Doctor Who, I presume?

January 26, 2009 2:46 AM

Whats a good place to start for a Doctor Who newb?

I watched my first episode ever of Doctor Who. I loved it! The episode was called "Turn Left".

Its there a good jumping off point now, or can I just keep watching random episodes? Do I need to know back story?

posted by edmcbride to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (22 answers total)

Best answer: Hardcore Doctor Who fans will probably crucify me for saying all this.

But..

Doctor Who isn't a serial-like as other sci-fi shows like Battlestar Galactica.

I dip in and out of the current series and I have never felt lost. Basically Doctor Who is as in depth as you want to make it. You can be a casual viewer (like me), or you can go the whole hog and watch spin-offs like Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Doctor himself is quite mysterious (even after 40-odd years of broadcasting).. which is part of the allure of the show. this also means you probably won't gain much by re-watching older episodes. But of course, whats the point of being a Doctor Who fan if you don't want to watch as many episodes as possible.

That said, there a multi-episode story arcs happen towards the end of each season that usually changes the direction of the show. in the past they have usually involved the Doctor's relationships with his companions. There is a new Doctor replacing David Tennant in 2010, so it is probably worthwhile watching the upcoming one-off specials that will no doubt lay the foundation for how his transformation is going to occur. Of course, being a new fan.. you will be watching them anyway :)
posted by TheOtherGuy at 3:12 AM on January 26, 2009

As someone who finds TV progs & then goes off & watches from the start (and has learned to check which idiot TV exec has decided to pull the plug before a decent conclusion first) I'd head for the start of series 1 (i.e. 2005 revival) and you've got approx. 4 x 13 (+ a few specials) to be going on with.

TheOtherGuy is right saying that you can dip in & out but if you really get into it you'll get more from starting from the (new) beginning. (You might want to look at some of the original series which have a similar style of writing but with effects only slightly better than the Flash Gordon TV serials if only for comedy value.)
posted by i_cola at 3:43 AM on January 26, 2009

I was introduced to Dr. Who by way of fan episodes on YouTube. (Basically, fans of the show make their own version, usually with new script and plot, but with crappy visual effects and cheesey costumes). Dr. Who fan episodes are hilarious and wonderful in a way I never found Star Trek ones to be.
posted by letahl at 3:45 AM on January 26, 2009

Seconding the "start with the 2005 remake". There are plenty of earlier seasons, but I haven't seen any of them and don't miss having done so. Plus, there is some self-referential stuff in "Turn Left" that goes back to that 2005 season ("Bad Wolf" is a reference there").
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:00 AM on January 26, 2009

I actually just did this, since a lot of my friends are huge Who fanatics who've been after me for years to join. I'd start with Season 1 of the new show (it's not really a remake) - but don't feel shy at all about skipping past episodes that don't strike your fancy; one thing that kept me away for a while is that the season 1 eps with Chris Eccleston are just lower quality (IMHO, and in that of my of my friends) compared to the later seasons with David Tennent.
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:29 AM on January 26, 2009

Going along with the 'start in 2005' train of thought, but if you are interested in checking out the original episodes, be warned it ran on the BBC for an astounding 26 seasons from '63 onwards.

If you want to look at some originals, try the Jon Pertwee years (early '70's) which, as an old Dr. Who fan, were some of my favorites. Also I suppose you should take a look at the Torchwood series as that is the only real spinoff from the Doctor.

Avoid at all costs the movies that were made in the 60's. They were truly horrible.
posted by 543DoublePlay at 5:40 AM on January 26, 2009

again suggesting to start with the 2005 episodes, but if you want to go a bit further, you can watch the "Doctor Who Confidentials" that accompany each show. They go behind the scenes of the shows, showing how the episodes were made, but also explain the importance of certain characters, referring to older episodes. I find they help put the newer episodes into context with the original series, without having to slog through the many, many, many, many episodes of the original series.
posted by Planet F at 6:26 AM on January 26, 2009

Did you see this thread? (I know we can't currently search threads right now). There were some good, extremely detailed suggestions there. I plan to follow John Kenneth Fisher's list at some point, but I suggest watching the 2005 - current seasons since you'll follow some relatively tidy (for tv science fiction) themes and story arcs that Russell T. Davies has developed as the showrunner. It's a nice and mostly contained vision of the Doctor and his universe.
posted by bibliowench at 6:40 AM on January 26, 2009

