With the return of SJS and K9 in season two and rumours of another spinoff in addition to Torchwood, I wondered how everyone felt about this and the possible impact it might have on the main DW series.

Are you looking forward to the extra programmes? Do you want to see a lot more from the classic series brought into the new one?

Or do you think the series has moved on and aren't keen on seeing too much included from the classic series? Are you worried that all of these spinoffs are cynical ploys to cash in on the series' success and might actually lead to an early demise for DW itself? I have my own thoughts but wondered how everyone else felt.

I have requested a poll, but as usual, please bear with me as it will take a little while to appear.
Last edited by DenWatts : 07-03-2006 at 12:58

Yes although if Torchwood turns out to be "adult" for the sake it, I might not stay with it for too long. If there's going to be a new K9 and Company, it might be too much of a kids' programme to appeal to me. I don't know - we'll have to wait and see.


Not really, although the occasional "nods to the past" are welcome. I don't think it's been overdone so far so as long as they keep it that way, it should be fine.


Well "cynic" is my middle name but I think there's room for all three series. As I've suggested, the target audience for each seems to be different so there's no reason why they couldn't all co-exist.

We're living in an age where it's not uncommon for episodes of the same programme to be on several times a week and people are happy to sit and watch nothing happen for hours on end on TV so I doubt that having three concurrent series will really damage the main one. Hopefully not, anyway. Time will tell.

I agree there does seem to be room for each show, but do have concerns about overkill.

K9 will undoubtedly be aimed at kids only, Torchwood is the spin-off for older viewers and DW sits neatly in the middle as the show for the whole family.

What I wouldn't want to see is lots of messy crossover stories. I hope they keep each show seperate. I also hope the main budget and talent is kept for DW itself.

When I was growing up, Doctor Who was the must see programme on a Saturday night. The new series broadcast last year did not dissapoint and now my kids are avid fans.
It seems that the norm is for spin offs (Star Trek, Stargate, Buffy, CSI) and with few exeptions the spin offs have not distracted from the originals.
The good doctor has been off our screens too long. Even with these two spin-offs planned, the multi channel line up we have now, combined with the amount of repeats on TV should make these programmes watchable without overdoing the franchise.
Incidently, why does UK Gold show omnibus editiond so early on a weekend morning? And I'm sure that someone once told me the reason, but why does the BBC not show the original series?

The K9 series looks to be unashamedly for the kids, so I doubt it's going to fair too well in the poll above, considering that most of us are probably not going to be rushing home from work to catch it on CBBC. Nevertheless I'm sure it will do well, and I've high hopes for Torchwood too.

As others have said, the important thing will be protecting the crown jewels in the form of DW itself, which I hope will not lose out in budget or talent to the other productions - or get too bogged down in crossover stories.

I think there is room for all three, but am worried about overkill, and I am cynical too!

However, I'll wait and see too to see how good they are!

I'm really looking forward to Torchwood and I can see K9 spinoff appealling to the younger Doctor Who audience, is Russell T Davies in overrall charge of all three series though?...I do worry that people will start percieving there to be too much Who around though and then the backlash will begin in the press

Torchwood could be interesting... K9 series... humm... as a show firmly aimed at at kids, it could work. I suppose if anyone can pull it off its Davies... I'm just old enough to remember the last K9 spin off though *shudder*

Here we go again!

Very little - I suspect DW will trundle on this year with similar viewing figures to last year's and Torchwood will be a niche attraction. Unless it's ultra-hyped in which it may get Little Britain BBC3 figures.

As for any other spin-off. I think it's a year away at least and I don't actually believe it will be a significant spin-off. Maybe just a kids show?

I shall certainly watch them - I'm not planning my life around them though

More classic elements? It doesn't bother me - but it needs to be done well if done at all. Not gratuitously.

These things are like crests of waves - you can ride them for a number of years and then they fade. Regardless of spin-offs DW will thrive for some time in the current format and then there will be a dip in interest.

I watched the original airing of K9 & Company. I saw the programme as it went out and thought it was disappointing. I was 12 years old at the time.

I recently watched it again - my second time ever - and actually thought it was a darn sight better than I remembered it.

I don't know what that says about my tastes as I have got older, but maybe people who thought it was bad ought perhaps to give it a second look?

Think my feelings are well known on this subject having posted in other forums.

Torchwood: am intrigued by the idea and certainly impressed with the pedigree of the writers they have onboard and was very pleased with the casting of Eve Myles. It is whether CJ can carry a series as a character and they give it an edge and originality that we haven't seen before.

