Star Trek and Doctor Who are two of the foundational pillars of modern science fiction, each with a rich history of television storytelling that stretches back to the 1960s. With dozens of seasons, multiple film franchises, and countless books and comics between them, the two properties have defined their respective corners of the genre, one centered on the exploratory missions of Starfleet and the other on the time-traveling adventures of a lone Time Lord. Yet, the live-action universes of Starfleet and the TARDIS have always remained distinctly separate, occupying parallel tracks in pop culture. However, a recent episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delivered the first-ever on-screen crossover between the two iconic franchises, in a moment so subtle that many viewers might have missed it entirely.
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The crossover moment occurred in the sixth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ third season, titled “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” The plot involves the USS Enterprise and the USS Farragut becoming ensnared by an ancient scavenger vessel. As the crew attempts to break free from the ship’s mechanical tendrils, the camera pans over a massive debris field, showing the wreckage of countless ships collected by the scavengers over centuries. In a blink-and-you-might-miss-it shot, Doctor Who’s TARDIS can be clearly seen tangled in the wreckage.
This visual Easter egg marks the first time the two properties have ever crossed over in any official live-action capacity, creating the implication that the Federation and the universe of Doctor Who are one and the same. While the cameo is a first for television, the 2012 comic book series Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation² featured a full-fledged team-up between the Eleventh Doctor and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D as they battled a combined threat of the Borg and the Cybermen. The Strange New Worlds cameo now brings that shared potential into live-action.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has an Endgame in Sight
Even as it drops universe-bending cameos, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is already charting a course toward its own conclusion. Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have confirmed that the critically acclaimed series has a planned five-season run. The show, which serves as a direct prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, will end with a shortened six-episode fifth season designed to bring the story right to the beginning of the classic 1966 show. This narrative will see Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) relinquish command of the USS Enterprise, paving the way for James T. Kirk to begin his legendary five-year mission.
Despite its record-breaking streaming numbers for Paramount+, the planned ending of Strange New Worlds has led to discussions about what comes next for the crew. The producers have been coy but optimistic about the possibility of a direct sequel series that would explore the parts of Kirk’s mission that were never depicted on screen.
The Original Series only ran for three seasons, leaving at least two years of its five-year mission completely unaccounted for in official canon. Therefore, a new show could depict the very start of Kirk’s command, reintroducing iconic characters like Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy and Hikaru Sulu as they first join the Enterprise. The biggest advantage for a potential sequel is the established cast of Strange New Worlds, including Ethan Peck’s Spock, Celia Rose Gooding’s Nyota Uhura, and Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk, who could graduate from their supporting roles in Pike’s story to the main ensemble of the new series.
New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 are released weekly on Paramount+.
What did you think of the Doctor Who cameo? Join the discussion in the comments!
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios. -
Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios
