Tales of the TARDIS Launches on The Whoniverse

Monday, 30 October 2023 - Reported by Marcus
The Doctor (PETER DAVIDSON);Tegan (JANET FIELDING) (Credit: BBC Studios)

This week marks the launch of The Whoniverse, the place where British Doctor Who fans can find resources on every era of the programme. 

From the 1st of November, The Whoniverse will become the official name, and dedicated home, for all shows within the orbit of Doctor Who which will live on BBC iPlayer. With over 800 episodes of Doctor Who content already in the back catalogue, The Whoniverse will launch with a brand new logo, and every piece of Doctor Who content will carry a brand new ident, instantly bringing all the Doctor Who worlds together in one place and it will continuously expand.

One story likely to be missing from The Whoniverse will be the first-ever story of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child. A dispute between the BBC and the estate of Anthony Coburn, the credited writer of the story, means that the four episodes of this story will not, for now, appear on the service. 

The first exclusive content to land in the Whoniverse will be Tales of the TARDIS a brand new six-part series that reunites beloved classic Doctor Who duos, as they board a very special TARDIS on a nostalgic voyage through space and time.

Reprising their roles as the Doctor and companions to go on a timey-wimey spin down memory lane in these unmissable adventures are; Maureen O’Brien and Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, Katy Manning and Daniel Anthony, Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant, and Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred.

These Doctor Who legends step back into character to reflect on their adventures and in the process they discover something new, leaving viewers with a new insight into the story of each timeless pair.

Over six parts, each episode of Tales of the TARDIS features a different duo, with brand new scenes woven together with classic episodes to create a feature-length omnibus episode.

Steven (PETER PURVES);Vicki (MAUREEN O'BRIEN) (Credit: BBC Studios)The Doctor (SYLVESTER MCCOY);Ace (SOPHIE ALDRED) (Credit: BBC Studios)Jamie (FRAZER HINES);Zoe (WENDY PADBURY) (Credit: BBC Studios)Jo (KATY MANNING);Clyde (DANIEL ANTHONY) (Credit: BBC Studios)Peri (NICOLA BRYANT);The Doctor (COLIN BAKER) (Credit: BBC Studios)

With new scenes written by Showrunner Russell T Davies and previous Doctor Who writers Phil Ford and Pete McTighe, Tales of the TARDIS allows fans to rediscover the stories they love whilst inviting new viewers to explore the vast mythology of the Doctor.

Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Showrunner says:

“The word Whoniverse was invented by fans, so it’s time to give it official status. And Tales of the TARDIS is one of the greatest delights of my career - to see old Doctors and companions reunited, still fighting the good fight, is a perfect way to celebrate the Doctor’s 60th birthday!”

Dan McGolpin, Director of iPlayer and Channels added:

“I’m delighted to welcome Tales of the TARDIS exclusively to BBC iPlayer, the home of Doctor Who, which is consistently one of our most popular programmes every single week of the year. Tales of the TARDIS will sit within The Whoniverse and features brand new and incredibly moving scenes with well-loved characters; it will be a fantastic starting point for a new generation to discover some of the most classic episodes and a joyous way for longstanding fans to catch up with old friends.”

Viewers can discover Tales Of The TARDIS when The Whoniverse launches on 1st November, with the extensive back catalogue of Doctor Who.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - iPlayer - Documentary