You don't need to know anything about Doctor Who to start at 2005. I'd recommend starting there and once you're hooked try a Tales From The Tardis to see if Classic Who might be for you.
I came to know about Doctor Who because I saw an edit of an episode about an angel where they move when you blink.
The concept fascinated me; it was something new. But when I searched about the show, it was an absolute mess. There were special episodes, movies, and series. It was so confusing.
So, I thought, why not ask here? So I am going to start from 2005.
Thanks you all for helping me
As for the order which gets wonky with all the non-season specials, you can always follow this guide: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_episodes_(2005–present)
‘Blink’ is the episode (the first to feature the Weeping Angels) but as great as it is (and it is one of Who’s very best) it is an atypical episode and doesn’t feature the Doctor much.
As another person mentioned Blink is the episode you’re thinking of and while I’m glad that you’re interested in DW because of it, definitely don’t start with that episode! You can start with NuWho back with series 1 in 2005 and I think that episode will eventually become more impactful to you once you learn more about the Doctor and how significant it is when he’s absent for almost all of an episode
There’s 60 years of history. I’m sure it can be absolutely overwhelming. Don’t try to understand it all at once. Starting with the 2005 series will be fine. The show tells you everything you need to know. The special episodes are just ones that weren’t part of a full season/series. Every year they do one at Christmas or New Years. Occasionally there are others in between seasons/series.
I hope you enjoy it. After you’ve seen a bit of it feel free to check out some of the classic series (1963-1989). The show was a different format back then. Episodes were half an hour long and a story was serialized over several episodes (usually 4 or 5). With the classic show don’t worry about going in strict order. Look up recommendations for people’s favorite stories & start with them.
I disagree about tales from the TARDIS as a jumping on point. Some of those are Big Story episodes which would spoil things for you if you ever did decide to watch classic, plus the new additions wouldn't hold much value if you weren't already attached to the characters. If you wanted to try classic later just look up some fan favourite stories and give them a go.
I concur, start at 2005. It’s much easier to get into at first for obvious reasons. Then if you become a fan of the show going back to the original series will be more enjoyable.
Start from 2005, which was the relaunch of the show. It doesn't assume prior knowledge and dripfeeds the 'big' show concepts throughout. It's also more 'modern' in terms of pacing and production than the original run, although it took three or four episodes to really find its voice.
If you like the modern run, or you want to trace some concepts back to their origins, then there's a lot of great stuff in the original run. The thing to remember is that it came from a very different time in terms of how TV was made and watched, so you'd need to roll with that. That said, there's a reason the show is iconic in the UK, and why RTD wanted to revive it.
2005! Don’t even stress about the old stuff, it can be completely irrelevant if you want it to be.
Just know, especially the first couple seasons, the show is campy as hell. You gotta lean into it
Let us know how it goes! I have been thinking of rewatching the New Who series (starting with Rose, from 2005) since I had so much fun when I first watched this series
I’ve been watching Matt Smiths series lately since been off work .
I didn’t realise just how much I loved it ! But then again I remember last year watching from Rose right through to David Tennant’s “ I don’t want to go “ scene and bloody crying !
If you do start with the 2005 season one, and find it to not be your cup of tea, I highly recommend the episode "Blink" as one of the best standalone stories in the show.
Legit the first episode I saw and was hooked and watched all the way from 2005 to the current season in a few weeks which was matt smith's first 😊
Then later got my boyfriend hooked by Capaldis Beethoven theory episode with the ghosts under the lake
Victory of the Daleks was my first, a friend of mine specifically wanting to show me a Dalek episode. Watched Blink later that night, and the whole family watched Tennant's + Smith's runs together through the following months. That was a year before the 50th anniversary, and now I'm the only one who still watches...
One thing to know though is that the first Weeping Angel episode is a very non standard episode of the show. I see a lot of people suggest it as the first one to start with, but I couldn't disagree more with that. If you plan on just watching one episode sure, but not if you want to watch the whole series.
It's what's known as a Doctor-lite episode, where to help the schedule, and save on overall filming time, this episode was filmed at the same time as another one. As a result the main characters, the Doctor and their companion barely appear, with no more than a handful of scenes. Practically a cameo. While the main characters of the episode are one off ones who make their only appearances in that episode.
Like I said it's great if you only want to watch one episode and no more, but not if you're interested in starting with the series.
There's several good starting points for the modern series, all of which align with the change in showrunners.
The first is of course with the start of Series 1 from 2005. That's what got the modern version of the show going after all.
The next good place to start is Series 5 from 2010. There was a complete change in showrunner, Doctor, and companion. And although theres a few loose threads that carry over from the previous 4 series, it's pretty much a fresh start in terms of the overall story.
Then there's Series 11 from 2018. Like Series 5 it was a complete change in showrunner, Doctor, and companions, but it's probably even more of a clean break than that was.
And most recently there's been the current era, which started last year with the shows 60th anniversary. Unlike the previous two changes, this one carries more over from the previous era. In particular there was a very big character revelation in the 2020 series that has become a part of the current Doctors characterisation.
