your TV screens now.
Primeval is available to stream on Now.
Misfits The Misfits gang, probably causing trouble (Picture: E4)If you have yet to come across Misfits, you lucky thing – what a treat you have in store.
The Channel 4 dark comedy finds a ragtag group of young offenders suddenly struck by mysterious cosmic lightning while doing community service, which leaves them each with a special superpower. The premise gets 10 points for originality.
Except this lot aren’t about world saving. They’re out for themselves. A foul-mouth twist on the superhero genre, those who enjoy Torchwood will also likely feel at home with this.
The Umbrella Academy’s Robert Sheehan is a stand-out as the immortal Nathan.
Misfits is available to stream on Channel 4.
Bodies Stephen Graham plays the mysterious Mannix in Bodies (Picture: Netflix)Netflix’s time travelling murder mystery Bodies stars Stephen Graham, of recent Adolescent success on the streaming platform.
Given that he’s one of the best actors working at the moment, we can rest assured this is going to be at least a base level of good.
Graham’s detectives grapples with four killings in four different timelines, in an adaptation of the late Si Spencer’s graphic novel from 2015.
The show bends time and genres in an ambitious set of episodes that have certain teething pains, but definitely puts a new spin on the detective drama. One for those who love something timey-wimey.
Bodies is available to stream on Netflix.
Black Mirror The anthology series is a must-watch (Picture: Nick Wall/Netflix/Rex/Shutterstock)When you’re watching a Doctor Who episode with a brilliant concept that doesn’t quite come together, you might be left thinking, what would this have looked like in Charlie Brooker’s hands?
Netflix’s dark tech hit has some surprising genetic similarities to the BBC stalwart, given they’re essentially telling anthology stories. When Black Mirror and Doctor Who both started to take fantastical turns in recent seasons, the mystery-of-the-week similarities became even clearer.
Which begs the question, Black Mirror x Doctor Who episode when?
From the most recent seventh season of episodes on Streamberry – sorry, Netflix – start with ‘Common People’ if you want to be glum in an existential way, then end with ‘Eulogy’ if you want to be glum in a moving way.
Black Mirror is available to stream on Netflix.
Honourable mention: Sex Education It’s easy to see why Gatwa bagged the role (Picture: Netflix/Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)A bit of a curveball to end the list, but this is one for the Ncuti Gatwa converts.
There are some fans who perhaps didn’t know much about the Scottish actor before he stepped into the Tardis, but it was on Sex Education where he first made a name for himself.
Watching his fabulous character Eric in the sex positive teen drama on Netflix makes it clear why Gatwa was cast as the Doctor. He’s at turns funny, moving and an eternal scene-stealer.
What’s more, the show is an absolute delight and with an up-and-coming who’s who cast, it’s essentially become the British Euphoria.
Sex Education is available to stream on Netflix.
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