Where to Start with Doctor Who?

[jeffh]

You think Tennant was over the top...just think about some of the later Old Who where they hinted at the big three creators of the Time Lord race...and take a wild guess who was hinted at being the number three BIG creator of it all? (Hint: It wasn't the Master).

I don't recall that from the series - the books, yes, where it was reasonably clear that the Doctor was a reincarnation of this mysterious "Other", a third figure alongside Rassilon and Omega.

Didn't care for those elements either, though I still think they were somewhat less ham-fisted than the similar elements of the new series late in Tennant's run. If for no other reason then because novels have more space to develop them credibly.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'd start here (the episode is pretty much self-contained*, doesn't really spoiler anything), just to get a teaser of some of the quirkiness it can bring.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51JtuEa_OPc]Doctor Who: Time, Part One - Red Nose Day 2011 - BBC Comic Relief Night - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmiefoRcfU&feature=relmfu]Doctor Who: Time, Part Two - Red Nose Day 2011 - BBC Comic Relief Night - YouTube[/ame]

*) can one even say literally?

 

[hopeless]

Oh dear, that took me a little while to recover from the bout of laughter that brought on!

 

[Eridanis]

I'll echo those who recommend starting with Eccleston's run in 2005. I watched DW back in the 80s, but didn't start watching the new stuff until about 2 years ago; now I have my wife watching them, and it's a thrill that she's enjoying them.

I think all the episodes are worth watching at least once. (And picking just a few episodes out of each series to watch loses some of the emotional investment you develop for the characters, I suppose.) But if one person's opinion of the best episodes would be of help to you, then here goes. Some stories are split across two episodes.

SERIES 1 (2005): Eccelston/Piper
Ep 1: "Rose"
Ep 6: "Dalek"
Ep 8: "Father's Day"
Eps 9 & 10: "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances"
Eps 12 & 13: "Bad Wolf"/"The Parting of the Ways"

SERIES 2 (2006): Tennant/Piper
Ep 3: "School Reunion"
Ep 4: "The Girl in the Fireplace"
Eps 5 & 6: "Rise of the Cyberman"/"The Age of Steel"
Eps 12 & 13: "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday"

CHRISTMAS 2006: Tennant/Tate: "The Runaway Bride"

SERIES 3 (2007): Tennant/Agyeman
Ep 1: "Smith and Jones"
Eps 8 & 9: "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood"
Ep 10: "Blink"
Eps 11 & 12 & 13: "Utopia"/"The Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords"

SERIES 4 (2008): Tennant/Tate
Ep 1: "Partners in Crime"
Ep 3: "Planet of the Ood"
Ep 7: "The Unicorn and the Wasp"
Eps 9 & 10: "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead"
Eps 12 & 13: "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End"

CHRISTMAS 2008: Tennant: "The Next Doctor"

CHRISTMAS 2009: Tennant: "The End of Time", Parts 1 & 2

I'm working my way through Series 5 right now, but I'm confident in recommending "The Eleventh Hour", which is Matt Smith's first adventure as The Doctor, and "The Lodger."

SERIES 6 (2011): Smith/Gillan
Eps 1 & 2: "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon"
Ep 4: "The Doctor's Wife"
Eps 7 & 8: "A Good Man Goes to War"/"Let's Kill Hitler"
Ep 12: "Closing Time"
Ep 13: "The Wedding of River Song"

CHRISTMAS 2011: Smith: "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe"

If that list is too daunting, then go with these 5: "Rose", "The Girl in the Fireplace", "Blink", "Eleventh Hour", and "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe."

All very much IMO, of course!

 

[Morrus]

If that list is too daunting, then go with these 5: "Rose", "The Girl in the Fireplace", "Blink", "Eleventh Hour", and "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe."

All very much IMO, of course!

I have to add Human Nature/Family of Blood to that list. Essential, IMO.


I wouldn't include DocWidWard in an essential list.


But really, if you do an essential list, you miss all the character development. You won't get a sense of who the Doctor is.

 

[Elf Witch]

I am a huge fan of the old Doctor Who but a lot of people today can't get over the bad special effects to see just what jewels of storytelling was going on in those shows.

I have newbies start with the first series of the new show and go from there. If they are really motivated if not I have them start with Matt Smith simply because except for the weeping angles and River Song the Matt Smith episodes almost feel like a complete reboot. And you really don't need to see Blink or Silence in the Library to follow the story lines in the Matt Smith episodes.

I am not a huge fan of Matt Smith as a matter of fact unlike David Tennant Doctor I am a content to wait until the show comes out on DVD to watch them.

 

[Eridanis]

I wouldn't include DocWidWard in an essential list.

I don't think it's one of the "best" episodes, but I think it's a good episode that gives a newcomer a very good sense of who the Doctor is, what he does, and how he does it.

But really, if you do an essential list, you miss all the character development. You won't get a sense of who the Doctor is.

Agreed.

 

[Morrus]

I don't think it's one of the "best" episodes, but I think it's a good episode that gives a newcomer a very good sense of who the Doctor is, what he does, and how he does it.



Agreed.

To that end, I'm not sure I see the value of selecting instructional episodes. Presumably one wants to watch it to enjoy it rather that to learn about it.

Watch the same number of episodes but from the start of Eccleston. If you feel you want to continue after that, do so; if you don't it's probably not for you.

 

[Zaukrie]

Well, we finally started watching the new Doctor as a family. I remember watching in the old days, starting at midnight on Friday nights as a kid. Now we'll start as a family on Netflix. Maybe a few hours today even....

 

[Herschel]

Why do you hate 'Blink'?

Well, rather than say I just glossed over it I'll use the excuse that it's because it is Sally Sparrow's story.