How To Start Watching Doctor Who

Sunday, January 9th, 2011 at 9:30am
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How To Start Watching <i>Doctor Who</i>  

It’s the longest-running science fiction show on television, but for new fans, how easy is it to start watching the BBC’s Doctor Who? After a great Christmas special, we’ve decided that it’s time to tell you all you need to know.

What You Need To Know (1):
Doctor Who is a long-running British TV show that started in 1963, before running continuously through 1989, being revived for an unsuccessful TV pilot in 1996, and then successfully revived in 2005 for a run that’s continuing today. It was originally intended as an educational show aimed at children – a function of the Saturday afternoon timeslot it was created for – but soon gained a multi-generational audience that appreciated the off-kilter mix of science fiction, comedy and pantomime the show happily provided, keeping it alive for twenty-six years until it was unofficially cancelled – officially, “suspended” – due to falling ratings.

(One reason that the show lasted so long in its original incarnation was the inventive way of replacing the lead actor in story: Lead character The Doctor was given a background in which, instead of being killed, he would “regenerate” into another actor. Initially, the character was given twelve incarnations, but now that we’re already on the eleventh, that’s been retconned into many, many more.)

After a failed attempt to revive the series for American television in 1996, Doctor Who returned to television screens in 2005 after years of development, headed by critically-acclaimed British drama writer Russell T. Davies – Creator of the original British version of the drama Queer As Folk – and was a surprise success. Davies helmed the series through to the end of 2009, with the series continuing to grow in popularity with every season. The revived show was enough of a hit to launch two spin-offs, the more adult-based Torchwood, and the all-ages Sarah Jane Adventures, both overseen by Davies. Current showrunner Steven Moffat took over Doctor Who with the fifth season of the revived series in 2010.

What You Need To Know (2):
Doctor Who is a series about a time-travelling alien called the Doctor (Not, importantly, “Doctor Who”; that phrase is generally one heard in response to his introducing himself as “The Doctor,” if at all). Although he likes to skip around the universe in his time machine – the TARDIS, which stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space – he tends to return to Earth and/or humanity for reasons that seem to boil down to “He’s fond of us.” Fond enough to keep inviting humans to join him on his adventures which, more often than not, involve saving the day (if not the universe) from any number of nefarious plans thought up by evil forces, aliens or cosmic entities beyond our mortal comprehension.

Unlike most science fiction heroes, the Doctor has two very specific qualities: He’s an optimist, and he’s a pacifist. He’d much rather think – or, more likely, talk – his way out of trouble than shoot something, and he really, really wants everyone to get a happy ending wherever possible.

Why Should You Watch?
Because, at its best, Doctor Who is a smartly-written, well-acted science fiction show that isn’t afraid to be funny and scary and anything else that’ll make the show entertaining. There’s a formula to the series, yes, but it’s a remarkably adaptable one that will happily do whatever it takes to please (At its worst, it can be pretty embarrassing, but never “Spock’s Brain”-level unwatchable).

The Show’s Been Running Since 1963?!?
Yes. And, interestingly, everything that’s happened since then “counts” – Although it’s never been explicitly stated, the revival of the series in 2005 seems to follow on from the continuity of the 1963-1989 series and 1996 failed pilot, with on-screen cameos from former Doctors on more than one occasion. Don’t worry, though; this isn’t a heavily continuitied series, with each season – and, indeed, each episode – pretty easy to understand for new viewers. Additionally, each new Doctor generally brings around a reboot of sorts, making it very easy to start over with.

Where Should You Start, Then?
Honestly, the show’s 2010 season – the first for new Doctor Matt Smith and new showrunner Steven Moffat – may be the best the show’s ever been, if you ask me. The first episode, “The Eleventh Hour,” is probably a great place to start; if you don’t like it, chances are the show isn’t for you (Although there are, I think, better episodes in the season). If you dig that season, jump back and watch everything from the 2005 revival onwards, but be warned: The longer Russell T. Davies is in charge, the more over-the-top and sentimental the show becomes. But there’s some great stuff in those four seasons, including episodes written by Action Comics and Batman and Robin writer Paul Cornell. If you become entirely addicted, there’s always the twenty-six seasons from the original run, but be warned: They are an entirely different beast altogether, with good writing but significantly lesser special effects and, in many cases, acting.