You only really need to know a few basic facts, easliy picked up. Don't get discouraged if you hit one you don't like, BTW. They're not all as good as 'Turn Left' (IMO), but it's definitely worth persisting.
posted by Phanx at 6:59 AM on January 26, 2009

Personal opinion: if you start with the 2005 episodes, be warned that most of them are terrible. Eccleston didn't do much for me, and I think the show dramatically improved when Tennant took over, but more importantly the first season (of the remake, that is) episodes are generally much cheesier and lower-budget than the second-season ones. If I were you I might start with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances near the end of S1 if the pilot (ugh) and the next few (ugh) don't strike your fancy. Or just jump in at the beginning of S2 (the Christmas special) and go from there.
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:08 AM on January 26, 2009

Just chiming in to say that if you want background on Rose and Bad Wolf it's important to watch the Eccleston season (which I loved and some upthread didn't, so YMMV.) The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances introduces Captain Jack (the spinoff character that gives us Torchwood - LOVE) as well as being beautifully creepy.

Nthing that going to the classic episodes isn't necessary at this point. If you end up getting really into Who you might enjoy them for the context (and unintentional funniness) but New Who is intentionally designed so you don't have to have seen all fifteen million eps to enjoy it.

If you have Netflix a lot of the classic Who episodes are on their Instant Streaming thingy, if you want to put them on while you're cleaning or whatever.
posted by oblique red at 7:59 AM on January 26, 2009

Best answer: I gotta tell you, "Turn Left" is a slice of meat by itself, yum, but grows into an entire feast when you've seen the rest of the episodes. It is that way with all the Dr. Who reboot. It is intensly, delightfully interwoven on itself. If you can start from the beginning (of NuWho, the 2005 onward stuff), you won't regret it and your pleasure will be doubled.
posted by esereth at 8:03 AM on January 26, 2009

Ok, I guess I'll be the first one to suggest that you start with the old ones.

It's not that the newer ones arent good (David Tennant is a great Doctor) but the older ones set the stage for for the history (which got revamped sadly) of the Doctor and really just have better storytelling. I am speaking specifically of the Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker era.

Besides, I still have a crush on Sarah Jane (although her spin-off series was really bad). I prefer to remember her in her yellow farmer john coveralls. *sigh*
posted by elendil71 at 8:06 AM on January 26, 2009

You can dip in and out of Doctor Who, but I would definitely start at the first season/series, as it contains a hell of a great serial arc. It starts out weak but OMG the finale pay off is fantastic. (High five if you heard that word in Eccleston's voice.)

Start there, but feel free to skip some chunks. Here's what I would do:

FIRST SEASON/SERIES (2005)
Rose
The End Of The World
Dalek
Father's Day
The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
Bad Wolf / The Parting Of The Ways

The first two episodes are a bit slow but important in regards to establishing where Rose and The Doctor are starting from. "The End Of The World" is the closest thing you'll get to an alien world in the first season, and is also just great in regards to the amazing emotional mess The Doctor is in when we meet him. (The first place he takes Rose is somewhere she can watch her planet die in a blaze of stellar fire. W. T. F.)

I also like "The Long Game", "Boom Town", and the Rose's family / Harriet Jones portions of "Aliens Of London / World War Three", but those episodes aren't necessary and can be watched at leisure.

After that, plow on through the whole damn show. But skip "Daleks In Manhattan / Evolution Of The Daleks". And bring a box of tissues for the end of season two.
posted by greenland at 8:55 AM on January 26, 2009 [1 favorite]

Read The Doctor Who Technical Manual. Very light reading, because it's basically a book of illustrations with captions, but this will fill you in on the major characters from the original series - the definitive Doctor Who universe stuff.

This book is probably 20 years old, but an hour browsing its summaries is quicker than spending the next ten years watching all the episodes to glean your own summary ;-)
posted by -harlequin- at 9:11 AM on January 26, 2009

That said, if you do want to watch some of the original series, I second the Jon Pertwee suggestion. For most of those episodes, the Doctor is stuck on Earth, an forms an informal alliance and friendship with the Brigadier, who is part of a kind of X-files/MIB division of the British military. The Master makes quite a few appearances as well.
posted by -harlequin- at 9:20 AM on January 26, 2009

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances introduces Captain Jack (the spinoff character that gives us Torchwood - LOVE) as well as being beautifully creepy.

