History Franchise / Whoniverse

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' (1963-1989; 1996; 2005-present)

* FanNickname: "Whoniverse" was originally this, but became the Doctor Who franchise's official name in November 2023.

* ''Literature/ContinuityErrors''

** The Whoniverse canonically exists in the multiverse established by ''Franchise/MarvelComics'' with the designation Earth-5556, as Marvel had the licensing rights to publish Doctor Who stories between 1979 and 1999 as mentioned by CanonWelding above.

** During the period when ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' was owned by Marvel UK, there were some variously subtle hints dropped about links between the Whoniverse and the MarvelUniverse, and one unusual incident where Comicbook/DeathsHead was taken from the Franchise/{{Transformers}} universe to the Marvel one via the TARDIS.

The ''Whoniverse'' is TheVerse inhabited by [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] and by Series/{{Torchwood}}. It is a large and unwieldy beast full of internal contradictions. Fortunately, it's a really, ''really'' big universe encompassing all of space and a history stretching from the Big Bang to 100 trillion years in the future (plus an alternate universe or five).

Due to the nature of the show, any timeline described here can be overwritten, split, or contradicted -- both by its own canon and by the countless spin-off media of the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse, while t still capable of fitting in anyway. In turn, the core canon can contradict or overwrite the expanded universe or even the main series itself, but can also canonise or restore bits of it at times. This flexibility is thanks (per various different WordOfGod sources such as series writer Paul Cornell) to the fact that other than a general rule that says no one should be expected to have purchased expanded universe content to understand any episode in the TV series itself, Creator/TheBBC has never put in a hard and fast rule as to what is "canon", which contrasts with the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise where its owners (Creator/{{Paramount}}) and creator (Creator/GeneRoddenberry) put in a longstanding rule that only what appears on screen counted. Indeed, while the TV series has contradicted the expanded universe, it has also directly referenced events and characters from it as well.

Due to the nature of the show, any timeline described here can be overwritten, split, or contradicted -- both by its own canon and by the countless spin-off media of the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse. In turn, the core canon can contradict or overwrite the expanded universe, but can also canonise bits of it at times. This flexibility is thanks (per various different WordOfGod sources such as series writer Paul Cornell) to the fact that other than a general rule that says no one should be expected to have purchased expanded universe content to understand any episode in the TV series itself, Creator/TheBBC has never put in a hard and fast rule as to what is "canon", which contrasts with the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise where its owners (Creator/{{Paramount}}) and creator (Creator/GeneRoddenberry) put in a longstanding rule that only what appears on screen counted. Indeed, while the TV series has contradicted the expanded universe, it has also directly referenced events and characters from it as well.

* AliensSpeakingEnglish

Due to the nature of the show, any timeline described here can be overwritten, split, or contradicted -- both by its own canon and by the countless spin-off media of the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse. In turn, the core canon can contradict or overwrite the expanded universe, but can also canonise bits of it at times. This flexibility is thanks (per various different WordOfGod sources such as series writer Paul Cornell) to the fact that other than a general rule that says no one should be expected to have purchased expanded universe content to understand any episode in the TV series itself, Creator/TheBBC has never put in a hard and fast rule as to what is "canon", which contrasts with the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise where its owners (Creator/{{Paramount}}) and creator (Creator/GeneRoddenberry) put in a longstanding rule that only what appears on screen counted.

* ''Literature/DoctorWhoMeetsScratchman''

* ''Franchise/FactionParadox''

* TheFuture: Mostly a dystopian picture, although the new ''Who'' series in particular paints it in an exotic light. Mankind colonizes Mars in the 2050s amid a climate apocalypse on Earth, Earth is evacuated due to devastating solar flares, mankind goes through a number of interstellar "Great and Bountiful Human Empires", mankind fully assimilates into alien species, and mankind is one of the last survivors at the natural end of the universe.

** Creator/ChrisBoucher's Fourth Doctor novel ''Corpse Marker'' and "Robots of Death" spinoff audio series ''Kaldor City'' weld together ''Doctor Who'' and ''[[Series/BlakesSeven Blake's 7]]'', through the presence of a ''Blake's 7'' supporting character [[spoiler: and quite possibly [[SignificantMonogram a series lead too.]]]]

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Not literrally but a ridiculous amount of events take place on Earth while other planets tend to only have one major catastrophe the Doctor needs to save them from. Though it is somewhat justified during events where the Earth is in danger because of the Doctor or villains being aware that he cares about the planet.

The Whoniverse resides in (or sometimes near) the Softest end of the MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness, though it started off generally harder. Sometimes it's [[GenreBusting another genre entirely]], just with aliens and monsters.

** The ''Unbound'' audios showed WhatIf alternate universes, some being specific such as ''What if...the Doctor had not been UNIT's scientific advisor?'' while others were more vague such as ''What if...the Doctor believed the ends justified the means?''.
** The Whoniverse canonically exists in the multiverse established by ''Franchise/MavelComics'' with the designation Earth-5556, as Marvel had the licensing rights to publish Doctor Who stories between 1979 and 1999 as mentioned by CanonWelding above.

** The Whoniverse canonically exists in the multiverse established by ''Franchise/MarvelComics'' with the designation Earth-5556, as Marvel had the licensing rights to publish Doctor Who stories between 1979 and 1999 as mentioned by CanonWelding above.

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse

** The show has featured a few alternate universes like Inferno Earth from the episode ''Inferno'' and Pete's World from ''Rise of the Cybermen''/''The Age of Steel'', while also showing pocket dimensions like E-Space and alternate timelines.

The Whoniverse resides in (or sometimes near) the Softest end of the MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness, though it started off generally harder. Sometimes it's [[GenreBusting another genre entirely]], just with AliensAndMonsters.

* AliensAndMonsters: In about 85% of any television set in the Whoniverse. ''K-9 & Company'', in a [[spoiler:{{subversion}} of viewer's expectations, had a ScoobyDooHoax]]. ''Torchwood'' has humans as the main enemy or a threat alongside alien creatures in several instances, and in one episode had humans as the "monsters" with no known extraterrestrial or supernatural influences. Early seasons of ''Doctor Who'' also averted the trope by featuring occasional purely historical stories in which the only alien aspect was the Doctor himself (this format was common between 1964 and 1966, and was revived for a one-off story in 1982, but has yet to be revisited in the modern era).

** As the Twelfth Doctor also appeared in ''VideoGame/LegoDimensions'' this makes the Whoniverse part of a multiverse that includes many different franchises, some associated with ''Franchise/{{LEGO}}'' such as ''VideoGame/LegoBatman'' and ''VideoGame/LegoHarryPotter'' while others being unrelated like ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''.

** As the Twelfth Doctor also appeared in ''VideoGame/LegoDimensions'' this makes the Whoniverse part of a multiverse that includes many different franchises such as ''Franchise/DCComics'' and ''Franchise/HarryPotter''.

* As stated above, with the Doctor being an incarnation of the Eternal Champion the Whoniverse is part of Moorcock's multiverse.