Getting into Doctor Who with my sons

[Bullgrit]

I know about Doctor Who, in general, but other than maybe 2 or 3 episodes back in the 80s, (Tom Baker), I've never watched the show. Now, we've just gotten Netflix, so we can watch it from it's 2005 start. Tonight, I got the family, (wife, two sons age 8 and 12), to sit down with me and we watched the first episode of season 1, (Rose). Everyone liked it, at least enough to agree to trying to make it a regular weekly thing for us.

Now, my question is: Are there episodes I should skip? Is episode 2 at least as interesting as 1? (Don't want to spoil the initial interest.)

Personally, episode 1 was meh. Mildly interesting, but if it wasn't such a big part of geek culture, I wouldn't bother watching any more myself. But I like the idea of having a sci-fi show schedule with my sons. So I'm willing to continue and give it more chance to get better.

And is it just me, or does this Doctor look out of place among the others? Black clothes, black leather jacket. His personality is what I kind of expected, (quirky and fun and interesting), but he looks more like a thug than a colorful "Doctor Who".

Bullgrit

 

[billd91]

How well do they handle scary? There are a couple of episodes that are scary in the first series, but I remember more scary ones with David Tennant. Our 8 year old seems to handle the Eccleston episodes a little better.

 

[Morrus]

It's a kid's show. It's fine for kids. Every episode is different; that's the thing about the show. You go from comedy to thriller to horror to action to mystery in a spaceship, in Pompeii, on another planet, in Victorian times, in a London council estate, on Mars. And then you have (in modern Who) three different Doctors, who are very different in style. Well, four, since there's a new one now - we just don't know who!

The beauty of the show, for me, is that next week could be anything. It could be dark, it could be light. It could be serious, it could be funny. I could be any genre, and it could be set anywhere in time and space.

And it does it all so joyously. There's no cynicism there, unlike every other show on TV since the 80s. It revels in its own optimism and sense of fun.

Oh, and the special effects are a bit weak in that 2005 series, but these days they easily rival any comparable US show (in my opinion, it's better; they've gotten clever). I don't know how, given the political pressure the BBC is under to cut costs, but they do it.

(Sabrina will be in here shortly to rant about how awful it, like everything else, is; I assume you're used to that now and have taken appropriate measures!)

 

[Tonguez]

Its great you and your sons are watching together, my son doesn't like Doctor Who and would rather watch a fishing show or Auction hunters

Anyway Morrus has already commented on the variety of stories, the quality of stpries varies too, generally middling but fun although be prepared for corny an BBC quaint

I liked Ecclestones leather clad northerner Doctor, after all he had just been through major trauma and was suffering battle scars, his grim demeanour fit that

 

[Umbran]

Here's a thing to know about Doctor Who - it grips young people like a vise, and never lets go.

 

[sabrinathecat]

First episode is weak. I would skip all the stories set in "modern" from season 1, simply because I can't stand the soap-opera of Rose's family. Jackie and Mickey do nothing for me.
But, if you are going to watch the show (and watch it just once), you might want to just watch straight through.
Yes, there are some bad episodes here and there.
There are some just plain weird ones (Love and Monsters especially).
But the first 4.5 seasons are mostly good. At the end of David Tennant, they lose steam, and after the first 2 episodes of Matt Smith, I think the show utterly loses it, and goes to complete crap. Some people seem to still like it though.
My suggestion: Just watch. Maybe for fun, watch the classic episodes too. I'm sure that you can find a list of the best from just about any fan, and that each list will be pretty different.
Season 1 was good.
Season 2 was great.
Season 3 was bloody fantastic.
Season 4 was still pretty good, but the producer is obviously suffering burnout.
Season 5--yeah, this is where the prediction about my opinion saying the show is crap starts.
Season 6 not much better.
(Contrary to popular perception, I don't hate everything. I just have high standards. I am demanding. When I have something extremely good to compare something with in the same field, I have to wonder why the other option didn't continue that path or choose something better.)

 

[Herschel]

My advice: don't skip episodes. I introduced my nephew (who was 8 at the time) and he's hooked. However, our favorite episodes are often not the same. He loved the Moxx of Balhoun in Episode 2 and later the Slitheen while they were not on my list of assets.

 

[Umbran]

My advice: don't skip episodes. I introduced my nephew (who was 8 at the time) and he's hooked. However, our favorite episodes are often not the same. He loved the Moxx of Balhoun in Episode 2 and later the Slitheen while they were not on my list of assets.

I agree with this. It follows from Morrus' point that the show is extremely eclectic. Two people can both really like the show, but have different favorite and least-favorite episodes for this reason.

 

[Mallus]

The 2005 series is a fine place to start watching Doctor Who, judging by my friend's kids reactions. I'll echo the sentiment about not skipping episodes, especially on the word of random cranky adult fans who are very far removed from childhood.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Yes, 8-yo will enjoy the aliens constantly making farting noises.