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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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00:00If there's one thing that every Doctor Who fan must do, it's convert as many people to the fandom as possible.
00:06But where should you tell them to start from?
00:09Well, actually, don't tell them anything. Just send them this video.
00:12I'm Ellie with Who Culture here with 10 perfect places to start watching Doctor Who.
00:17Number 10, The Woman Who Fell to Earth.
00:19The 11th series of the revived era saw one of the biggest reboots in its history.
00:24The showrunner changed, the producers changed, the writers changed.
00:28In fact, pretty much everything changed.
00:30The biggest change of all was Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor.
00:34New showrunner Chris Chibnall promised that this would be a good point for non-fans to get into the series, and he wasn't wrong.
00:41Along with all the changes in personnel, Series 11 featured zero returning characters and villains, and largely abandoned connections to the show's history.
00:49The series featured 10 standalone episodes and little in the way of a story arc, meaning that anyone could jump in each week and follow along with ease.
00:58This, along with the lack of returning elements, meant that viewers needn't know anything about the previous 55 years of Who.
01:05Now, while this obviously makes it a good jumping on point for newbies, the decision to disconnect from Doctor Who lore almost makes it feel like a different show at times.
01:14If you want a more quintessential Doctor Who experience, then there are better places to start.
01:18Number 9. An Unearthly Child
01:21Want to start watching Doctor Who?
01:23Well, if you're feeling brave, then go right back to 1963 and start with An Unearthly Child, the very first story.
01:30To start at the beginning takes no prior knowledge at all, as was the case for those watching on the 23rd of November 1963.
01:37This allows you to be enveloped by the mystery and wonder of the Doctor and the TARDIS,
01:41and knowing how big the show would become makes it feel even more special to experience the one that started it all.
01:47The pacing is a lot slower, and it lacks the humour and high production values of the modern series,
01:53but if older television works for you, then it makes sense to just go to the beginning and watch the entire show.
01:58The major downside of doing it this way is that many of those early episodes are missing from the BBC archives,
02:04so it's impossible to get a complete picture of the first and second Doctors.
02:08As of recording, we've actually just learned that An Unearthly Child will be missing from the classic collection on BBC iPlayer,
02:16although you can still watch it on BritBox and ITVX for the time being, as well as physical media too.
02:21So if you're a completionist, then the missing episodes are an important factor to consider.
02:26Number 8. The 60th Anniversary Slash Series 14
02:30With Doctor Who coming to Disney Plus for the 60th anniversary onwards,
02:34it's likely that many newcomers will board the show, and based on everything we know so far, it'll be a solid place to start.
02:40Though the new Doctor is played by previous Doctor Who star David Tennant,
02:44and the new showrunner Russell T. Davis has been the showrunner before,
02:48it's still a creative reset both in front of and behind the camera.
02:51And while the 60th anniversary will continue plot threads last seen in Series 4,
02:56the trailers have recapped all the key information, and the show will no doubt do the same.
03:01If Donna remembers the Doctor, she will die. That's really all you need to know.
03:05Once the three 60th anniversary specials are over,
03:07Shuti Gatwa will take the lead from the 2023 Christmas special,
03:11with his first full series airing sometime next year.
03:14This will be another ideal place to start, since you'll get to see the 15th Doctor's journey from the very beginning.
03:20Unlike The Woman Who Fell to Earth,
03:22the 60th anniversary and Series 14 are gearing up to be reboots that still incorporate past elements of the show.
03:28And with the best production values in its history and an award-winning writer at the helm,
03:32the pieces are in place for this to be Doctor Who at its very best.
03:36Number 7. Smith & Jones
03:38While Smith & Jones marked the beginning of David Tennant's second series,
03:42it's a lot more accessible than his first.
03:44When Tennant took over the TARDIS at the end of Series 1,
03:47he also inherited the companion Rose.
03:49So as a starting point, new viewers may feel that they're being thrown into the middle of a story.
03:55Conversely, Smith & Jones starts with the 10th Doctor on his own,
03:58before meeting new companion Martha Jones.
