Star Trek: Voyager vet Robert Picardo spent years playing a character called “The Doctor,” but if you were to ask most pop culture fans who “The Doctor” is, chances are good they’d name one of the past or present leads from another science fiction mainstay: Doctor Who. Fans of both franchises will hopefully be delighted to know that Picardo had a bit of fun in that regard recently, as he approached present and past Who stars David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker in an effort to figure out who the real Doctor is.
Robert Picardo has been posting lots of entertaining content on Twitter from Showmasters’ London Film and Comic Con, and he apparently couldn’t help but snap a few pics with some modern-day Doctor Who elites. Picardo seemed to first track down the upcoming star of Doctor Who’s 60th-anniversary specials, David Tennant, and just had to pick a faux fight about which of them is The Doctor of the future:
This man is quite delusional: he seems to think HE'S The Doctor from the future. [ @StarTrek @bbcdoctorwho @Showmasters #LCCWinter #TheDoctor ] pic.twitter.com/2VcRrb4h3cNovember 20, 2022
David Tennant is responsible for some of Doctor Who’s best episodes, so it’s no surprise he was unwilling to acknowledge Robert Picardo’s claim. (That cheekiness is what makes him aces as the demon Crowley in Good Omens.) On top of that Tennant is the first Doctor incarnation to return after his regeneration, which feels like it only solidifies his status as one of the greatest of all time to ever do the role.
Picardo’s Doctor had some great moments on Star Trek: Voyager, but even I would struggle to say his Doctor is more deserving of the title than Tennant. That said, I definitely think Picardo would make a fine Doctor on Doctor Who if there was ever an opportunity for him to be a guest star, in case anyone with the power to make that happen is reading.
Robert Picardo later managed to find Jodie Whittaker, who had just recently finished her run in Doctor Who. Picardo asked her who The Doctor was, and much like Tennant, she was unwilling to give him the answer he wanted:
So I inquired of this charming woman if she would kindly confirm that I was indeed The Doctor from the future. Her answer . . . lacked credibility. [@StarTrek @bbcdoctorwho @Showmasters #LCCWinter #TheDoctor @Drwhojodie ] pic.twitter.com/1DPY7GM7zPNovember 21, 2022
These exchanges are just too geeky for words, and I absolutely love them. It’s not often that fans will see the actors of their favorite franchises engage in character-centric banter on this level, so kudos to Robert Picardo, Jodie Whittaker, and David Tennant for having fun with the tangential connection between the two franchises.
Robert Picardo’s fun tweets are the latest crossover between Star Trek and Doctor Who, but not the only one. Both franchises collided in the famous IDW crossover Assimilation², which featured Matt Smith and Tom Baker’s Doctors, as well as the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It’s definitely worth a read for anyone geeking out like I am about Robert Picardo snapping photos with quippy captions with David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker. Now, if only Paramount+ and Doctor Who’s new home Disney+ can work on getting us a live-action crossover between the two franchises, my life would be complete.
Catch Robert Picardo’s Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager, which is available to stream on Paramount+. Those looking to watch Doctor Who on streaming can do so with an HBO Max subscription, though that could change once the Disney deal takes effect.
