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Wondering how to start watching Doctor Who? Here are the best places for a newcomer to start watching the show!
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00:00 If there's one thing that every Doctor Who fan must do, it's convert as many people
00:05 to the fandom as possible.
00:06 But where should you tell them to start from?
00:09 Well, actually, don't tell them anything.
00:10 Just send them this video.
00:12 I'm Ellie with WhoCulture, here with 10 perfect places to start watching Doctor Who.
00:17 10.
00:18 The Woman Who Fell to Earth The 11th series of the revived era saw one
00:22 of the biggest reboots in its history.
00:24 The showrunner changed, the producers changed, the writers changed.
00:28 In fact, pretty much everything changed.
00:30 The biggest change of all was Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor.
00:34 New showrunner Chris Chibnall promised that this would be a good point for non-fans to
00:38 get into the series.
00:40 And he wasn't wrong.
00:41 Along with all the changes in personnel, series 11 featured zero returning characters and villains,
00:47 and largely abandoned connections to the show's history.
00:50 The series featured 10 standalone episodes and little in the way of a story arc, meaning
00:55 that anyone could jump in each week and follow along with ease.
00:58 This, along with the lack of returning elements, meant that viewers needn't know anything
01:02 about the previous 55 years of Who.
01:05 Now, while this obviously makes it a good jumping on point for newbies, the decision
01:09 to disconnect from Doctor Who lore almost makes it feel like a different show at times.
01:14 If you want a more quintessential Doctor Who experience, then there are better places to
01:18 start.
01:19 9.
01:20 An Unearthly Child Want to start watching Doctor Who?
01:22 Well, if you're feeling brave, then go right back to 1963 and start with An Unearthly Child,
01:29 the very first story.
01:30 To start at the beginning takes no prior knowledge at all, as was the case for those watching
01:34 on the 23rd of November 1963.
01:37 This allows you to be enveloped by the mystery and wonder of the Doctor and the TARDIS, and
01:42 knowing how big the show would become makes it feel even more special to experience the
01:46 one that started it all.
01:47 The pacing is a lot slower, and it lacks the humour and high production values of the modern
01:52 series, but if older television works for you, then it makes sense to just go to the
01:56 beginning and watch the entire show.
01:58 The major downside of doing it this way is that many of those early episodes are missing
02:02 from the BBC archives, so it's impossible to get a complete picture of the first and
02:07 second Doctors.
02:08 As of recording, we've actually just learned that An Unearthly Child will be missing from
02:13 the classic collection on BBC iPlayer, although you can still watch it on Britbox and ITVX
02:19 for the time being, as well as physical media too.
02:21 So if you're a completionist, then the missing episodes are an important factor to consider.
02:26 8.
02:27 The 60th Anniversary/Series 14
02:30 With Doctor Who coming to Disney+ for the 60th anniversary onwards, it's likely that
02:34 many newcomers will board the show, and based on everything we know so far, it'll be a
02:39 solid place to start.
02:40 Though the new Doctor is played by previous Doctor Who star David Tennant, and the new
02:45 showrunner Russell T. Davis has been the showrunner before, it's still a creative reset both
02:49 in front of and behind the camera.
02:52 And while the 60th anniversary will continue plot threads last seen in Series 4, the trailers
02:57 have recapped all the key information, and the show will no doubt do the same.
03:01 If Donna remembers the Doctor, she will die.
03:03 That's really all you need to know.
03:05 Once the three 60th anniversary specials are over, Shuti Gatwa will take the lead from
03:09 the 2023 Christmas special, with his first full series airing sometime next year.
03:14 This will be another ideal place to start, since you'll get to see the 15th Doctor's
03:18 journey from the very beginning.
03:20 Unlike The Woman Who Fell to Earth, the 60th anniversary and Series 14 are gearing up to
03:24 be reboots that still incorporate past elements of the show.
03:28 And with the best production values in its history and an award-winning writer at the
03:32 helm, the pieces are in place for this to be Doctor Who at its very best.
03:36 7.
03:37 Smith & Jones
03:38 While Smith & Jones marked the beginning of David Tennant's second series, it's a lot
03:42 more accessible than his first.
03:44 When Tennant took over the TARDIS at the end of Series 1, he also inherited the companion
03:49 Rose.