And How Should You Start?
The show is available on iTunes and DVD, as well as pretty extensively rerun on BBC America.

Most Importantly, Should You Start?
Definitely. I may be slightly biased by nostalgic love – this is a show I grew up with – but Doctor Who is one of the best science fiction television shows ever made, and right now, it’s better than its ever been. Not even giving it a try is being stubborn to the point of stupidity.

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  • Zorro

    I found the best way to get into “Classic WHO” was not to focus on any specific Doctor, but rather on a specific WRITER- Robert Holmes, who worked on and off for the show from the late 1960′s to the mid-1980′s. Any list of the show’s best episodes will have at least a couple of his stories on it.

  • Equinox999equinox

    I watched The End of Times again last weekend on Netflix and must say that I found it far more entertaining than this year’s Matt Smith special. Tennent’s last words were touching and really capped off my favorite doctor to date.

    @Stathamciaran – I get it, you are in love with Matt Smith. Good for you and enjoy. Not everyone is going to share your view.

  • Nanobee

    This is a timely article. My wife and I just became interested in the newer Doctor Who series as a result of the 2010 Christmas special and watched The Eleventh Hour episode yesterday. We also remember the Doctor from our childhood and are loving the 2010 season so far. GERONIMO!!!!

  • ruthie

    “The Eleventh Hour,” is probably a great place to start; if you don’t like it, chances are the show isn’t for you.” Untrue, I think. What makes Doctor Who so brilliant is that it changes genre and tone episode to episode. Even
    if you hate an episode it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t love another.

  • Anonymous

    “Compared to the incredibly indulgent Tennant years (which were entertaining, but, lets be honest here – Tennant didn’t actually do a full series, and was never fully committed to ‘Who’, given that every year had to have a Doctor-free episode, before, in his final series, he said he wanted to go and do Shakespeare instead, and even when the BBC accomodated him, he quit to go off and do…”

    Oh good lord, where to begin? At the top:

    Tennant did do a fill series. The Doctor-free episodes were due to the need to make two or three episodes at the same time — commonly called double banking — which meant that Tennant +1 had to be off making a different story at the same time. It was coped with the in the fourth season by shooting Turn Left and Midnight at the same time and making one effectively Donna-less. In Moffat’s first series this wasn’t requited because there wasn’t a Christmas special in the schedule and it’s being dealt with for next year by splitting the series in two giving move production space.

    On Shakespeare: For production reasons, again, RTD and the BBC agreed the show needed to take a break and left with a gap in his schedules Tennant cast about for work, contracts were signed with the RSC for a season then the fact the show was taking a break had to be announced early because the RSC put out a leaflet advertising Tennant in the upcoming season which was then incorrectly turned into the version of events you give by a tabloid newspaper which wasn’t too quick afterwards in correcting itself. No actor is famous enough to stop production of a television series in this way. He also decided to leave in 2008 giving the writer time to work properly on his demise.

  • http://twitter.com/3v0n0 Jamie R Corder

    I completely disagree. Why would the character being immortal make it less interesting and dramatic. Have you seen Torchwood? Besides, the mortality of the characters is addressed in almost every episode by the risk to the companions, who are very mortal!

  • Rdfozz

    While Who continuity isn’t critical for following most stories, there is continuity. And, that said, that continuity contains several loopholes that would allow further regenerations:

    1) An argument exists that the Hartnell-to-Troughton (1st to 2nd) change wasn’t actually a regeneration.

    2) Given the circumstances behind the 2nd-to-3rd switch (Troughton’s Doctor was tried for meddling in the affairs of others, and was apparently forced to change and exiled to Earth as a punishment [and please don't bring up the season 6B theory, as that would really confuse things]), it’s possible that this change wasn’t an actual “regeneration”.

    3) During the 4th doctor’s travels, he consumes a substance that heals Time Lords somehow (“Brain of Morbius”). I have always felt that it was probably that this healing effect essentially restored “lost” regenerations. That would give us three extra regenerations, even ignoring the previous two points. And (unusual as it) I think that the elixir or whatever was still being produced after the Doctor left.

