# Wanting to jump into Doctor Who. Where should I start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [August 30, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369 "2023-08-30T22:16:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/21 "2023-08-31T00:54:52Z")
I hated the early Whos with passion. I had friends who were enthusiasts and knew everything about the show, but whenever I tried my brain tried to crawl out my earholes. For some reason, my wife and I decided to try the reboot (I refuse to write N-Wh-.) We’ve gotten six seasons in. Season 1 with Eccleston was pretty good because he was great with rage. David Tennant is a fine actor and managed to make the role his own. Matt Smith is a bit of an acquired taste but his quirkiness works for an alien, when the writers don’t forget he knows everything about earth. I would start with season 1. Although the show is littered with references to the earlier seasons, everything you need to know is easily graspable. The showrunner for seasons 1-4 was Russell T Davies. He had a mania for grouping a dozen extras in face-covering costumes and having them march against the good guys. Every episode involved saving all of Earth from destruction. London is destroyed multiple times and people somehow forget about it. The Daleks and Cybermen are beloved by the oldsters, but they are the worst enemies. I’d say skip any episodes with them except for the giant super blockbuster time and space is periled season endings that Davies kept dropping on our heads. He gave us fun while yelling in our faces. The best episodes were the small quiet ones without armies of attacking aliens. “Blink” was written by Steven Moffat, who became showrunner with season 5. I was hoping for great things. We didn’t get them. However, the show went smaller. Moffat doesn’t do armies of marching aliens. He doesn’t destroy large parts of Earth. He wants to emotionally involve the viewer. The problem becomes that emotions triumph over sense. If you thought that Davies power-jumped over enormous plot holes, Moffat builds gorgeous spiderwebs and just lofts from the outside to the center. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. You also need to judge seasons by how much you like the companions. The Doctor is famous for his companions, usually - definitely not always - impressively beautiful young girls. Are they hired for looks over ability? Usually yes. Are they used impressively? They are given to exclaiming that they don’t know what’s going on, just like the viewer, and tend to be given answers that leave them more confused than before, just like the viewer. Moffat tried to make his companions more involved, but nobody can or should care about their feelings. If the show isn’t completely about the Doctor it isn’t worth watching. Just one person’s opinion. I’ve tried not to get into spoilers about seasons we haven’t watched, but the general consensus is that everything after Smith is a disappointment compared to these early seasons. As with superhero comics, every good plot and every plausible character development is explored but the next issue has to be written. Maybe starting with the 13th doctor and working backward 12, 11, 10, 9 so the show gets better and better is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/22 "2023-08-31T01:00:28Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Tom Baker is where I started. Same with me, Tom would be my Doctor. That being said OP, unless you like aliens made of a cardboard box, a roll of aluminum (aluminium?) foil, and a toilet plunger just start with NuWho and Eccleston. A nice angry doctor to get you started in the universe is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/23 "2023-08-31T01:10:05Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > so if you start with 2005 pilot, you’ve only got a bit over 20 episodes with Christopher Eccelston before Tennant shows up. Just 13 actually. I’d started with the first episode of the 2005 series, “Rose,” and go forward in order from there. You really don’t need to watch the older ones. If you fall in love with the show you can always go back after to watch old ones, but I wouldn’t start with those because they are _so_ different in pacing and effects it’d probably turn you off. ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/24 "2023-08-31T01:11:59Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > …the general consensus is that everything after Smith is a disappointment compared to these early seasons. As with superhero comics, every good plot and every plausible character development is explored but the next issue has to be written. Maybe starting with the 13th doctor and working backward 12, 11, 10, 9 so the show gets better and better is the way to go. Oh, hard disagree. We’re Doctor Who fans, we don’t have a general consensus about _anything_. Twelve is my favorite. He doesn’t work quite as well as a first introduction to the character, but he’s delightful. Thirteen’s era doesn’t have the best writing, but that’s not her fault, she does great with what she’s given. And (really controversial opinion coming up) Nine is fantastic, but his season may be just a little bit overrated. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/25 "2023-08-31T01:42:44Z")
