A throwaway line spoken early into the firstly episode of the freshly exhausted Dracula arranges the Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss-produced vampire succession within the swelling Doctor Who universe.

Season 1, episode 1, “The Rules Of The Beast”, of Dracula follows English advocate Jonathan Harker’s( John Heffernan) interactions with the strange Count Dracula( Claes Bang ). The show is set in the late 1800 s, a time period showrunner Moffat is already familiar with through his work on Sherlock. The episode scoots back and forth between a corpse-like Jonathan direct his frightening falsehood to Sister Agatha( Dolly Wells) within the relatively safe walls of the monastery and incidents of the lawyer travelling to Transylvania and noticing himself captured in the vampire’s castle, “the prison without locks”.

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As an oblivious Jonathan travels a rickety vehicle towards Dracula’s castle, he rains over a symbol from his beloved bride-to-be, Mina. In it, she writes of life back in England. Whovians were quick to notice that among the details mentioned by Mina was one familiar to watchers of the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who. Doctor Who as run by Steven Moffat has a history of being self-referential itself.

Mina writes to Jonathan of “the charming barmaid at the Rose and Crown.” The 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special( re) -introduces audiences to Clara Oswin Oswald( Jenna Louise Coleman ). Although the character eventually goes on to become the abrupt companion to both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi’s Doctors, in the 1892 -set episode, she is a barmaid-cum-governess formerly earning her income at the Rose& Crown Inn.

Whether or not the supernatural elements present in Dracula translate into the launched Doctor Who nature( known by supporters as the Whoniverse) is debatable. It wouldn’t be the sci-fi show’s first brush with the concept of vampires. Season 5, bout 6, “The Vampires Of Venice” presents a group of fanged, blood-drinking young women, although these are shown to be the result of an foreigner species taking advantage of local myths combined with a insight filter. Werewolves and the Devil make it into Doctor Who canon, although both are alien and seen as the revelation behind the superstition rather than the superstition itself. As a character, Dracula slots into the esoteric Whoniverse well. Without the Doctor there to help courages analyze the monster, he becomes preternatural, although it’s likely if the Timelord were handy, they would propose some clique pseudo-scientific explanation behind the beast.

Dracula and Jonathan both being undead easily is in contact with the rules established in Doctor Who. Not simply does the Doctor, as a Timelord, regenerate any time they are under threat of death, but the reveal presents Jack Harkness( John Barrowman ), a person who altered from mortality to afterlife over the course of the register. Revived by an omnipotent Rose( Billie Piper) in season 1, episode 13 “The Parting Of Ways”, Jack catches himself unable to die even when mortally wounded, much like the wretched Jonathan Harker, living even as he propels a wooden stake into his own heart.

Dracula wouldn’t be the first substantiate to share a universe with Doctor Who. The popular escapade serial is the root cause of a number of spin-offs that work symbiotically with their root material. The spin-offs reference the show, the display cites the spin-offs. Torchwood acquires its central character, Jack Harkness, from the long-running time travel show, Jack Harkness. Doctor Who notes Torchwood on several occasions, including, only recently, to speak to the organization’s end. Classic Doctor Who was met with The Sarah Jane Adventures, while New Doctor Who appreciated the increase of Class.

Steven Moffat devote over eight years as the show-runner for Doctor Who. It is no surprise the director-writer was tempted to spray references to this into Dracula, although the question fans will now be asking themselves is if there will be any more to come.

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Dracula debuts January 4th on Netflix.

Read more: screenrant.com