    4) Possibly connected to the last item: the Master at one point had used his last regeneration (“The Deadly Assassin”). He managed to restore himself by taking over the body of someone else (“The Keeper of Traken”), twice (the 1996 TV Movie). We’ve seen him in at least one other body, possibly two, since the 2005 restart, implying that some sort of other option is available.

    5) Possibly tying into both 3 and 4 above; the Master was once approached by Gallifrey to assist the Doctor in resolving a situation on their homeworld (“The Five Doctors”). He was promised a new cycle of regenerations for this. Given the person behind all those events, that promise may have been a lie; but it’s possible they did have some option available.

    6) It would be relatively simple to decide that something that occurred during the Time War (off-screen, apparently shortly before the restart in 2005) changed the Doctor’s status.

  • supernursekatie

    Oh my gosh if your are an american fan of the DR. and let me tell you we are out there. I cant wait to see the new episodes about the us that BBC is advertising you really need to start watching back when the series started again back in 2004. Although i have a soft spot in my heart for the Dr. by Matt, David Tennent was most awsome Dr. his character was so amazing and he brought so much feeling to the Dr. You just need to start watching anywhere even Net Flix has past episodes. Go Dr. WHO!!

  • Colierrannd2

    I actually kind of enjoyed the animated Doctor Who show, can’t remember the name of the top of my head but it had him in Nevada and there was this waitress and…well it was quite fun. I’ve seen a little of the actual show from time to time. Might have to actually sit down and watch it all.

  • Sijo

    Does Dr. Who really need an introduction? It’s probably the only British TV show that rivals Star Trek or Galactica in international popularity.

    Anyway, I enjoyed the Fourth Doctor series, which is the only season that aired here (Puerto Rico) in Spanish. I have seen the occasional “New Era” Who episode on Cable, but I haven’t followed them because I hear that, contrary to what this article implies, it has a lack of happy endings, to the point it gets lampshaded in the show itself. Still, the series still seems very well written. I may give it a better chance one of this days.

    I Haven’t seen the spinoffs either.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QKN5MHOI6VUFOYCTV5REK7M7A4 Jacob

    That’s interesting. I didn’t think of it like that. But, that would require the Time-Lords to forcefully terminate anyone who tried to regenerate a thirteenth time. Seems tedious. Far more likely that it’s genetic, and The Doctor would still be afflicted with it. (could still be an artificial limitation, it would just genocide on an annoyingly large scale)

    I took “can live forever, barring accidents,” to mean that, as long as Time-Lords don’t go running around time fighting evil and having adventures, they’d never use all 13 incarnations.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QKN5MHOI6VUFOYCTV5REK7M7A4 Jacob

    It’s not that being immortal takes away from the drama, it just removes the danger. No matter what, The Doctor will be fine. No matter what, Jack will be fine. When The Doctor gets in front of someone about to be attacked, he’s acting as an impenetrable shield, not risking his life to save someone else.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QKN5MHOI6VUFOYCTV5REK7M7A4 Jacob

    Well considering it was 26 years worth of episodes, and that he’s probably got a life outside of watching Who (unthinkable to me), two years is a reasonable amount of time.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QKN5MHOI6VUFOYCTV5REK7M7A4 Jacob

    It isn’t really lampshaded (that’s when they poke fun at something), but there is an unfortunate lack of true happy endings. In fact, there are several real tearjerkers (“End of Time” and “Human Nature”/”Family of Blood” come to mind immediately) throughout Tennant’s run. The only actual happy ending I can think of is “The Empty Child”/”The Doctor Dances”.

  • http://www.wyrdwaysrs.com Thunarr

    Where did you get the missing Hartnell and Troughton stuff? The BBC will love you forever if you get it to them!

  • http://www.wyrdwaysrs.com Thunarr

    I was talking to Paul Cornell at the Thought Bubble Comic Convention. Obviously, Dr Who came up. Despite the fact Cornell and Steven Moffatt are good friends, he hasn’t been asked to write for the new Doctor yet. Which is a shame. But (and this is one in the eye for anti-Moffatt/Smith trolls) Paul Cornell rates Matt Smith as being “the next Tom Baker”. Being a fan since I was old enought to watch it in the 70′s, I’m not going to argue. Matt Smith’s first year was the best and most consistent run since the restart, possibly ever.