…I’m going to disagree with a lot of people here. Either start with Rose, if you want the complete experience, or jump to the start of Matt Smith’s run as the eleventh with “the Eleventh Hour.” I found Matt Smith’s run to be narratively the most accessible, with both the first and second seasons to be narratively quite tight. Its a great introduction to the character of Who, without relying too much on the lore. And there was a big push in America with the show at the time, which IMHO, made the Smith episodes just a bit easier to digest. [doctor who introduction video for Americans] > **[Craig Ferguson - The lost "Dr. Who" cold open.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4%2F)** > > This is the "lost" footage of the Craig Ferguson "Doctor Who" musical extravaganza that never made the show... You can always jump back and watch the rest, which are great. Old Who is great too, but they are a product of their time. But my vote is either start with Eccleston, or jump to Matt Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/26 "2023-08-31T02:15:30Z")
…[edited to add] I posted the above as a reply to Exapno, but it wasn’t intended as such. Just clicked the wrong button. Again. Sigh. Sorry ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/27 "2023-08-31T11:31:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’ve tried not to get into spoilers about seasons we haven’t watched, but the general consensus is that everything after Smith is a disappointment compared to these early seasons. I have to disagree - I truly liked Capaldi’s Doctor. But then, I’m also a fan of Capaldi in general. Then again, I’m one of the older fans, so in some ways a middle-aged Capaldi was more relatable to me than a youngster. Not that I had a problem with Smith - he was in many ways brilliant in the role. Generally, two Doctor Who fans in discussion means 3 or more opinions. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/28 "2023-08-31T12:01:40Z")
I always thought Sylvester McCoy had some good episodes (including with the Daleks) showing off a darker side of the Doctor, let’s say Seasons 25–26. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/29 "2023-08-31T12:03:02Z")
BTW Rewatched Blink yesterday evening and it was as good as I remembered. It works as just a really good short Sci fi film. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/30 "2023-08-31T13:40:19Z")
I’m curious how many folk’s first Doctor was Peter Cushing? > **[Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) ⭐ 5.6 | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059126/)** > > 1h 22m | Not Rated > **[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) ⭐ 5.9 | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060278/)** > > 1h 24m | Not Rated ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/31 "2023-08-31T13:52:07Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > BTW Rewatched Blink yesterday evening and it was as good as I remembered. It works as just a really good short Sci fi film. In an utterly different vein, I rewatched “City of Death” and it still seems like what it, uh, _is_: classic Douglas Adams, with our hero the eccentric gallivanter suddenly finding himself up against a campy Bond villain, plus the Monty Python touch… ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/32 "2023-08-31T14:54:19Z")
If you want easy access to the 20th century show, Pluto TV has a dedicated channel with a sampling of each of the seven Doctors. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/33 "2023-08-31T15:01:06Z")
I highly recommend starting with Ecclestone and _Rose_. In addition to _Blink_ and _Dalek_, I think _The Girl in the Fireplace_ also works well as a standalone. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/34 "2023-08-31T17:13:03Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > If you want easy access to the 20th century show, Pluto TV has a dedicated channel with a sampling of each of the seven Doctors. But be aware that most Classic Who stories are four-parters, so if you tune in randomly there’s about a 75% chance you’ll be in the middle of a story. Fortunately each episode is only around 25 minutes so it’s not a long wait for the next story begins. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/35 "2023-08-31T17:36:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Generally, two Doctor Who fans in discussion means 3 or more opinions. Certainly. I’m basing the decline on multiple “Doctor Who ranked by season” articles I read, which mostly correlate with one another. > [@MrDibble](#): > > In addition to _Blink_ and _Dalek_, I think _The Girl in the Fireplace_ also works well as a standalone. “Girl” was also written by Moffat. Why expectations were so high for him. Online comments keep saying that he was doing other shows at the same time and first drafts slipped through. Why would anyone become a showrunner if they can’t deliver a proper script? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/36 "2023-08-31T18:48:13Z")
