I can watch episodes of Dr Who on Netflix. I’ve caught an episode here and there since the show was revamped in 2005, and would like to see more. However, I don’t have the time to watch every episode of all four seasons. So I leave it to you, Dopers, to recommend. What episodes from seasons 1-3 of the current series are must-watch episodes?
Blink.
Forgot to mention: I just watched that one this morning, because of a thread here.
Since you only asked about 1-3, does that mean you’re watching all of season 4 or that you’re not planning to see it? The fourth season is probably my favorite, so I hope you plan to see it.
My favorite new-Who episodes outside of the fourth season are The Long Game (Simon Pegg!), The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, School Reunion, and Human Nature/Family of Blood. Then of course the three-part season finale for season 3.
It’s probably best to see all the season openers and closers, and then pick the best from inside each season.
As others have mentioned - “Blink”
Also: “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances” (two-parter)
“Human Nature/Family of Blood” and “Midnight”
I’m not recommending season finales because they tend to depend greatly on details developed several previous episodes.
I kind of like “Love and Monsters” but that others disagree.
It’s not available on Netflix (yet). On second though, I should have invited recommendations for s4 as well for future reference.
Thanks!
The Girl In The Fireplace, which is like a perfect Ray Bradbury short story.
SEASON 1:
Dalek
Father’s Day
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways
SEASON 2:
The Christmas Invasion
Tooth and Claw
School Reunion
The Girl In The Fireplace
Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel
Love and Monsters (although many people don’t like it - I think it’s brilliant!)
Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday
SEASON 3:
Gridlock
Human Nature/The Family Of Blood
Blink
Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Timelords
And when you get to it, every single episode of Season 4. It just gets better and better.
Er, there’s only 13 eps per each of 4 seasons. At 45min/per, that’s less than a work week total, disregarding the Christmas eps. Easily knocked down, at a rate of one per evening, in under four months. Or in a week of vacation.
I never said this about the original series, but these shows are actually GOOD, and you would be cheating yourself by not going whole hog, in order. OTOH, if you must, listen to the other posters.
Season 1:
The End of the World
Dalek
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Bad Wolf/ The Parting of the Ways
Season 2:
The Christmas Invasion
School Reunion
The Girl in the Fireplace
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
Season 3:
The Runaway Bride
Smith & Jones
Gridlock
42
Human Nature/The Family of Blood
Blink
Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords
Season 4:
All of them (though I wasn’t a big fan of the Sontaran episodes.)
My favorites from 1 through 3 have been mentioned, so I’ll single out some episodes from season 4.
Ep. 1 - “Partners in Crime”
Important in setting up the dynamic between the Doctor and a new companion, and the “monsters” are unlike any seen before in the series.
Ep. 3 - “Planet of the Ood”
This refers back to The Impossible Planet & The Satan Pit from season 2, but those weren’t my favorite episodes and aren’t really essential to get it. Creatures that everyone took for granted are given a fascinating (if not quite plausible) back story. There are a couple poignant moments in the season finale that you’ll miss if you don’t see this first.
Ep. 8&9 - “Silence of the Library”/“Forests of the Dead”
Not important to the story arc, just a cool, creepy two-parter. Stay out of the shadows.
Eps. 11 -“Turn Left”
A Doctor-light episode that lets the supporting cast really shine. Plus it’s kind of necessary as a lead-in to:
Eps. 12&13 - “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End”
Recent Doctor Who season finales have been critized for taking a “kitchen sink” approach, but it really is fun seeing how much the writer can tie in from all four seasons and who’s going to show up for the big reunion. Well, at least it’s fun until…
We’re talking more like one every three or four days, and there are other shows I want to watch so I don’t want to take up a year with this.
I’m busy. 
(And no one else in the house wants to watch.)
Had some unexpected stretches of free time–and got my wife on board with watching a few episodes–so here’s what I’ve seen so far:
Blink
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
The Girl in the Fireplace
Human Nature/Family of Blood
School Reunion
The Long Game
I’ve really enjoyed every episode so far. I’m not sure I want to go back and watch the whole series, but I’m definitely looking forward to watching all of season 4 since everyone says it’s great.