    Nuff said!

  • Andahaion

    At any rate, it’s all inferior to ‘Red Dwarf’.

  • http://twitter.com/a_leprechaun Ronen Mark

    “Blink” is, of course, an amazing episode for anyone who has very little idea what the series is about. It’s like a mini-movie, it’s brilliantly written and stands very well on its own.

    I had a rather wibbly-wobbly intro to the series myself. I started with “Blink,” then saw some of series 5, then went back and watched all the way from Eccleston through Tennant, then finished series 5. Not the most linear way to go about it, but I think the Doctor would not disapprove.

  • http://twitter.com/farsighted99 Lynda B

    Doctor Who – it’s ALL good. what else can I say? Everyone has their favorite Doctors, favorite episodes. You won’t get much agreement with the Whovians (Doctor Who fans). Don’t pay any attention to all the bickering.

    I say, just jump in with “The Eleventh Hour” and Matt Smith as the Doctor. He’s one of the best Doctors ever, and if you like what you see, watch the rest of the series. Everything you need to know is explained to you in this episode, you don’t have to have watched ANY of the older episodes to understand what is going on.

    THEN, if you liked Series 5, watch “A Christmas Carol” that just came out at Christmas. Lovely, it is.

    Then go and start with Series 1, watch Chris Eccelston as the Doctor (in “Rose”) and work your way back up. And I’m so envious. To watch Doctor Who for the first time, with 65 glorious episodes and you haven’t seen any of them, what a treat!

    Then if you managed to make it through all those, then try out the classic episodes from way back; however, I’d skip those until you’ve seen everything from 2005. Have fun!

  • http://twitter.com/bromley001 Simon Bromley

    Love all the new Stuff, love most of the old stuff. However, the Classic series and the 21st Century series are very different. The old series isn’t bad, it was just made differently for a different audience. The 60s stories are different from the 70s stories, which in turn are different to the 80s stories, which suffered from the Heads of department at the BBC hating the show and not caring what it looked like.
    Certainly the ‘new’ Doctors have been fantastic actors – when Chris Eccleston left after just one series, I was devastated, but David Tennant was outstanding, showing a depth of character and range of acting talent rarely seen on TV at all, let alone Doctor Who. It was going to be difficult to accept any other actor in the TARDIS…but then Matt Smith arrived and made the part his own.
    New viewers should probably start with Rose, learn to love the show, then, once they’ve grown to know the character, check out some older stories, classics like Genesis of the Daleks or The Caves of Androzani.

  • Fseabrook1971

    Very good article. However, three points:

    1) Initially, there were no limits for how many time the Doctor could regenerate. In The War Games, the Second Doctor said he could change infinitely ‘barring accidents’.

    2) The above was then retconned in The Deadly Assassin in 1976 with the Fourth Doctor when a limit of 13 (not 12 – there are 12 *regenerations) incarnations was stated for Time Lords.

    3) The comments made by the Eleventh Doctor to Clyde in Death Of A Doctor (SJA) was clearly a throwaway remark made to shut Clyde up while they escaped from danger. The figure of 507 was plucked out of air. So I would dispute that this retconned what happened in TDA. However, I agree other things in Who ‘canon’ have been retconned or changed over the years.

  • Franz

    And for new fas, ignore the negative ‘fans’ about the latest season. I’ve yet to see a bad Doctor. The thing you will have to accept about this show is that the way it’s produced and how the Doctor is portrayed will change, always has and always will. People who say Moffat can’t do emotional impact are wrong. It;s just that he can do understated and subtle emotions rather than the full in your face style that RTD favoured. Both are equally valid ways of doing the show.

  • Fseabrook1971

    Sorry but Ten went out a whiner. RTD did regeneration much better with Eccleston at the end of The Parting Of The Ways. None of the other Doctors were so self-involved at the end and Ten will always be remembered as the only one who was.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QKN5MHOI6VUFOYCTV5REK7M7A4 Jacob

    *claps*

  • Leigh

    As much as I love Blink, I don’t like to recommend it to new viewers. It doesn’t “fit” the other episodes properly and I’ve had a couple of people end up irritated because it gave them a distorted view of how the series works.

