Star Trek and Dr. Who, with Una McCormack.

Not many TV shows have had a lifespan stretching beyond half a century. This is especially in the genre of science fiction, which is notorious for abrupt cancellations. Yet, when Star Trek celebrated its golden anniversary in 2016, it did so in the shadow of another long-running sci-fi behemoth from the other side of the pond: Dr. Who. Premiering on the BBC three years before Star Trek hit US airwaves, the quirky British show has, in many ways, had a similar history to its American counterpart. Like Dr. Who, Gene Roddenberry’s creation has constantly reinvented itself while retaining its core identity and values, and carrying with it a deeply loyal fan base who kept the faith through long periods off the air.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Dr. Una McCormack for a look at some of the links between these two iconic franchises. Trek.fm listeners will know Una as the author of a number of highly acclaimed Star Trek novels, but she is a prolific writer of Dr. Who tie-in fiction as well—not to mention a huge fan of the “madman—or woman—in a blue box” since childhood. Here she discusses some of the challenges of writing for these two fictional universes, the core qualities that Trek and Who have in common, and the varied historical and cultural influences that have pushed them in different directions.

Chapters Intro (0:00:00) Into the Tardis (00:04:11) Age-Appropriate Time Travel (00:15:17) Along for the Ride (00:24:10) Prime Directives (00:44:04) Crossovers (01:06:00) The Undefeated (01:14:30)

Host Duncan Barrett

Guest Una McCormack

Production Duncan Barrett (Editor, Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)