9 British sci-fi shows to tide you over until “Doctor Who” returns

Let these wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey series take you on a trip.

In the latest season of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor visited a war-torn planet, a Regency-era ball, the Beatles' recording studio, and a space colony run by social media. But now, fans have to wait until Christmas to see the next adventure through time and space on Disney+. In the meantime, if you're looking for more British science-fiction mixed with humor and heart — or maybe two hearts, where the Doctor's concerned — here are nine great series that will keep you occupied until the TARDIS materializes again.

Torchwood (2006–2011)

The Doctor has saved the Earth from countless alien threats, but what happens when there isn't a Time Lord around? That's where Torchwood comes in — a covert organization that investigates crimes with connections to extraterrestrial forces. This Doctor Who spinoff stars one of the Ninth Doctor's companions, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an omnisexual time traveler from the 51st century who leads the Torchwood team. Torchwood is intentionally darker than its parent show, with more tension, violence, and sexuality. The first season is a bit uneven, but the third season — originally aired as a miniseries called Torchwood: Children of Earth — is a must-see.

Where to watch Torchwood: Max

Cast: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Gareth David-Lloyd

Related content: Torchwood exclusive: Would U.S. version turn Capt. Jack straight?

The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011)

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a Doctor Who spinoff for younger audiences, featuring one of the show's most popular companions: journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), who accompanied the Third and Fourth Doctors in the 1970s. In the first episode, 13-year-old Maria discovers that the eccentric woman living next door has traveled across the universe, and they form an investigative team along with Sarah Jane's adopted son Luke, and their friend Clyde. The foursome faces familiar villains from the Whoniverse like the Slitheen, the Judoon, and the Sontarans, as well as new antagonists over the show's five-season run.

Where to watch The Sarah Jane Adventures: Max

Cast: Elisabeth Sladen, Yasmin Paige, Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony

Related content: Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, and Russell T. Davies pay tribute to late Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016–2017)

The delightfully batty Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is loosely based on a book by Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Dirk (Samuel Barnett) is a "holistic detective" who believes in the interconnectedness of all things, which means that any line of inquiry will ultimately lead to the solution he's looking for. His madcap efforts to find a missing girl interrupt the life of his reluctant sidekick Todd (Elijah Wood), who's swept into a twisty mystery that involves time travel, body swapping, a secret CIA project, and a dangerous "holistic assassin" who's hunting for Dirk.

Where to watch Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: AMC+

Cast: Samuel Barnett, Elijah Wood, Hannah Marks, Fiona Dourif

Related content: Dirk Gently EP on bringing Douglas Adams' holistic detective to comics

Years and Years (2019)

True to its title, the six-part miniseries Years and Years takes place over a decade and a half, from 2019 to 2034, following the tight-knit Lyons family as they live through a turbulent time in Britain's history. Written by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, the show offers a bleak vision of the near future, racked by political division and uncertain technological advances. The ensemble cast features Russell Tovey as a gay housing officer who falls in love with a Ukrainian refugee, and Emma Thompson as a polarizing politician who leads the U.K. to the brink of fascism.

Where to watch Years and Years: Max

Cast: Russell Tovey, Rory Kinnear, Emma Thompson, Jessica Hynes

Blake's 7 (1978–1981)

Screenwriter Terry Nation was crucial to Doctor Who's early success, creating the Doctor's most popular enemies, the Daleks. Nation then concocted this classic late-’70s space opera serial about a ragtag group of rebels fighting the totalitarian Terran Federation. Escaping from a prison ship, political dissident Blake (Gareth Thomas) recruits a cowardly thief, a stubborn smuggler, and a devious embezzler to serve as the crew of a stolen alien spaceship as they challenge the Federation. The show's low-budget effects looked outdated even at the time, but strong writing and sharp characterization make Blake's 7 a compelling epic story with morally ambiguous heroes and many unexpected plot developments.

Where to watch Blake's 7: Britbox

Cast: Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Michael Keating, Jacqueline Pearce

Misfits (2009–2013)

If you had to choose someone to gain supernatural powers, the last people you'd pick would be the five teenage delinquents who headline this dark, funny series. Sentenced to work in a community service program, the quintet is struck by lightning in a freak electrical storm and soon discovers that they each have a strange power, including telepathy, invisibility, and the ability to rewind time. This isn't a superhero series where the gang teams up to fight crime; Misfits is wilder and more chaotic than that, especially when they discover that other kids on their council estate have gained powers as well.

Where to watch Misfits: Amazon Prime Video

Cast: Iwan Rheon, Robert Sheehan, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Antonia Thomas

Related content: Misfits is the best Hulu show you're not watching

Bodies (2023)

A naked, gunshot corpse is discovered on a street in Whitechapel in 1890 — then the same body is found in the same location in 1941, 2023, and 2053. This sparks four police investigations by four very different sleuths who are unaware that all of these incidents are somehow connected. This eight-part miniseries mixes science-fiction, police procedural, and period drama to fashion an intriguing, cerebral whodunnit. It's a puzzle at first to wrap your head around four simultaneous storylines, but rest assured that Bodies manages to weave each thread together for a uniquely satisfying conclusion.

Where to watch Bodies: Netflix

Cast: Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas, Amaka Okafor, Kyle Soller

Red Dwarf (1988–2020)

A long-running outer space sitcom, Red Dwarf wrings laughs from a grim premise: Dave Lister, a plumbing technician on a mining ship, wakes up from an extended stay in suspended animation to learn that the rest of the crew — and the entire human race — have all died. His only companions as he sails through eternity are a hologram of Lister's disapproving superior, a humanoid feline that evolved from Lister's cat, a sanitation droid, and the shipboard computer. You might think that sounds like the end of a show rather than the beginning, but clever plotting keeps Lister on his toes for a hilarious 12 seasons.

Where to watch Red Dwarf: Britbox

Cast: Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, Norman Lovett, Robert Llewellyn

Black Mirror (2016–2024)

A cynical Twilight Zone for our modern time, the anthology series Black Mirror reflects on how technological progress is impacting society, often for the worse. Like Doctor Who, each episode takes the viewer someplace new, with a fresh target for creator Charlie Brooker's satirical pen. While many of the tales invoke a downbeat dystopia, there are also comic and romantic episodes — as well as horror, in the most recent season — making Black Mirror an unpredictable and unforgettable experience. In season 14 of Doctor Who, "Dot and Bubble" was widely considered "the Black Mirror episode." Now, you should check out the original.

Where to watch Black Mirror: Netflix

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anthony Mackie

Related content: How Black Mirror season 6 defies genre expectations

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