04:01The stories that would follow are a perfect blend of what the show is about,
04:05with some of the best historical and future-set adventures in the modern era,
04:09as well as the introduction of the iconic Weeping Angels.
04:12There's also a taste of some great Doctor Who baddies,
04:14with a two-part Dalek story in the middle of the series,
04:17and the shock return of a classic character in the epic three-part finale.
04:20But there's no spoilers here, so we won't tell you who.
04:23Neither of these stories require prior knowledge,
04:25making them an ideal way for new fans to experience some of Doctor Who's most famous villains.
04:30Tennant is a fan-favourite Doctor for a reason,
04:33so starting with him is a very good way to get hooked.
04:35Number 6. The Reboss Operation
04:37Tom Baker was the actor who served as the Doctor the longest,
04:41so in terms of starting points, he has a fair few overlapping seasons.
04:45His first three seasons saw him travelling with the iconic companion Sarah Jane Smith,
04:49but since she joined the TARDIS with Baker's predecessor,
04:52we'd recommend jumping ahead for a much cleaner Fourth Doctor starting point.
04:56Kicking off with The Reboss Operation,
04:57Season 16 partners the Doctor with fellow Time Lord Romana,
05:01a brand new companion. Together, they break the generic Doctor-companion relationship,
05:06as the Doctor is now travelling with one of his own kind.
05:08Season 16 is also unique in that it's one of the few classic seasons to feature an ongoing arc,
05:14with the Doctor and Romana enlisted by the White Guardian to find all six segments of the powerful
05:19key to time, and keep them out of the hands of the Black Guardian.
05:23This long-form storytelling rewards you for sticking with each serial,
05:26and with one of the greatest Doctors of all time at the helm,
05:29The Reboss Operation is one of the better classic starting points.
05:33Number 5. The Pilot
05:34The Pilot marked the beginning of the 10th series of the revived era,
05:38and the final series to feature Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor.
05:42Due to still travelling with the 11th Doctor's companion Clara,
05:45Capaldi's first two series felt linked to what had come before.
05:48But for his final run, showrunner Stephen Moffat announced that Doctor Who would be softly rebooted,
05:53making it a good place for new fans to start.
05:56It's arguably Capaldi's strongest series, too.
05:58The Pilot kicks off by introducing new companion Bill Potts, played delightfully by Pearl Mackie.
06:04Throughout the series, we see several characters and villains return in surprising ways,
06:08along with plenty of strong original concepts, such as the emoji bots and zombie spacesuits.
06:13The 12th Doctor is such a charming incarnation, too,
06:16and Capaldi appears to have more fun here than he did in his first two years.
06:20It's easy to watch, but also thematically rich,
06:23with the devastating two-part finale representing Doctor Who at its very best.
06:27Plus, in terms of catching up, you'll only have four series to watch if you start from here,
06:31so it's not a huge time investment.
06:33Number four, Spearhead from Space.
06:35Doctor Who spent its first seven years in black and white,
06:38but when John Pertwee became the Doctor in Spearhead from Space,
06:41the show switched to colour, and that wasn't the only significant change to the formula.
06:46With the Doctor exiled on Earth and lacking the ability to fly the TARDIS,
06:49he became a scientific advisor for UNIT,
06:52an organisation that protects the Earth from alien threats.
06:55This fresh approach is the perfect place for a rookie to dive into classic Doctor Who.
07:00This era saw the introduction of countless iconic characters like the Master,
07:04the Silurians, and the Sontarans,
07:06who get a thorough schooling on Doctor Who lore.
07:08Sarah Jane Smith, arguably the most popular companion of all time,
07:12also debuted alongside the Third Doctor,
07:14while the legendary Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart became a regular feature.
07:18And that's without even mentioning Pertwee's highly entertaining performance as the Doctor.
07:23I have two words for you.
07:24Venusian Aikido.
07:25With a new Doctor in a new scenario, Spearhead from Space is a very accessible start.
