# Where to start with Dr. Who? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212 "2012-07-24T05:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/61 "2012-07-28T00:23:32Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Just slightly off topic, is your username a Doctor Who reference? Yes. Turlough’s first name, the companion of the fifth doctor. (I think it’s actually vizlor, but before I saw that spelling, I used this and have for a long time.) ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/62 "2012-07-28T00:55:27Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > Yes. Turlough’s first name, the companion of the fifth doctor. (I think it’s actually vizlor, but before I saw that spelling, I used this and have for a long time.) I know this is the internet, so it’s fairly easy to find people who like the same things I do, but I’m very pleased to find another Doper who likes Turlough, since I tend to hold Dopers in high esteem (and since Turlough’s not all that popular a companion). I’m actually considering popping into next year’s Gallifrey con in LA to meet Mark Strickson. Anyhow, back to the topic. Let us know what you think, Hedda Rose! Prepare yourself for a great show and expensive addiction! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/63 "2012-07-30T23:59:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > First of all, it’s not “Dr. Who” - his surname isn’t “Who”. It’s “Doctor Who”, as in: > > “I’m the Doctor.” > > “Doctor who?” > > “Just the Doctor”. > > Second of all, I’d start with the first appearance of David Tennant in the role, in the second season of the new series. Christopher Eccleston, who played the role in season 1, was good, but the show was still finding its legs. The character is quite often listed as “Doctor Who” or “Dr. Who” in the closing credits, so it’s not like this is an uncommon mistake. The very first episode (original, not 2005) lists him as “Dr. Who” in the credits, I just checked. Also, the Peter Cushing movies may be non-canon, but there his name is explicitly Dr. Who. Not trying to nitpick or anything, just give some more info. Anywho… (;)) count me among those who say start with Eccleston. That’s where I started, and I think it’s about the best point for anyone who’s never seen anything before. The first few eps are kinda shaky, but they eventually hit their stride and a few stinkers here and there beside, it’s all good from there. ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/64 "2012-07-31T01:38:02Z")
I’d been meaning to get around to watching Doctor Who for a couple years now - thanks for this thread reminding me about it! I borrowed the first couple seasons of Nu Who from a friend and started watching with Eccleston, and I’m several episodes into Tennant now. Fantastic! I think I’ll have to ration it so I don’t burn through it all too quickly. I see why Tennant is popular - he’s quirky and hilarous and endearing, and I really like his portrayal. But I also really loved Eccleston’s version and felt he gave it a lot of emotional depth. I know that you’re always supposed to be most attached to your “first Doctor”, but, maybe since I watched all of series 1 and into series 2 so quickly, I really can’t decide which I like better. Maybe after I’ve had some more time to think about it and let it percolate around in my brain I’ll wrap my brain around it better. On the topic of Companions, I just watched “School Reunion”, where Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 show up, and I _loved_ the interaction between Rose and Sarah Jane. > [@TBG](#): > > Also, the Peter Cushing movies may be non-canon, but there his name is explicitly Dr. Who. > > Not trying to nitpick or anything, just give some more info. You want to see nitpicking? Since I’m getting into Doctor Who I was reading up a little bit on the show (trying to avoid spoilers for later seasons, but getting a bit of background about the older shows). Apparently, the show’s creators have explicitly said that Doctor Who has [no canon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoniverse#Inclusion_and_continuity). > [@](#): > > There exists a wide range of often conflicting ideas about what is or is not a part of the Whoniverse, as key production staff have explicitly stated that there is no Doctor Who canon. The producer for the television series from 2005 to 2009, Russell T Davies, has claimed that he’s “just the writer…I’ve got no more authority over the text than you!”, saying “(Canon) is a word which has never been used in the production office, not once, not ever.” He also said that considering the Doctor Who audio plays as being uncanonical is both “boring and idiotic”. > > Davies’ successor, Steven Moffat declared at a convention in 2008 that, “It is impossible for a show about a dimension-hopping time traveller to have a canon.” Paul Cornell, who has written Doctor Who novels as well as episodes of the TV series, said “I can’t think of any other fandom that assumes they have a canon when nobody has ever told them that they do. Especially since our show itself declares that it doesn’t now have, and probably never did have, a canon.” > > One of the term’s early adopters, Jean-Marc Lofficier, wrote that defining the Whoniverse was "like taking photographs of shadows. Not only is it a matter of point of view, but shadows also change. So the best advice to be given to those readers who brook little disagreement with their own views of how the fictional Whoniverse should be arranged, is: read no further, go write your own book."With a series that contradicts itself as much as Doctor Who does in all its many formats, attempts to define a rigid idea of what is Doctor Who canon with lists of what does and does not count are by some considered to be a bit silly and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/65 "2012-07-31T01:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > There was a TV movie, too, with Paul McGann. 1990s. Not very good. McGann was pretty good as the Doctor so the movie is worth watching for him. A shame he only got the one shot at it. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/66 "2012-07-31T02:14:29Z")
You want an introduction? [Craig Ferguson’s “lost cold open” which explains the Doctor in song.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4) Which is the **perfect** introduction, as what makes the Doctor Who franchise so cool is how the fans interpret it, rather than the silly scripts and bad production values. > [@Hogfather65](#): > > Personally - start as far back as possible - the NewWho stuff is OK but not Dr. Who enough - been watching it for over 40 years and still like Pertwee best I am also a Pertwee fan, and I note that the episodes with Autons (Pertwee’s _Spearhead from Space_ and _Terror of the Autons_, and Eccleston’s “Rose”) all seem to be more or less designed to introduce the Doctor, and the sort of light action/fantasy/horror thing the show tends to be. So “something with Autons” is a pretty good place to start. Or _The Face of Evil_, which introduces Leela, if you want the ridiculous scarfed one, all teeth and curls. :eek: Tom Baker eats babies! But really, [watch Craig’s musical introduction, I’m not kidding.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/67 "2012-07-31T04:14:05Z")
