# Dr. Who episode recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267 "2018-10-01T15:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/1 "2018-10-01T15:14:38Z")
Thanks to [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=861234&highlight=weeping+angels) (about the Weeping Angels)I think I may be getting hooked. I had never gotten into the series, always assuming it was dopey sci-fi. I mean, it is science fiction but I guess I was thinking more along the lines of \* Lost in Space\* for a slightly more sophisticated audience. Anyway, I like the \* Blink\* ep because it’s less sci-fi and more “traditionally”(?) creepy. Another one I like is \* The Idiot’s Lantern\*. That’s the one with the lady in the tv who sucks the energy out of the watcher (along with their face). And screeches “hungry!!!”.\. Also the one that takes place in 1580 Venice, with what initially appears to be vampires( but is actually a species of sea life). An example of one I didn’t care for at all takes place on some kind of starship I think, and the crew have Cthulu like faces and are so docile / unevolved they share one brainwave and then suddenly they get stronger and angry and the Dr. and all of the universe is in danger. Or something. So, I’m not too interested in things that take place in space, or super cheesy costumes. Scary, eerie, chilling, disturbing= good. Little green men, space ships, force fields = not so good. I figure nobody knows about The Doctor like my Doper peeps, so, please, help a newbie out. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/2 "2018-10-01T15:17:33Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > An example of one I didn’t care for at all takes place on some kind of starship I think, and the crew have Cthulu like faces and are so docile / unevolved they share one brainwave and then suddenly they get stronger and angry and the Dr. and all of the universe is in danger. Or something. Most people liked that episode-how Ood. Do you have a preference when it comes to the Doctor himself? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/3 "2018-10-01T15:28:36Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Most people liked that episode-how Ood. > > Do you have a preference when it comes to the Doctor himself? Of course; Ood:smack: I forgot that part. So far I’ve only seen eps with David Tennant, Matt Smith and one with Peter Capaldi. I think I like MS the best but I don’t dislike the other two or anything. I do like PC’s chubby sidekick (I think he played Rebel Wilson’s brother in Bridesmaids). ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/4 "2018-10-01T15:35:12Z")
[_The Curse of Fenric_](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Curse_of_Fenric_(TV_story)) is (relatively) old but pretty freaky. There is a crypt and vampires and weird runes and stuff (all on Earth). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/5 "2018-10-01T15:48:16Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Of course; Ood:smack: I forgot that part. > > So far I’ve only seen eps with David Tennant, Matt Smith and one with Peter Capaldi. I think I like MS the best but I don’t dislike the other two or anything. I do like PC’s chubby sidekick (I think he played Rebel Wilson’s brother in Bridesmaids). I like MS too, but the season-long ongoing storylines make it rather difficult to recommend individual episodes. Any of the Christmas specials are good(_Runaway Bride_ is my favorite), Matt Smith’s _Vincent and the Doctor_ and _Let’s Kill Hitler_, and going back to Christopher Eccleston I would recommend _The Empty Child_. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/6 "2018-10-01T15:58:43Z")
_The Empty Child_ / _The Doctor Dances_ (2-part episode pair). Great creepy episode that takes place on earth (London during WWII). It also introduces Capt. Jack Harkness. Speaking of which, you may enjoy _Torchwood_, which is a spinoff series featuring Jack Harkness. IMHO the first two seasons were very good, but went downhill fast after that. _They Keep Killing Suzie_ is one of the more disturbing things I’ve seen on TV. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/7 "2018-10-01T15:58:43Z")
_Vincent and the Doctor_ makes me cry every time. _The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances_ is great and creepy. StG ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/8 "2018-10-01T16:12:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Any of the Christmas specials are good(_Runaway Bride_ is my favorite),… Not sure I agree with you there. I think many of them were pretty forgettable. I did like _Runaway Bride_, _The Voyage of the Damned_ and _The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe_ but I can barely remember the rest, other than _The Snowmen_ which was memorable mainly as Jenna Coleman’s first appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/9 "2018-10-01T16:15:33Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I mean, it is science fiction but I guess I was thinking more along the lines of \* Lost in Space\* for a slightly more sophisticated audience. You say that like it’s a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/10 "2018-10-01T16:21:17Z")
Couple more recommendations: _The Girl in the Fireplace_ made me cry. _The Doctor’s Wife_ is a great one-off episode with Matt Smith. It was written by Neil Gaiman. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/11 "2018-10-01T16:23:36Z")
My all time favorite episode is “Black Orchid” with Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor. I seem to remember it being the first really “historical episode” since sometime in the 60’s. It is set in the 1920’s, so the fact that it was an episode from the 80’s doesn’t really detract from the “magic”, the way some fans of the new series feel about the original series. It is definitely “less sci-fi and more “traditionally”(?) creepy.” Streaming here [https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vf49f](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vf49f) or available on disc from Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/12 "2018-10-01T16:24:18Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > _Vincent and the Doctor_ makes me cry every time. Seconding this one - there’s a monster involved, but it’s really just a hook into the human interactions. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/13 "2018-10-01T16:31:36Z")
I’ll try them all. Thanks, all, and keep 'em coming 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/14 "2018-10-01T16:43:03Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > _The Snowmen_ which was memorable mainly as Jenna Coleman’s first appearance. _Asylum of the Daleks_ was, actually. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/15 "2018-10-01T21:40:31Z")
_The Shakespeare Code_ is another good one. _Night Terrors_ is very creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/16 "2018-10-01T22:01:40Z")
The Human Nature/Family of Blood twofer is really, really excellent but I’d leave it until you’ve seen a fair number of other episodes, and got a bit more of an idea of what the Doctor can be like. I think it’s my favourite story of the revival - although the source material predates that - and also the most adult. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/17 "2018-10-01T23:10:17Z")
Probably the most tense episode of the series is “Midnight.” Technically, it does take place on another planet, but the story could work on Earth with minor changes and it’s not dependent on special effects. Most of it takes place inside the equivalent off a railroad car, and it meets all your criteria – scary, eerie, and chilling. The following episode, “Turn Left” also may be the type of thing you’re looking for, thought it’s more philosophical in tone. You also need to know a lot about the Doctor to appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/18 "2018-10-02T00:20:23Z")
If you can commit the time to it I suggest a binge in order from at least season 2 if you can do it. The reason being is that the cross episode crumbs Steven Moffat leaves and how they fit together over time are one of the portion of the show I find most enjoyable. Particularity with shared themes and a character or two who are on opposite paths. ---
**Author:** ![Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hook)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/19 "2018-10-02T14:38:44Z")
Two that my wife and I like are **The Unicorn and the Wasp** and **The Girl in the Fireplace**. As a nostalgia trip **School Reunion** was very touching. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267/20 "2018-10-02T16:06:27Z")
Russel T Davies first four seasons of Doctor Who got me hooked. His last season wasn’t as good. I watched the last season but have no interest in seeing any reruns. The Steven Moffat years were up and down. There were some good episodes. The Van Gogh story for example is my favorite. Amy and Rory were great throughout their run. My interest faded as the Doctor’s last stand arc played out. Too depressing for what was supposed to be a fun kids show. I only saw a handful of Capaldi episodes and threw in the towel. A great actor stuck with completely terrible scripts. I may watch the premier of the woman Doctor. See how that’s handled. I want to give the new writers a chance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-episode-recommendations/822267.md?page=2)