Doctor Who isn’t known for crossing over with other shows, but the Disney era has already come very close to pulling it off – and arguably could have made it even better. The Doctor Who season 14 cast was full of guest stars, some of whom are better known for specific characters rather than their larger bodies of work. However, the long-running British sci-fi has already used clever casting to flirt with the edges of an unexpected crossover, even if it wasn’t quite official.
The Disney era of Doctor Who has continued the show’s trend of bringing guest stars into the fold for one-off episodes. One episode in particular of Ncuti Gatwa’s inaugural run as the Fifteenth Doctor would have been even more rewarding had a previous guest star been used instead. On the other hand, the choice not to explore this particular avenue is understandable when certain factors are considered.
Doctor Who Season 14 Had The Perfect Chance For A Bridgerton Crossover
Doctor Who’s Jocelyn actor also plays Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton
Doctor Who season 14, episode 6, “Rogue” featured elements from Netflix’s Bridgerton. In fact, there were several clear Bridgerton Easter Eggs in the installment of Doctor Who. Interestingly, what the episode avoided was the use of any actual members of the Bridgerton cast. This choice is highlighted even further when it’s considered that Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel played Nan-E/Jocelyn in Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, “Space Babies.” Having the Queen Charlotte actor involved in the season but not appear in Doctor Who’s Bridgerton-inspired episode is a huge missed opportunity.
Another Bridgerton star, Nicola Coughlin, is also slated to appear in Doctor Who very soon.
Another Bridgerton star, Nicola Coughlin, is also slated to appear in Doctor Who very soon. Confirmed to appear in the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World,” her debut comes irritatingly close to the episode where her presence would have been much more exciting. That being said, the presence of Rosheuvel or Coughlin in “Rogue” may have been a little too distracting.
Doctor Who Including Bridgerton Actors In “Rogue” Might Have Been TOO Meta
Russell T Davies has broken the fourth wall enough in recent episodes
“Rogue” confirms that Bridgerton exists as a TV show within the world of Doctor Who. This is acknowledged by the shapeshifting Chuldur coming to Earth to cosplay as Bridgerton-esque characters, with the Doctor theorizing the aliens intercepted a transmission of the Netflix show. So, if the Chuldur were to arrive to act out their period drama fantasies and found humans who looked exactly like two Bridgerton characters, Doctor Who’s fourth wall would have well and truly been shattered.
On the other hand, “Rogue” also features a guest appearance from Indira Varma, who had already appeared in the Doctor Who universe as Suzie Costello in Torchwood. However, there have been several instances of Doctor Who actors playing more than one character. So, Varma’s return to the franchise as a new character isn’t a unique example. Doctor Who directly tying actors to their Bridgerton counterparts is another matter altogether.