07:30Plus, all the episodes after this point are present in the BBC archives,
07:34unlike many in the black and white era.
07:36Number three, The Wibbly Wobbly Method.
07:38Ooh, I like the sound of that one.
07:40Let's say you want to start watching Doctor Who,
07:43but you don't want to commit to a full series.
07:45Maybe you want to watch a few different episodes first,
07:47to see if the show's for you.
07:49This is a great way for hardcore fans to get their casual friends on board,
07:53as it allows you to pick and choose the greatest the show has to offer.
07:57We're dubbing this the Wibbly Wobbly Method,
07:59because you'll be jumping around between different Doctors and eras.
08:02What does Wibbly Wobbly mean?
08:04Well, you'll find out if you start with our first recommendation here,
08:08Blink, a phenomenal standalone story featuring the Weeping Angels,
08:12along with some of the most fascinating use of time travel in the whole show.
08:16Other stories we'd recommend trying out include The Girl in the Fireplace,
08:19City of Death, Vincent and the Doctor,
08:21and Mummy on the Orient Express.
08:23None of which are heavy on series arc material or require prior knowledge,
08:27but all of which are fantastic.
08:30Number two, Rose.
08:31There's almost no better place to get into Doctor Who
08:34than the first episode of the 2005 revival.
08:37Doctor Who adapts for the 21st century with a new style and a new Doctor.
08:41With most classic stories comprising four 25-minute episodes,
08:46the revival went with the much more digestible option of standalone 45-minute episodes,
08:51or two of them for a two-part story.
08:53This made the show tighter and more fast-paced than ever before.
08:57The ninth Doctor explodes onto the screen,
08:59almost literally, as a man of mystery,
09:01and the genius decision to kick things off from companion Rose's point of view
09:05allows you to see the magic of the Doctor as she does,
09:08and by the end of that first episode, you'll be as desperate for more adventures as she is.
09:13Despite getting into some truly bonkers sci-fi,
09:15the series also feels incredibly grounded.
09:18There are a lot of stories set on contemporary Earth,
09:21with romance, modern humour, and relatable characters galore.
09:25Have you ever gone emotional over a tree lady?
09:27Well, you're about to.
09:28Rose was a massive success for a reason.
09:30It reinvigorated Doctor Who and generated legions of new fans in the process.
09:35It works just as well as a starting point today, as it did back in 2005.
09:39Number 1. The Eleventh Hour
09:41The Eleventh Hour saw the dawn of a new era in the revived show.
09:45With David Tennant departing as the Doctor, relative unknown Matt Smith took the reins,
09:50bringing a new companion, a new TARDIS, and some new series arcs with him.
09:54Now, as with many selections on this list,
09:56the fact that The Eleventh Hour is a soft reboot makes it an ideal first episode for newbies.
10:01But what earns it the number 1 slot is that it's the greatest debut story in the show's history.
10:07Smith is instantly winning as the Eleventh Doctor,
10:10and the way his connection with Amy Pond unfolds does a remarkable job of
10:14investing you in this new Doctor Who leading duo.
10:17There's a magical quality about this episode, and the series as a whole,
10:21that feels universal, but still retains the core qualities that make Doctor Who so special.
10:26As a bonus, The Eleventh Hour still feels modern by today's standards,
10:30so those accustomed to the latest TV won't find it jarring to start with.
10:34The production design, writing, and special effects all hold up very well 13 years later.
10:40This episode also marks the beginning of certain plot threads
10:43that would stretch all the way to the Eleventh Doctor's final story,
10:47so it's a good one for hooking people long term.
10:50All in all, there's no better place to start watching Doctor Who.
10:53And there you have it.
10:55Now, if you are going to start watching at the 60th anniversary,
10:59or you've just forgotten things,
11:00then make sure that you check out our recap of everything you need to know
11:03before the 60th anniversary,
11:05which will be on the channel very, very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
11:09In the meantime, I've been Ellie with Who Culture,
11:11and in the words of Riversong herself,
11:13goodbye, sweeties.
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