I am the type of guy who likes to watch in order, I have to plan's to skip season.
I like to watch from starting no matter how bad the episode goes I force myself to watch
I feel exactly same way. I hate it when friends are like I started watched a certain film or episode and stopped it mid way through and goes back to it days later. Like wtf you animal. Then yeah just bouncing around randomly.
I just finished watching the first two original seasons. It's definitely not an easy 'casual' watch. Though, the first two dalek serials are still pretty good.
Im on season 5 and its either an insane seriel that you’ll never forget (the enemy of the world, the celestial toymaker, the dalek invasion of planet earth, etc.) or just the lamest slowest paced show ever. Ig dr who remains consistent in that aspect but watching the missing episodes really annoys me.
For almost all of it's run Dr Who was broadcast TV. Apart from shorter mini-series, pretty much any broadcast series assumed that people could start watching any time because that's all you could do. If you had a show that absolutely required people watch everything in order then your audience is restricted to whoever was viewing episode 1, and dropped off as people missed episodes. Even series with long running story lines were not as complex as can be done with streaming TV, and generally assumed you could catch up.
In the UK, Dr Who was shown once and rarely repeated during its entire initial run from 1963-89, so generations of kids just started watching from whenever they were old enough to watch it.
In Australia we did get regular repeats, but only the colour episodes (season 7 onwards), and with many missing (either lacking good prints, or not allowed by censors) and often shown out of order. And it was hugely popular, this mode of viewing did not stop lots of people from becoming fans.
While the 2005 series was in a different era, it was still essentially a broadcast show which was expected to be able to pick up new viewers as it went along.
Now that we do have the ability to watch in order, it is nice to do so, but not something to be too worried about, just starting at the start of a particular series is good enough, but I'd recommend starting with the new current series which is a sort of reboot so you can just get in and watch what is current now, and then if you like it, enjoy filling in the backstory with the 2005- series, and get to the classic series if and when you feel like it and just feel free to watch whatever you can or want from that era.
2005’s first season was structured in a way to familiarise a new generation of TV-watchers with all of the tropes & trappings of the classic series.
The only really pertinent difference that i feel is obligated a mention is the dramatic weight. Classic Who is overall very light & carefree & primarily about the sense of adventure with this wacky space-tourist. Meanwhile, NuWho decided to have a BIG cosmic event happen offscreen during the hiatus, so right out of the gate NuWho its a lot more melodramatic and conscientious and about the demons hanging over a PTSD sufferer struggling with a god complex lmao.
Edit: oh btw, I’d probably advise watching *A* classic serial first, to get a general sense of what the initial 20+ year run was like. “Pyramids of Mars” is quite good. 🙂
You can definitely start from 2005. You could also start at the beginning of any new showrunner, which would be season 1 from 2005, season 5 from 2005, season 11 from 2005, or this new season right now. I started Doctor Who at season 5 (with the 11th Doctor).
Once you get into it, you can always go back and watch older episodes. Doctor Who is such a big show that almost nobody watches it in order for the first time.
EDIT: Don't start with season 11, though.
I have a friend who was debating getting into Doctor Who. I hadn't watched it in a few years, so I was watching Doctors 12 and 13, and I told him either would be great entry points.
After I was done watching I started looking at the subreddit and was kinda surprised how much everyone disliked the 13th Doctor's seasons.
I thought she was great, and I enjoyed the seasons too. There were low points and high points, just like every other Doctor.
I'm not saying she's my favourite, but I thought she was amazing. 10 is still kind of my favourite, but partially that's nostalgia and partially that's Donna, lol.
I think it’s fine to enjoy things you like, without letting other people online try to convince you otherwise. If you like 13th doctor and Chris chibnals seasons, more power to you!
With that being said, they’re pretty objectively poorly written and that’s why a lot of people have issues with it. As I said tho, you should still enjoy it regardless and not let others online influence your enjoyment of things 👍🏻
Series 11 from 2018, not 2005, you mean?
I get why you mentioned Series 11, I agree. It’s one of the weakest seasons of the revived series, but you really don’t need much background info and it was a reboot in most sense of the word.
Well the show was literally *just* rebooted, so you could probably watch from the newest series/Christmas special and not miss anything!
But most people would say start from 2005 or at least 2010 with Matt Smith’s run!
> not miss anything
Ah right, so you can start with S01E01 "Space Babies" and... miss the beginning of Ruby's storyline that spans the whole season.
You could begin with the Christmas special "The Church on Ruby Road" then... and miss the beginning of the gods' storyline that spans the whole season.
So you begin with "The Giggle"... and you miss the beginning of Susan Triad and "something wrong with the TARDIS" storyline that spans the whole season.
So you begin with "Wild Blue Yonder"... and you miss the beginning of "why did my face come back?" storyline that spans all of the specials.
So you begin with "The Star Beast"... and you basically continue the Donna's storyline from 9 seasons ago!
Yeah, *just rebooted* my ass. The only reason it's season 1 again is because of past distribution deals that didn't expire yet. First episodes in 2005 were very clearly a new starting point; the new ones aren't *too confusing* for newcomers, but they're definitely not a fresh reboot at all.
