Doctor Who is a series that will never get old, especially since it’s become part of mainstream pop culture and has been cemented there for over fifty years. There have been seemingly endless shows that have sought to replicate this format, although not as many have been successful.
Still, there are plenty of series for viewers to invest in to supplement the enjoyment they get from watching Doctor Who. The best part about this is that a fair amount of similar shows don’t necessarily have the exact same format as Doctor Who, meaning you can have a whole new fandom to explore. With this in mind, here are 10 shows that you, the Doctor Who fan, need to start watching.
The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-11)
The easiest transition from Doctor Who would be with its spin-off, with one of the Doctor’s longest-lasting companions in the lead role. The Sarah Jane Adventures is an even more kid-friendly show than the original series, with its episodes focusing on a moral lesson for children, and some of the darker aspects of the character removed.
You’ve still got your aliens, though, as Sarah Jane investigates the happenings of beings from outside the Earth along with her gang of young followers. The Doctor himself has appeared quite a few times, with his Tenth and Eleventh incarnations joining the fun.
Haven (2010-15)
Doctor Who fans love having a new case and fresh, distinct characters with each episode, so Haven will help them feel at home. The show is about Audrey, a woman who arrives in a mysterious town where “troubles” afflict people. These are essentially cursed superpowers that people are stuck with, and Audrey has to uncover the mystery behind them.
Each episode has a new trouble that Audrey and her friends have to tackle, all the while the larger mystery of Audrey’s origins are unraveled over the course of the season. Quite a few notable actors have also appeared here, making this a show a hidden gem.
Time Squad (2001-03)
Cartoons nowadays just don’t have that innovative flare that makes them — pun incoming — timeless. Time Squad was like a children’s cartoon version of Doctor Who, where a man from the future, a robot, and a boy taken as a companion from our time, travel in different points in history to fix them.
Each story starts out with a notable figure from our history who isn’t following the correct passage of time, with the heroes arriving in the past to set that person straight. It’s a funny, educational, and even heartwarming series that never gets old.
Supernatural (2005-present)
Time travel is seen on occasion on Supernatural, but it’s the case-of-the-week format that will draw in Doctor Who fans here. For over fourteen years, Supernatural has served devoted fans with beings and creatures from the lore going up against two brothers whose destiny was to be the vessels of archangels.
There’s a whole universe worth of fantasy material in this series — and quite a bit of comedy too — as Sam and Dean Winchester team up with the likes of angels, demons, and ghosts, against supernatural foes such as the Devil, and even God himself. Along the way, the brothers meet new friends and build relationships that expand their pseudo-family.
Sherlock (2010-17)
The same minds that brought you the majority of the series from Doctor Who are behind the creation of Sherlock, a show that takes a modern spin on the classic detective. The dialogue, atmosphere, and comedy are all reminiscent of Doctor Who, and you’ll fall into this world of mystery with no problems.
Every series has three episodes the length of feature films, where Sherlock and Watson have to solve cases no one else can, while the true antagonist of each series works their plans during these moments. As almost all the seasons have cliffhangers, you’re in for a huge binge-watch once you start.
The Librarians (2014-18)
Four people are brought together to take on the role of the Librarians, a team whose job it is to guard a library that houses the world’s mythological weapons. Every season has an overarching story in which the particular antagonists have a plot to steal an item of note, with the protagonists coming together to foil these plans.
The episodes feature the cast of characters globetrotting in order to uncover and protect a newly found artifact that can have supernatural implications if fallen into the wrong hands. All in all, it’s a Doctor Who-esque series that relies heavily on the supernatural aspect.
Futurama (1999-2013)
While it’s much more slapstick than you might be used to, viewers will still get the feel of adventure with Futurama, which has the protagonists traveling to different alien worlds in the future. At its heart is a genuine tale of finding one’s path, but you’ll be tickled in the journey, as the show has a heavy focus on the humor.
The audience’s surrogate is the main character, a man mistakenly preserved from our time and revived in the future. We follow him as he takes his first steps into the dazzling world of tomorrow.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (2016-present)
Speaking of tomorrow, here’s a team-up version of Doctor Who (so to speak) in the form of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. A spin-off of Arrow, the series takes a band of superpowered characters and places them across time.
Basically, you can consider this as a show where superheroes travel through time, with episodes seeing these characters landing in a new point in history where they have to protect the timeline from rogue villains.
Life On Mars (2006-07)
The actor who played one of the best versions of The Master also headlined this series, where the plot revolves around the mystery over how the main character arrived from 2006 to 1973 after being in an accident.
Most episodes follow the format of a police-procedural, but all of them connect back to the uncertainty of the situation of the lead character, who has consistent flashes to the future and clues around him that seek to answer whether everything is real or if he’s in a coma.
Timeless (2016-18)
Sort of like Legends of Tomorrow, only without the baggage of superhero material and with the freedom to be more fun, Timeless was a series that featured a time machine stolen by the main antagonist, and the subsequent formation of a trio who set out to capture him.
Like Time Squad, this show also deals with history being rewritten and the protagonists seeking to correct the situation before it spirals out of control. A number of important points in American history are visited, with some ranging centuries in the past, as our heroes have to make the best out of a bad situation.
