SUMMARY
- Fans can look forward to a unique Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover experience through two mobile games starting August 1.
- Legal considerations make it easier for the crossover to happen in games rather than on TV, where logistical concerns are more complex.
- The games provide an exciting opportunity for beloved characters to interact in a way that may not be possible on television.
The much-anticipated Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover will be happening, but not in the way that fans may have expected. The prospect of a crossover between the two beloved sci-fi franchises was given a boost by the Star Trek X Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend. During the panel, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies professed his love for Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Star Trek: Discovery, while Alex Kurtzman said that Ncuti Gatwa was “quickly becoming” his favorite Doctor.
Alex Kurtzman and Russell T Davies were also asked about a possible Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover. RTD responded by saying the crossover “must happen“, but that it would be up to the fans to make their voices heard. While a Star Trek and Doctor Who TV crossover is a pipe-dream, the two franchises will still cross over in August. Starting August 1, the two mobile games from East Side Games, Star Trek: Lower Decks Mobile and Doctor Who: Lost in Time, will tell one epic story from two perspectives. Read more about the upcoming crossover below:
Beginning August 1, fans will be treated to the same thrilling story, experienced from two unique perspectives, when a mysterious space-time ripple that throws the Doctor onboard Star Trek: Lower Deck ’s U.S.S. Cerritos , while Lieutenant Brad Boimler and Ensign Beckett Mariner find themselves thrust into the enigmatic Doctor Who universe. With the ripple disrupting the very fabric of reality, the Doctor must join forces with the resourceful crew of the Cerritos , while Boimler and Mariner team up with the legendary River Song. Together, they race against time to repair the ripple and set things right.
Why Aren’t Star Trek: Lower Decks And Doctor Who Crossing Over On TV?
While fans may be disappointed that Star Trek and Doctor Who will be crossing over in two mobile games rather than on Paramount+ or Disney+, there’s a good reason why it’s happening this way. Because both Star Trek: Lower Decks Mobile and Doctor Who: Lost in Time are made by East Side Games, the crossover will require a lot less legal wrangling. East Side Games already have the rights to the characters and the likenesses of actors like David Tennant and Alex Kingston, making it much easier to achieve a crossover.
As optional pieces of extended media, comic books and mobile games don’t have the same level of legal scrutiny and logistical considerations as a Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover episode would have.
This is also why IDW were able to publish the comics run that teamed up Matt Smith’s Doctor and Star Trek: TNG‘s cast in 2012. As optional pieces of extended media, comic books and mobile games don’t have the same level of legal scrutiny as a Star Trek and Doctor Who crossover episode would have. Once the crossover is agreed, writers, artists, and game designers can get on with the job of bringing it to life, free from concerns about studio scheduling and actor availability.
As two TV shows on either side of the Atlantic, distributed by two different Hollywood studios, there are much larger logistical concerns to consider. Until those logistical hurdles are cleared, Star Trek: Lower Decks Mobile and Doctor Who: Lost in Time are our best crossover. Both games will provide a tantalizing glimpse of how some of our best loved Star Trek characters interact with the strange new worlds of the Doctor Who universe when it releases on August 1.
