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, and 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, but 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, so 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, although 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
02:29With Doctor Who coming to Disney Plus for the 60th anniversary onwards, it'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, and the new showrunner Russell T. Davis has been the showrunner before, it'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, the 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, Shuti Gatwa will take the lead from the 2023 Christmas special, with 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, the 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, the pieces are in place for this to be Doctor Who at its very best.
03:36While Smith and Jones marked the beginning of David Tennant's second series, it's a lot more accessible than his first.
03:44When Tennant took over the TARDIS at the end of Series 1, he also inherited the companion Rose.
03:50So as a starting point, new viewers may feel that they're being thrown into the middle of a story.
03:55Conversely, Smith and Jones starts with the 10th Doctor on his own, before meeting new companion Martha Jones.
04:01The stories that would follow are a perfect blend of what the show is about, with some of the best historical and future set adventures in the modern era, as well as the introduction of the iconic Weeping Angels.
04:12There's also a taste of some great Doctor Who baddies, with a two-part Dalek story in the middle of the series, and 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.
04:22Neither of these stories require prior knowledge, making 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, so starting with him is a very good way to get hooked.
04:36Number 6. The Reboss Operation
04:37Tom Baker was the actor who served as the Doctor the longest, so 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, we'd recommend jumping ahead for a much cleaner Fourth Doctor starting point.
04:55Kicking off with the Reboss Operation, Season 16 partners the Doctor with fellow Time Lord Romana, a brand new companion.
05:03Together, they break the generic Doctor-Companion relationship, as 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 Key to Time,
05:20and keep them out of the hands of the Black Guardian.
05:22This 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 4. 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,
07:27Spearhead 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 to 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?
08:03Well, 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
08:18The Girl in the Fireplace, City of Death,
08:20Vincent and the Doctor, and 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 than 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, almost 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,
09:09and 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, the 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, the fact that The Eleventh Hour is a soft reboot
09:58makes 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 investing you
10:15in this new Doctor Who leading duo.
10:17There's a magical quality about this episode, and the series as a whole, that feels universal,
10:22but 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 marked the beginning of certain plot threads that would stretch all the way to
10:45The Eleventh Doctor's final story, so 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, or you've just forgotten things,
11:00then make sure that you check out our recap of everything you need to know before 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 WhoCulture, and in the words of Riversong herself, goodbye, sweeties.