03:50 So as a starting point, new viewers may feel that they're being thrown into the middle
03:54 of a story.
03:55 Conversely, Smith & Jones starts with the 10th Doctor on his own before meeting new
03:59 companion Martha Jones.
04:01 The stories that would follow are a perfect blend of what the show is about, with some
04:05 of the best historical and future-set adventures in the modern era, as well as the introduction
04:10 of the iconic Weeping Angels.
04:12 There's also a taste of some great Doctor Who baddies, with a two-part Dalek story in
04:16 the middle of the series and the shock return of a classic character in the epic three-part
04:20 finale.
04:21 But there's no spoilers here, so we won't tell you who.
04:23 Neither of these stories require prior knowledge, making them an ideal way for new fans to experience
04:28 some of Doctor Who's most famous villains.
04:30 Tennant is a fan-favourite Doctor for a reason, so starting with him is a very good way to
04:35 get hooked.
04:36 6.
04:37 The Reboss Operation
04:38 Tom Baker was the actor who served as the Doctor the longest, so in terms of starting
04:42 points, he has a fair few overlapping seasons.
04:45 His first three seasons saw him travelling with the iconic companion Sarah Jane Smith,
04:49 but since she joined the TARDIS with Baker's predecessor, we'd recommend jumping ahead
04:53 for a much cleaner fourth Doctor starting point.
04:56 Kicking off with The Reboss Operation, Season 16 partners the Doctor with fellow Time Lord
05:01 Romana, a brand new companion.
05:03 Together, they break the generic Doctor-companion relationship as the Doctor is now travelling
05:07 with one of his own kind.
05:09 Season 16 is also unique in that it's one of the few classic seasons to feature an ongoing
05:13 arc, with the Doctor and Romana enlisted by the White Guardian to find all six segments
05:18 of the powerful key to time and keep them out of the hands of the Black Guardian.
05:23 This long-form storytelling rewards you for sticking with each serial, and with one of
05:27 the greatest Doctors of all time at the helm, The Reboss Operation is one of the better
05:31 classic starting points.
05:33 5.
05:34 The Pilot
05:35 The Pilot marked the beginning of the tenth series of the revived era, and the final series
05:39 to feature Peter Capaldi's twelfth Doctor.
05:42 Due to still travelling with the eleventh Doctor's companion Clara, Capaldi's first
05:46 two series felt linked to what had come before.
05:48 But for his final run, showrunner Stephen Moffat announced that Doctor Who would be
05:52 softly rebooted, making it a good place for new fans to start.
05:56 It's arguably Capaldi's strongest series, too.
05:58 The Pilot kicks off by introducing new companion Bill Potts, played delightfully by Pearl Mackey.
06:04 Throughout the series, we see several characters and villains return in surprising ways, along
06:08 with plenty of strong original concepts such as the emoji bots and zombie spacesuits.
06:13 The twelfth Doctor is such a charming incarnation, too, and Capaldi appears to have more fun
06:18 here than he did in his first two years.
06:21 It's easy to watch, but also thematically rich, with the devastating two-part finale
06:25 representing Doctor Who at its very best.
06:27 Plus, in terms of catching up, you only have four series to watch if you start from here,
06:31 so it's not a huge time investment.
06:33 4.
06:34 Spearhead from Space
06:35 Doctor Who spent its first seven years in black and white, but when John Pertwee became
06:39 the Doctor in Spearhead from Space, the show switched to colour, and that wasn't the
06:43 only significant change to the formula.
06:46 With the Doctor exiled on Earth and lacking the ability to fly the TARDIS, he became a
06:50 scientific advisor for UNIT, an organisation that protects the Earth from alien threats.
06:55 This fresh approach is the perfect place for a rookie to dive into classic Doctor Who.
07:00 This era saw the introduction of countless iconic characters like the Master, the Silurians,
07:05 and the Sontarans, who get a thorough schooling on Doctor Who lore.
07:09 Sarah Jane Smith, arguably the most popular companion of all time, also debuted alongside
07:14 the Third Doctor while the legendary Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart became a regular feature.
07:18 And that's without even mentioning Pertwee's highly entertaining performance as the Doctor.
07:23 I have two words for you.
