Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
The term is used to link characters, ideas or items which are seen across multiple productions, such as Sarah Jane Smith from Doctor Who, K-9 and Company (1981) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2011), Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood as well as K-9 from Doctor Who, K-9 and Company, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and K-9.
Originally the term "Whoniverse" referred to everything connected with the programme behind-the-scenes. In this original meaning, standing exhibitions, discussions about the filming of episodes and even fandom itself were considered part of the "Whoniverse".
Unlike the owners of other science fiction franchises, the BBC takes no position on which Doctor Who stories are definitive for future projects. The show has no 'canon', and indeed, recent producers of the show have expressed distaste for the idea. Though the term is essentially an example of fanspeak, it has recently begun to appear in mainstream press coverage following the popular success of the 2005 Doctor Who revival.
Original usage
It is not known precisely when the term "Whoniverse" came into fan parlance. However, an early instance is found in the 1983 book, Doctor Who: A Celebration; Two Decades Through Time and Space by frequent Doctor Who non-fiction writer, Peter Haining. In this overview, Haining called his final chapter, "The Whoniverse". The section assembled factual information about all the episodes to date, but also gave information about fan clubs and ancillary entertainments related to the programme. Thus, the author enjoined his readers to believe that their own efforts were connected to those of the show-runners. Fans, in other words, were a part of the Whoniverse as much as the plot details of specific episodes. The "Whoniverse" originally described both narrative intent and viewer reaction, plot and production, studio floor and convention hall. This definition is still used today.
Current usage
In the foreword to his 1992 book The Universal DatabankJean-Marc Lofficier uses Whoniverse to refer to the fictional setting.