K9 and...whatever they decide to call it!: As the ABBA song goes...."money, money, money!" smacks of commercialism this project. the marketing boys must be rubbing their hands together with Christmas only 9 months away. I know that sounds cynical and I hope I am proved wrong but this could be one spin too many IMO.

As I have said before Doctor Who is flavour of the month at the moment but we all know how fickle joe public is. Whilst I am not wishing or hoping that the series comes to a premature end, there is a danger of over exposure of the brand where people could get tired/bored/sick of seeing Doctor Who this, Doctor Who that.

If RTD is using American sci-fi series as a template as some have suggested in the past, perhaps he thinks we will only get a good 7 seasons out of it like they do over there which is why they are milking it for all it's worth now. Problem is when you milk the cash cow too much it has a tendency now and again to kick you where it hurts!

It was and, you are right, on second viewing today is good. I think it drew in over 8 million UK viewers.

If you haven't seen it, buy cheaply on eBay.

I can remember really enjoying K9 & Company on both of its original showings (must have blanked on the bad bits) but then I didn't have any criticial faculties back then and I shouldn't think it's worn well at all.

If there is to be another new spin-off series (and I'm far from convinced that there will be) I don't think it will be overkill in that it's for a different audience than the other two shows but I am concerned that RTD and the creative team may be stretching themselves a bit thin. As well as the resources of BBC Wales!

I'm kind of the belief that the way to go with a K9 spinoff would be a cartoon version. Would allow for a whole range of stories and monsters that would excite the kids and probably be a whole load cheaper than a kiddie-centric show might otherwise be.

And for the record Torchwood can't come soon enough for me. We need more Captain Jack soon!

I'm looking forward to Torchwood for sure...not really planning on watching the K9 show, but I'm not the target demographic for a kids show, so that's OK.

I'm firmly in the "Hates K9" camp; hated him in Dr Who, even as a kid. Something about his smug voice, I think.

But I'm not overly worried about them milking the Doc too much; firstly these shows all have different target audiences (from each other, and from Dr Who), and secondly, Dr Who's ALWAYS been treated like that. Seriously, look back at the 60's and 70's, the merchandise, the movies... it was the same kind of thing.

Is it cashing in on the succes? Yes.
Is that a new thing? No.
Is that a *bad* thing? Not in my opinion.

VB

I am looking forward to Torchwood, it could be really good if it's written well.
As for K9, I liked K9 when it was first in Dr Who when I was a kid. I remember being disappointed with K9 & company and have never seen it since, except perhaps once as a repeat.
I don't need to give K9 & co a second chance as I have videos of Dr Who with K9 in, frankly he's a waste of metal. A decent waste paper basket could have been made out of that metal instead.
Why bring K9 back at all, let alone in a new series of its own?
As for Sarah Jane, she was the companion of my early childhood (6 when she returned to Croydon). I was broken hearted when she left, but she's best left in the past. Just because something worked well then doesn't mean it will now. So far the "new" series has featured precious little in the way of quality new villains, instead it has plundered the archives, taking some rather large liberties in the process.
What the new series needs is originality and fewer "nods to the past" just for the sake of it.

Watching it once:shame on them for making it and watching it twice would require me to have a lobotomy

What about a UNIT spinoff (or is that what Torchwood really is?). Forgive me if Im asking a silly question here but when is DW, TW and K9 all due to transmit this year and has anyone heard if UKGold will transmit the original K9 series?

Perhaps UNIT will feature in Torchwood. The current rumour is Doctor Who will begin mid April with Torchwood to follow after series two ends. The K9 spin off has not been confirmed as going into production as yet.

Mmmm, I'm the same. Couldn't bear K9 even when I was a child. But I'm looking forward to seeing how Torchwood works out.

Perhaps RTD could pair K9 up with Peter Kay and we can watch it sink without a trace as neither seem to popular on the forums today.

I think there seems to be a genuine aim to cover every area of the audience, Doctor Who = family viewing, Torchwood = teen/adult, K9 etc = kids. The main essence is that one group flows into another and hopefully it will grow. I don't think quality will be an issue, BBC Wales is on a roll and I for one am interested in the results.

*scratches head*

Such as?

have to admit the new series hasnt come up with any good new villans, expect maybe the Gelf, are they new? I think they are.

How about Cassandra from EOTW?