Hope Season 5 next year lives up to it. The head writer is going to be the writer of some of the best episodes so far, so that’s a good sign. But I really liked Tennant’s Doctor, and have no idea if the next guy can live up to that.
Anyone know why Eccleston (quit/was let go)? Not complaining–I think Tennant does an extraordinary job, Eccleston having been merely meh to good–but I am curious.
For that matter, what happened with Tennant? (And is there any footage online of his portrayal of Hamlet? I was curious to see that…)
Since we’re recommending Dr Who episodes, and I’ve noticed some old Dr Who is also available to watch on Netflix, I wonder if there are any can’t-miss episodes from the old days.
Look like you skipped “Dalek” from season 1. I think that’s worth going back for before you watch any more. (You should have watched it before “The Long Game,” but c’est la vie.)
I don’t think all of season 4 is great. The Wasp and the Unicorn should have been great - The Doctor meets Agatha Christie! - but the central mystery is kind of lame and the monster is ludicrous. Just find the “antidote” scene on YouTube! “The Sontaran Strategem”/“The Poison Sky” is a fairly weak two-parter.
I’m nervous about it myself. The only special that has aired since last season’s finale was entertaining enough, but nothing… special. I’ve chosen not to watch anything with the new guy in it so as not to form any preconceptions.
I think they both stayed as long as they had planned. Certainly neither was forced out. The powers that be have chosen to cast actors who are relatively young but already have substantial resumes, so it’s not all that surprising they haven’t wanted to commit to one role for several years.
There are a lot of good episodes, the easiest thing to say is that I recommend them all. Just about all the episodes set up something else down the line, so I think it would be a bit confusing to get to the end of a series without working your way through it. Just my oppinion.
But here goes, a little spoilery stuff may slide through, so take caution:
Series 1:
Rose - Introduces us to the Doctor and Rose and gets right to the running.
Aliens of London & World War III - Some funny bits with flatulent aliens taking over.
Dalek - Remember these guys? What happened to them…?
The Long Game - Like leiko said, it’s got Simon Pegg
Boom Town - Follow up to the Aliens of London. I’m not completely satisfied with the ending, but it’s got some great interactions with the characters.
Bad Wolf and Parting of the Ways - season finale
Series 2:
The Christmas Invasion - Meet the new Doctor, who’s sick in bed for half the episode
School Reunion - K9 and Mickey in the car.
The Girl in the Fireplace - A little tragic, a little Twilight Zoney, good love story.
Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel - Decent set up to the season finale
Army of Ghosts, Doomsday - Season finale
Series 3:
The Runaway Bride - Doctor gets a little angsty, fortunately Donna snaps him out of it.
Smith and Jones - Judoons are a cool new creature. Meet Martha Jones
42 - Stuck on a ship, hurling towards a star, only 42 minutes to save everyone
Human Nature and Family of Blood - The Doctor is a human. A brutal, badass ending that just works.
Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords - Season finale. Very good stuff with the exception of the magic reset button coming into play at the end.
Series 4:
Partners in Crime - Donna’s back
The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky - Good two parter
Turn Left - What would the last few years have been like without the Doctor?
The Stolen Earth and Journey’s End - A LOT going on in the finale here. Things keep getting piled on top of each other, the Shadow Proclomation is a pointles detour, but a very good wrapping up of Russel T Davies tenure as showrunner.
The RSC are currently filming Tennant’s Hamlet to be shown on BBC/released on DVD next year. All of the original cast from the run have returned to play their roles in the film.
Basically, he only signed a contract for one-year, and decided not to sign another. Fears of being typecast, I presume.
Why would it have been important to see it before “The Long Game”?
It’s not important exactly, but “Dalek” sets up Adam as a new companion for the Doctor and a love interest for Rose, so you’re hoping that he’ll pull it together and it’s a bit of a surprise to see how quickly and completely he washes out. Seeing them in the reverse order, it’s harder to care one way or the other what happens to him in either episode.
ETA: It’s still one of the key episodes from the first season in terms of character development and definitely worth seeing.
Dalek is a great episode, I might just pop it on to play after I’ve posted this. It works so much better than the other “kitchen sink” Dalek episodes from Nu-Who. The single Dalek exudes so much more menace and distain for other beings than the CGI armies of the season finales.