Later this month at the San Diego Comic-Con, the BBC is teaming up with Paramount to host some special panels to celebrate the iconic franchises, “Doctor Who” and “Star Trek”.

On July 30th, the two franchises will be celebrating the inaugural Intergalactic Friendship Day.  The celebration aligns with International Friendship Day which was established in 2011 with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. Throughout both franchises’ long histories, there have been numerous on-screen nods to each other that delight fans, and now the two pop culture titans “Doctor Who” and “Star Trek” are joining forces to spotlight shared values of friendship, hope and fandom with fan celebrations, digital activations and special giveaways.

During a special panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday 27th July 2024 at 5:30pm in Room 6A, the “Doctor Who” showrunner Russell T. Davies and “Star Trek: Discovery” showrunner, Alex Kurtzman will come together for an exclusive creator-to-creator conversation about the art of storytelling in alternative universes and to celebrate the power of friendship.

The SDCC Intergalactic Friendship Panel: Star Trek x Doctor Who will be moderated by Keisha Hatchett, staff editor of TVLine. Attendees to the creator conversation will each receive a special Doctor Who X Star Trek poster designed by artist Dusty Abell.

Under the banner of “Friendship is Universal,” Star Trek and Doctor Who will operate a special celebratory gallery experience at 226 and 230 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. The gallery experience will feature original costumes and props from across the storied histories of both, highlighting themes of friendship and shared values between the two universes. There will also be photo opportunities for fans as well as special friendship bracelet giveaways.

“Friendship is Universal” activation hours of operation are Thursday, July 25 through Saturday, July 27 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM, and Sunday 28th July 2024 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Admission is free. “Friendship is Universal” is not an official SDCC activation, therefore no badge is required for entry.

There will also be a “Doctor Who” themed panel in Hall H on Friday, 26th July, at 12:30pm, which will see Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson and Russell T Davies as they discuss all things Season 1 and more.

Roger’s Take: It’s certainly an interesting way of promoting “Doctor Who” and “Star Trek”.  With there being a major panel taking place in Hall H for “Doctor Who”, which will deal with all the major news from the Disney+ series, just bringing together two showrunners from the latest versions of these iconic franchises should make for an interesting panel.

You can watch the latest season of “Doctor Who” on the BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom and on Disney+ around the world.  And you’ll find many of the films and shows from the “Star Trek” franchise available on Paramount+.

Will you be attending this special event?  Let me know on social media!

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Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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