"....are you my mummy?"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:03 AM on January 26, 2009

FIRST SEASON/SERIES (2005)
Rose
The End Of The World
Dalek
Father's Day
The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
Bad Wolf / The Parting Of The Ways

I agree with these choices.

Am I the only one who strongly prefers Eccleston to Tennant?
posted by martinrebas at 11:30 AM on January 26, 2009

I'm just chiming in as another Eccleston fan - in fact, while I think the production values and storytelling are better in the 2nd series and onwards from New Who, I think Eccleston is a more interesting Doctor and should have gotten at least one more series. Don't get me wrong, I adore Tennant, but he's starting to grate.

Anyway, I pretty much agree with everyone else that you should start with the 2005 revival and then work backwards if you enjoy - this is what I'm doing. There are two spinoffs in the New Whoniverse: Torchwood (slightly darker/more adult), which starts sometime between New Who series 2 and 3, and the Sarah Jane Adventures (kids' fare, but badass), which prooooobably starts around the same time as series 4, but it's not that important. Torchwood series 1 is an extremely mixed bag; series 2 rocks; but honestly, worry about that later since you probably don't even know if you want to watch it right now. I'm just letting you know that the spinoffs exist so you don't hear about them tangentially and get confused.

For the record, I'm in the same situation as you a few months onwards, and I worked backwards to watch the Eighth Doctor TV movie - I'd heard it was awful, and it was, despite Paul McGann's downright valiant job to redeem the script as Eight, but I wanted to knock another Doctor off the list, as it were. Somehow I was charmed despite the sheer terrible, and now my hardcore oldschool friends have convinced me to start getting the books from the library. I'm probably going to try the First or the Fourth Doctor next.
posted by bettafish at 11:47 AM on January 26, 2009

Chiming in on whate everyone else is saynig.

Dr. Who was off the air for a number of years and they revived the series in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston.

Since the guy who plays the doctor always changes anyway (he regenerates), it's not technically a reboot like the Battlestar Galactica TV series or the new Star Trek (no revising his origins, etc.), it's just the next new doctor. But the show had been updated a bit - better special effects, etc.

This is, sometimes called Season (Series) 1, but also sometimes Series nine-hundred-thousand-and-whatever counting from the original series several decades ago.

I recommend watching the whole series in order. It's episodic, but there is an arc plot that you only appreciate if you see the whole season.

Then continue with the current David Tenant series.
posted by Muffy at 12:48 PM on January 26, 2009

martinrebas: no, you're not the only one. He was a damned good slightly 'dark' Doctor.

nth-ing starting at the beginning of the new 2005 season - Rose, while somewhat cheesy, is a good re-intro; Dalek & Father's Day are solid, interesting, entertaining, and flesh out some backstory/concepts; and The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances make a brilliant 2-parter (despite Captain Jack).

The series 2 episode School Reunion, while otherwise cheesy, does a fair job of providing backstory on the concept of the Doctor's ... ahem, 'companions' ;-)

Original series: a lot of people are stuck with 'their' Doctor; the one who was on TV when they grew up. Personally, the first episode I remember seeing as a kid was the first Pertwee one, Spearhead from Space, but later preferred the Tom Baker Doctor. Ask me now, and I'd say Patrick Troughton's Doctor is better than either. Surprisingly, I'd also rate Sylvester McCoy right up there too, despite my having pretty much given up on the series by the Peter Davison / Colin Baker eras.

Caveat: The new series has much more "handwavium" in it than the early ones (although the Pertwee episodes were notable in their time for the amount of "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow" explanatory cast-offs), so if you don't like that, be aware. And I'd say be wary of the Douglas Adams written / story edited episodes. They're crap, partly because Adams' humour does not fit will with the character or series (strangely, the unfinished/unbroadcast story Shada is the best of his), and partly because of other problems the series was facing at the time.

Further caveat: keep in mind the Christmas epsiodes of New Who are very much pantomime-style romps, designed to be easy cheesy gather-the-family-around-the-tele viewing for Christmas night. Don't watch one until you're in the Who groove; they're not representative.
posted by Pinback at 3:42 PM on January 26, 2009

Response by poster: thank you all for your answers! once again you guys and gals prove the hive mind!!

thank you again!
posted by edmcbride at 7:53 PM on January 26, 2009