I started my Doctor Who experience with the 2005 reboot and could not imagine starting at a later date. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/68 "2012-07-31T17:39:36Z")
> [@Waenara](#): > > I’d been meaning to get around to watching Doctor Who for a couple years now - thanks for this thread reminding me about it! I borrowed the first couple seasons of Nu Who from a friend and started watching with Eccleston, and I’m several episodes into Tennant now. Fantastic! I think I’ll have to ration it so I don’t burn through it all too quickly. > > I see why Tennant is popular - he’s quirky and hilarous and endearing, and I really like his portrayal. But I also really loved Eccleston’s version and felt he gave it a lot of emotional depth. > > I know that you’re always supposed to be most attached to your “first Doctor”, but, maybe since I watched all of series 1 and into series 2 so quickly, I really can’t decide which I like better. Maybe after I’ve had some more time to think about it and let it percolate around in my brain I’ll wrap my brain around it better. > > On the topic of Companions, I just watched “School Reunion”, where Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 show up, and I _loved_ the interaction between Rose and Sarah Jane. > > You want to see nitpicking? > > Since I’m getting into Doctor Who I was reading up a little bit on the show (trying to avoid spoilers for later seasons, but getting a bit of background about the older shows). Apparently, the show’s creators have explicitly said that Doctor Who has [no canon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoniverse#Inclusion_and_continuity). > > > [@](#): > > > > There exists a wide range of often conflicting ideas about what is or is not a part of the Whoniverse, as key production staff have explicitly stated that there is no Doctor Who canon. The producer for the television series from 2005 to 2009, Russell T Davies, has claimed that he’s “just the writer…I’ve got no more authority over the text than you!”, saying “(Canon) is a word which has never been used in the production office, not once, not ever.” He also said that considering the Doctor Who audio plays as being uncanonical is both “boring and idiotic”. > > > > Davies’ successor, Steven Moffat declared at a convention in 2008 that, “It is impossible for a show about a dimension-hopping time traveller to have a canon.” Paul Cornell, who has written Doctor Who novels as well as episodes of the TV series, said “I can’t think of any other fandom that assumes they have a canon when nobody has ever told them that they do. Especially since our show itself declares that it doesn’t now have, and probably never did have, a canon.” > > > > One of the term’s early adopters, Jean-Marc Lofficier, wrote that defining the Whoniverse was "like taking photographs of shadows. Not only is it a matter of point of view, but shadows also change. So the best advice to be given to those readers who brook little disagreement with their own views of how the fictional Whoniverse should be arranged, is: read no further, go write your own book."With a series that contradicts itself as much as Doctor Who does in all its many formats, attempts to define a rigid idea of what is Doctor Who canon with lists of what does and does not count are by some considered to be a bit silly and pointless. The Cushing films aren’t quite the same as all the stuff they’re talking about. It’s like trying to fit Amazing Spider-Man into the continuity of the Raimi films. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/69 "2012-07-31T17:56:51Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > But really, [watch Craig’s musical introduction, I’m not kidding.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4) God this is so brilliant. I’ve seen this over a dozen times now and I could see it 100 more. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/70 "2012-07-31T22:25:11Z")
“Intellect and romance over brute force and violence” YEAH! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/71 "2012-08-01T03:11:53Z")
I have seen exactly one episode of this series ever. I’ve always been reticent to watch it, as nobody took the time to explain the general idea of it, and my mind was clouded by all the random stuff I’d seen online. Does he use the screwdriver all the time? Are daleks, um, what are they? What exactly is a tardis, and why does it look like a phone booth? A friend whose wife is really interested in it, recommended episodes to him, and he further vetted them to me. I started off with Blink, and I really liked it. It gave me a good idea of the flavor of the show, but this one was a bit different, for reasons you may see later. It’s a bit low on my to watch list, but I was pleased that I started off with an episode that fit what I was looking for. I was roped into True Blood in the same manner by the same friend, he also got me into BSG… :eek: he’s my geek dealer! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/72 "2012-08-01T03:52:21Z")
> [@stegon66](#): > > McGann was pretty good as the Doctor so the movie is worth watching for him. A shame he only got the one shot at it. One shot on film. He’s been playing the Eighth Doctor on audio books and in radio plays since the movie, making the Eighth Doctor the one with the longest run. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/73 "2012-08-04T23:20:30Z")
I saw a few scattered episodes with Tom Baker on PBS as a kid before seeing the reboot, and I never liked Tennant really. He is just too…bleeding heart I guess? The Doctor always seemed like a rebel, someone who on some level just doesn’t care. He didn’t steal the TARDIS to go out and do good in the universe, he was just sick of it all and wanted to go joy riding and likes to pick up companions to enjoy the ride. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212/74 "2012-08-05T03:21:12Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Oh, and whatever you do, DON’T BLINK. Blink and you’re dead. (You’ll understand what I mean soon enough. :D) Dear God. This was the only episode so far that I’ve found actually scary. _shudder_ I also started with the reboot in 2005. It was a good place to start. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to skip the Tennant years, but hey, it takes all kinds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-start-with-dr-who/629212.md?page=3)