Star Trek's Live-Action Doctor Who Crossover Is Surely Imminent After Strange New Worlds' Latest Reference
By Dan Bibby
September 11th, 2025
Red Alert! Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 10, "New Life & New Civilizations."
There is a significant and understandable overlap between the Doctor Who and Star Trek fanbases, and Strange New Worlds seems to be taking full advantage of that fact. As two of the longest-running and most influential sci-fi franchises, both Doctor Who and Star Trek have a significant amount of lore. Interestingly, most canon would be pretty much interchangeable between the two, despite them lacking an official connection.
The franchises have flirted with the edges of a live-action crossover before. In Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 6, "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail," the TARDIS can be glimpsed ever so briefly in the chaotic hold of a scavenger ship. It's very arguably just a fun little Easter Egg, but Strange New Worlds' season 3 finale just paid homage to the iconic Time Lord again.
The franchises have flirted with the edges of a live-action crossover before. In Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 6, "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail," the TARDIS can be glimpsed ever so briefly in the chaotic hold of a scavenger ship. It's very arguably just a fun little Easter Egg, but Strange New Worlds' season 3 finale just paid homage to the iconic Time Lord again.
Commander Pelia Essentially Confirms She's Met The Doctor In Strange New Worlds Season 3's Finale
"New Life & New Civilizations" finishes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 with a bang, focusing mainly on pre-existing storylines that come to fruition. However, even before five minutes had passed, Carol Kane's Commander Pelia had me pointing at the screen like Leo in the memes. To quote her directly, Pelia stated: "Remind me to tell you about the time I spent with a time-tra...travelling Doctor I once knew."
Her outburst is sent slightly off-course when Captain Pike (Anson Mount) meets her eye and wordlessly suggests it's best not to share the story she's about to tell. So, a further implication is that Pike also met the Doctor when Pelia did. At the very least, Pike has heard Pelia's story before and thought it best for it not to be told to anyone else. (Temporal Prime Directive, anybody?)
Pelia says nothing more about the "time-travelling doctor," making it impossible to tell which iteration of the Doctor - if that is who she's referencing - she has encountered, or perhaps even travelled with. I would love to believe that Star Trek and Doctor Who are set to collide, and the evidence seems to be slowly mounting up to support that theory.
Her outburst is sent slightly off-course when Captain Pike (Anson Mount) meets her eye and wordlessly suggests it's best not to share the story she's about to tell. So, a further implication is that Pike also met the Doctor when Pelia did. At the very least, Pike has heard Pelia's story before and thought it best for it not to be told to anyone else. (Temporal Prime Directive, anybody?)
Pelia says nothing more about the "time-travelling doctor," making it impossible to tell which iteration of the Doctor - if that is who she's referencing - she has encountered, or perhaps even travelled with. I would love to believe that Star Trek and Doctor Who are set to collide, and the evidence seems to be slowly mounting up to support that theory.
Why Pelia Would Be The Perfect Character To Have Already Crossed Paths With The Doctor In Star Trek Canon
As a member of the Lanthanite race, Pelia has lived an incredibly long life thanks to her alien genetics. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, she's already thousands of years old, although her exact age has yet to be revealed. She has been on Earth for centuries, watching humans and fitting in with Earth's native species.
With Earth being one of the Doctor's favorite planets, the length of Pelia's tenure on the planet makes it more likely that she'd cross paths with a version of the Doctor. Plus, she would be an intellectual equal for the Doctor, and a great fit as a short- or long-term companion. From her statement in season 3's finale, it sounds as though this pairing may already have happened.
With Earth being one of the Doctor's favorite planets, the length of Pelia's tenure on the planet makes it more likely that she'd cross paths with a version of the Doctor. Plus, she would be an intellectual equal for the Doctor, and a great fit as a short- or long-term companion. From her statement in season 3's finale, it sounds as though this pairing may already have happened.
How Likely Is Star Trek To Properly Crossover With Doctor Who In Live-Action?
Mediums such as comic books and mobile games have already given fans a taste of what's possible when Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover, but there has never been any significant example of it happening in a live-action project. With Doctor Who owned by the BBC and Star Trek by Paramount, there would likely need to be significant legal details to figure out before this could happen.
Still, that doesn't mean it can't or won't happen. Doctor Who showrunner and Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman have both voiced their shared desire for the two sagas to cross over. Plus, the beauty of Doctor Who's premise is that its main character could show up at any point in the Star Trek timeline. At present, nothing has been officially announced.
That said, I think Strange New Worlds offers the best and most fitting opportunities. With both franchises beginning within 3 years of each other back in the 1960s, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds basically being an updated take on The Original Series, seeing the Doctor aboard the USS Enterprise (or the Enterprise crew aboard the TARDIS) would feel very much like a full-circle moment.
Head to Talk Nerdy To Me's TV page for more coverage of your favorite shows.
Still, that doesn't mean it can't or won't happen. Doctor Who showrunner and Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman have both voiced their shared desire for the two sagas to cross over. Plus, the beauty of Doctor Who's premise is that its main character could show up at any point in the Star Trek timeline. At present, nothing has been officially announced.
That said, I think Strange New Worlds offers the best and most fitting opportunities. With both franchises beginning within 3 years of each other back in the 1960s, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds basically being an updated take on The Original Series, seeing the Doctor aboard the USS Enterprise (or the Enterprise crew aboard the TARDIS) would feel very much like a full-circle moment.
Head to Talk Nerdy To Me's TV page for more coverage of your favorite shows.