I started with David Tennant’s run, which I think is a really good, accessible place to start. There were very few truly bad Ten episodes (I’m looking at you, “Love and Monsters”), and most of them were excellent. I didn’t lose anything by missing the Eccleston episodes at first, but went back to watch them after I finished Ten’s run. Then I moved on to Eleven (his era was a couple seasons in by the time I became a fan). My favorite Doctors are Ten and Twelve, but I wouldn’t say Twelve is a good place to start. Eventually, I went back and watched quite a bit of Classic Who, which was really hit or miss for me. The production values are terrible, which does take something away when you’re used to the slicker NuWho, but the historical value is nice. Under no circumstances would I suggest starting with the First Doctor. Those episodes were (IMO, anyway) slow and boring for the uninitiated, and had even worse production values than some of the later ones. If you _must_ start with Classic Who, try Three or Four. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/37 "2023-08-31T21:03:44Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > “Girl” was also written by Moffat. Why expectations were so high for him. Another great Davis/Moffat episode - or pair of episodes - to start with is “Silence in the Library”/“Forest of the Dead”. Everything Doctor Who has to offer can be found in thoee episodes, including monsters that are both slightly silly and utterly terrifying, the companion being useful, and the Doctor getting the bad guys to back down just by shouting at them. If you want someone to understand what Who _is_, show them these two. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/38 "2023-08-31T21:26:54Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > Everybody has a favorite. Mine is Baker. For us Americans around a certain age (roughly), Tom Baker (I assumed that was who you meant, not Colin Baker) was our introduction to Dr. Who. Plus the fact that I think he was the longest active Doctor (so the break after Sylvester McCoy doesn’t count) really cemented him into people’s minds. > [@Miller](#): > > > [@Broomstick](#): > > > > For Nu Who I’d start with the first episode aired in March 2005. I’m even going to recommend that as an entry point to the whole Whoniverse. > > I’m going to second this. The old 20th century shows still have a lot of appeal, but unless you’re already a fan of a lot of old media, and are comfortable with their pacing and production values, there’s a good chance you’ll bounce off it pretty hard. I’ll third it. The 70’s shows were… different. Special effects weren’t very special (which did have a certain effect - usually laughter). THE ONLY REASON to watch the original version (pre 2005 re-boot) is to get some of the inside jokes better. In the (relatively) recent show where he’s bouncing between versions of himself, you notice the different costume choices; by familiarizing yourself with the old versions, you get more of the gags. JUST KNOWING that the older versions exist (and maybe seeing thumbnails from Wikipedia or some other source) at least gives you a better idea of what the joke is. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/39 "2023-08-31T21:54:39Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > In the (relatively) recent show where he’s bouncing between versions of himself, you notice the different costume choices; by familiarizing yourself with the old versions, you get more of the gags. The Fourth Doctor’s scarf (below) is pretty generally iconic in and of itself. That scarf plus a brown brimmed hat and a brown or rust-colored jacket gets you passable ‘for fun’ cosplay at any con. [![](https://theultimateguidetothefashionofdoctorwho.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/fourth.jpg?w=350) ](https://theultimateguidetothefashionofdoctorwho.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/fourth.jpg?w=350) EDIT: Thinking on it some … is the Thirteenth Doctor’s shirt kind of a callback to Baker’s scarf? [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Thirteenth_Doctor_%28Doctor_Who%29.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Thirteenth_Doctor_%28Doctor_Who%29.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369/40 "2023-08-31T22:19:42Z")
I’d seen that before, years ago, but I had to watch it again. “Intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanting-to-jump-into-doctor-who-where-should-i-start/989369.md?page=3)