As one of the most popular and longest-running science fiction franchises of all time that predates even the likes ofStar TrekandStar Wars, the British seriesDoctor Whohas left a strong impact on popular culture. At the heart of it lies a seemingly simple story about an alien who travels through time and space and experiences various adventures.
RELATED:Sci-Fi Movies Inspired By Star Trek
However, the series has offered many original moments and ideas, not least of all the regeneration of the main character. Considering the popularity of theDoctor Whoseries, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that the show inspired multiple science fiction movies.
52001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Doctor Whostarted airing in 1963, so by the time the iconic science fiction movie2001: A Space Odysseypremiered,Doctor Whowas already an established show. While the inspiration isn’t as obvious story-wise, there is still a connection between the two. Before he finished the movie, itsdirector Stanley Kubrickapparently sought theDoctor Whoproduction team’s knowledge, and wanted to know how to create the special effect of the spaceship.
In other words, even though Kubrick went his own way in the movie, he drew the technical know-how from the creative forces behindDoctor Who. The movie would have most likely existed without the show as well, but it’s impossible to determine whether it would have looked so realistic and believable. Finally, there’s also the fact that by the early 1960s, the New Yorker Kubrick was already working in the UK as well. This made it that much easier for him to watchDoctor Whoand get inspired by the series.
4Back To The Future (1985 - 1990)
TheBack to the Futuretrilogy became an icon of its own. In fact, many fans might not realize it shares significant similarities withDoctor Who. In both franchises, the characters use a time machine that also functions as a vehicle. InDoctor Who, it’s a spaceship; inBack to the Future,it’s a car, the DeLorean.
RELATED:Weirdest Time Travel Machines In Sci-Fi Movies
The movies focus on the eccentric Doctor Brown who has a younger companion, Marty McFly. Their relationship is similar to how the Doctor took various younger humans on his journeys, such as Rose Tyler or Amy Pond. And finally, both franchises mix humor, science fiction, and drama in equal parts. Once the viewers notice the shared points, it’s impossible to unsee them. The good news is both series are worth watching, regardless of their similarities.
3Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
MultipleStar Trekmovies use the motive of time travel, but the closest toDoctor Whois the fourthStar Trekmovie. Captain Kirk, the newly resurrected Spock, and their friends travel back in time to 1980s San Francisco in order to find a few whales and bring them to the future. The movie has an ecological subtext, just like multipleDoctor Whostories that discuss how humans exceed at destroying their own planet. The film has a similar mixture of adventure, tension and humor.
And last but not least,it was directed by Leonard Nimoy, Spock’s actor. Nimoy almost directed aDoctor Whomovie, but it didn’t pan out in the end. By doingThe Voyage Home, Nimoy then got as close to directing aDoctor Whoadventure as he could have.
2Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
Of all science fiction movies inspired byDoctor Who,Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventuretakes the most from the British series. It focuses on two friends who get the option to travel through time in a phone box. Since the Doctor uses a ship masked as a police box, it’s obvious thatBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventuredrew from the series. Unfortunately for them, their time travel machine isn’t bigger on the inside. It’s important to also note the fact that Bill and Ted travel through time so that Ted could pass a history exam at school.
RELATED:Best Sci-Fi Movies That Get Time Travel Right
Doctor Whooriginally functioned as an educational show for children as well. The earliest Doctor’s adventures took the viewers into different time periods and allowed them to learn something more about history, just like the heroes of this movie do. Both franchises have a strong comedic undertone to them too, proving yet again that withoutDoctor Who, there would be noBill and Ted movie trilogy.
1Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)
The literary seriesHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxywas also adapted into a film, and the 2005 movie has a similar wide scope asDoctor Who. The heroes travel to various planets and places, some stranger than others. They also have a robotic sidekick, the robot Marvin, just likethe Doctor had the robotic dog K-9once upon a time. Of course, K-9 is much less depressed than Marvin who sees no point in existence.
Another similarity is the imminent destruction of Earth.Doctor Whothreatened to destroy it multiple times, and theHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxytook it one step further. Even though it might seem like a common enough trope in science fiction, there is actually a surprisingly small number of movies that completely destroy the Earth. Finally, the series' author Douglas Adams also wrote severalDoctor Whostories. His unique sense of humor comes through in his writing for both sci-fi franchises.