07:24 Venutian Aikido.
07:25 With a new Doctor in a new scenario, Spearhead from Space is a very accessible start.
07:30 Plus, all the episodes after this point are present in the BBC archives, unlike many in
07:35 the black and white era.
07:36 3.
07:37 The Wibbly Wobbly Method
07:38 Ooh, I like the sound of that one.
07:40 Let's say you want to start watching Doctor Who, but you don't want to commit to a full
07:44 series.
07:45 Maybe you want to watch a few different episodes first to see if the show's for you.
07:49 This is a great way for hardcore fans to get their casual friends on board, as it allows
07:53 you to pick and choose the greatest the show has to offer.
07:57 We're dubbing this the Wibbly Wobbly Method, because you'll be jumping around between
08:00 different Doctors and eras.
08:02 What does Wibbly Wobbly mean?
08:04 Well, you'll find out if you start with our first recommendation here, Blink, a phenomenal
08:09 standalone story featuring the Weeping Angels, along with some of the most fascinating use
08:14 of time travel in the whole show.
08:16 Other stories we'd recommend trying out include The Girl in the Fireplace, City of Death,
08:20 Vincent and the Doctor, and Mummy on the Orient Express.
08:23 None of which are heavy on series arc material or require prior knowledge, but all of which
08:28 are fantastic.
08:29 Number 2 - Rose There's almost no better place to get into
08:33 Doctor Who than the first episode of the 2005 revival.
08:37 Doctor Who adapts for the 21st century with a new style and a new Doctor.
08:41 With most classic stories comprising four 25 minute episodes, the revival went with
08:47 the much more digestible option of standalone 45 minute episodes, or two of them for a two
08:52 part story.
08:53 This made the show tighter and more fast paced than ever before.
08:57 The Ninth Doctor explodes onto the screen, almost literally, as a man of mystery, and
09:01 the genius decision to kick things off from companion Rose's point of view allows you
09:06 to see the magic of the Doctor as she does, and by the end of that first episode, you'll
09:10 be as desperate for more adventures as she is.
09:13 Despite getting into some truly bonkers sci-fi, the series also feels incredibly grounded.
09:18 There are a lot of stories set on contemporary Earth, with romance, modern humour and relatable
09:24 characters galore.
09:25 Have you ever got emotional over a tree lady?
09:27 Well, you're about to.
09:28 Rose was a massive success for a reason.
09:30 It reinvigorated Doctor Who and generated legions of new fans in the process.
09:35 It works just as well as a starting point today as it did back in 2005.
09:40 Number 1 - The Eleventh Hour The Eleventh Hour saw the dawn of a new era
09:44 in the revived show.
09:45 With David Tennant departing as the Doctor, relative unknown Matt Smith took the reins,
09:50 bringing a new companion, a new TARDIS and some new series arcs with him.
09:54 As with many selections on this list, the fact that The Eleventh Hour is a soft reboot
09:58 makes it an ideal first episode for newbies.
10:01 But what earns it the number one slot is that it's the greatest debut story in the show's
10:06 history.
10:07 Smith is instantly winning as the Eleventh Doctor, and the way his connection with Amy
10:11 Pond unfolds does a remarkable job of investing you in this new Doctor Who leading duo.
10:17 There's a magical quality about this episode, and the series as a whole, that feels universal,
10:22 but still retains the core qualities that make Doctor Who so special.
10:26 As a bonus, The Eleventh Hour still feels modern by today's standards, so those accustomed
10:31 to the latest TV won't find it jarring to start with.
10:34 The production design, writing and special effects all hold up very well 13 years later.
10:40 This episode also marks the beginning of certain plot threads that would stretch all the way
10:45 to The Eleventh Doctor's final story, so it's a good one for hooking people long term.
10:50 All in all, there's no better place to start watching Doctor Who.
10:54 And there you have it.
10:55 Now, if you are going to start watching at the 60th anniversary, or you've just forgotten
10:59 things, then make sure that you check out our recap of everything you need to know before
11:04 the 60th anniversary, which will be on the channel very, very soon, so keep your eyes
11:08 peeled.
11:09 Until next time, I've been Ellie with WhoCulture, and in the words of River Song herself, goodbye,
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