    So when I introduce the show to friends I pick whatever episode most closely fits what I know that person likes, and then for their second one I do Blink.

  • Guest

    Also many of the seasons and spinoffs are available on netflix

  • Ben

    Classic Doctor Who – especially the Tom Baker years – is worth watching.

  • Ryuichi

    I rly want to give it a shot it seems awesome and i dont know why i didnt give it a try before now :/ When i saw there where 26 seasons and more before the one from 2005, I kind of wanted to give up… xP Specially when its in black/white, i hate it, srsly… But i think i start with the first season from 2005 and then watch all of it :D I got christmas holiday so why not? xP And i rly want 2 xPP

  • Ryuichi

    A friend that got me into Doctor Who in the first place told me i should begin to watch from the beginning and that would make more sense, and I’m pretty sure that is the case. And I hate watching from the middle and miss some important stuff that would make me go like …. ? later on(But to tell the truth, I really dont like black/white and the series with Matt Smith seem so much more intresting, but i guess all of it is) xP So thats what i gonna do on christmas holiday, I dont got a life xP

  • Stannis Baratheon

    Ok, what is the first episode with Tennant? I don’t care for Eccleston. And I want it with English subs. Any *help* welcome. mairetar(at)gmail(dot)com

  • Beau23

    If you want my Opinion. The episodes are a MUST SEE for any Doctor Who Fan are as follows: 
    First Doctor: An Unearthly Child (The original 1963 pilot)
    Second Doctor: The Invasion, Tomb of the Cybermen OR The War Games
    Third Doctor: Carnival Of Monsters OR Planet of the SpidersFourth Doctor: Pyramids of Mars, 
    Fifth Doctor: Either Castrovalva or Caves of Androzani
    Sixth Doctor: Mark Of The RaniSeventh Doctor: Either The Greatest Show In The Galaxy OR Survival
    Eighth Doctor: 1996 TV Movie (OR The Audio CD’s Which are a MUST for any whovian)
    Ninth Doctor: Dalek OR The End Of The World
    Tenth Doctor: New Earth OR End of Time Eleventh Doctor: Time Of The Angels/Flesh and Stone OR The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon.Now recently i have been really annoyed that so called ‘Whovians’ watch only the new series and none of the old. If this is your case, seek medical attention, and call yourself a NUvian.

  • nataliesharp

    Start at the Eleventh Doctor. Always. Tennant fanboys/girls may say otherwise, but it;s the most beginner friendly the show has ever been.

  • Zee

    I would start at the 2005 season, so far the 5th season is a disappointment :( I liked Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, but David Tennant took on the role so seamlessly that I wasn’t too disappointed when Eccleston left. Matt Smith isn’t bad, but he isn’t as great as Tennant or Eccleston.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/YH42TNRJ24AOUEYKHMZGM7QYEQ Emerson

    I watched as a kid in the 70s so that’s all vague, and am not a fan boy, but I vote for season 6 as the best of the new run. The stories are complicated and emotional, and seasons 5 and 6 lack the chav factor of prior seasons.

  • Kdiebold8715

    Start at the 2010 season!? Youre a joke. Ya guys just start at 2010. Dont bother starting with maybe season 1 or perhaps a taste of the show with watching “Blink” first. Dont watch perhaps the best actor to ever play the Doctor. Start with Matt Smith cause, well, bowties are just cool….Oh how i hate you Graeme.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Dodge/1295274038 David Dodge

    deleted when i saw how old this article was.

  • Abcd

    Lol, are you serious? The only Doctor Who episode I’ve seen is “Rose,” and it was the worst pilot episode I’ve seen in my life! The only reason I am even trying out the series after that is because it is so highly recommended by friends.

  • http://twitter.com/tomdaylight tomdaylight

    Not the best episode ever (I’d suggest sticking through to episode two before making your judgement) but it’s the starting point of the modern era, or at least was when I wrote that post two years ago.

  • Nightcauldron

    The same happened to me!! I didn’t get the rythm or even liked the show until the episode “empty children” (season 1 2005) and only continued to wath beacuse everybody said it was so good! But it got better, trust me

  • Guest

    yes, jump right ahead to season 5. Great TV that is! Matt smith is great!

  • Anon

    It’s also on Netflix!

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