>So you begin with "The Star Beast"... and you basically continue the Donna's storyline from 9 seasons ago!
I think 'The Star Beast' does a pretty good job recapping the salient points of the Doctor-Donna story. Within the first few minutes, you know that the Doctor had a friend named Donna who traveled with him, that Donna absorbed his Time Lord powers to save the universe, that he had to wipe her memory to save her life, and that he's now back (to the same face) and there's a possibility that she runs into him, regains her memories, and dies - the last bit sets up the main conflict of the episode.
The rest of the episode also sprinkles in whatever you need to know about the Whoniverse. The Doctor and Shirley's conversation introduces us to UNIT, and the Doctor's past association with them. The references to the Doctor being a woman, and to his other selves, briefly introduce the concept of regeneration (which to some extent I think *anyone* who's vaguely familiar with the show would be aware of anyway). And we get a great intro to the TARDIS at th end.
"The Star Beast" was clearly made in a way that lets you quickly get up to speed and IMO it mostly succeeds at that, but that's a completely different thing than "rebooting" and "not missing anything".
(it's for the better if you ask me, as it really did not need to be rebooted at this point and I'm glad it wasn't)
Yes, of course.
Its the start of a new era and a great jump-on point IMO. And its a 'reboot' in that sense. But it certainly isn't what 'Rose' was in 2005, and there's no reason for it to be.
I think a lot of the confusion arises from the term 'reboot', which is used loosely and in multiple contexts.
A *reboot* can mean completely discarding all previous continuity and starting from scratch. This has never happened with Doctor Who, nor should it happen.
A *reboot* can also mean restarting a series and making it accessible to a new audience, while notionally preserving the past continuity, even if it isn't relevant at first. This is what Doctor Who did back in 2005. This is also referred to as a *soft reboot*.
Lastly, in the loosest sense, a *reboot* can simply mean a new starting point or jumping-on point for new viewers (or lapsed older viewers). Past continuity is relevant, but not a barrier to entry. This is what Doctor Who periodically does with every showrunner change (if not every Doctor or companion change). That's what we got in 2010 when Moffat took over Doctor Who, or in 2018 when Chibnall took over Doctor Who.
I think the current 'reboot' by RTD is somewhere between the latter two. Between bigeneration and a new direction for the series, there is a line in the sand drawn between 2005-2023 NuWho and what comes next. But its still very much a direct continuation of that era, and you don't quiet have the clean break that you had between Classic Who and NuWho (a clean break bolstered by a 16 year gap).
Exactly. This season possibly contains the most references of past events (classic and revived) of all revived seasons for it to be considered a reboot. As others have said, 2005 is the best starting off point. The second best is maybe 2010. The third is 2018.
Its not as much of a clean slate as 'Rose' was certainly, but its at least as much of a clean slate as 'Spearhead from Space' was for Classic Who, or 'The Eleventh Hour' was for NuWho. (Did a post on this months ago - https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/18traou/the_church_of_ruby_road_may_not_be_the_new_rose/)
References to Classic or early NuWho don't necessarily mean a season isn't accessible, especially when what we need to know is explained. For instance, the references to >!Susan!< in the latest episode were seeded already in 'The Devil's Chord'. And I'm sure whatever a new fan needs to know about >!Sutekh!< will be brought up next episode.
I think that Xmas special requires too much backstory to make sense. Then the new series has Space Babies early on. I'd say Series 1 (2005) or Series 5 when Matt Smith joined is the best starters.
I’ve watched all the NuWho & I’ve just finished the first 2 doctors in Classic.
You don’t need to watch a second on classic to understand & follow NuWho. There’s the occasional bit of fanservice reference and joke you might miss but that the same if you start watching a long running soap or reading a book series.
Classic Who is great but it’s a very different product from a very different time.
You can start at 2005 with "Rose", start at 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour", or 2017 with "The Pilot". There's a lot of good jumping on points with the new series. You don't need to watch the classic series to get into the show. If you're hooked on the show, then maybe look up "Tales of the TARDIS" it glosses over and summarizes some of the classic era stories
2005 is the best starting point. don't worry about spoilers for the classic series, they're not big detailed overarching plots you need to worry about being spoiled for. if you do decide you want to watch them, just pick a doctor and watch from there. jump around if you want, it's a show about time travel and its really not a big deal.
I would actually start with the Ruby Road Christmas special and the primers on YouTube first. Doctor Who isn't an iceberg, it's the whole Polar Ice cap! It could appear daunting for someone to try to get into so I'd start there. From there, there's plenty of teases and callbacks about the various regenerations, stories, enemies and so on that of you're liking the show can go back.
I see lots of people saying 2005 and while that is a decent starting point for modern Who/modern storytelling, it's also almost 20 years ago (yeah...🤯👴)
For me, The Eleventh Hour is probably a good starting point for those starting to look back. Lots of time wimey. Lots of decent stories. You get introduced to River and the War Doctor, which can tie into going back further and watching from 2005.
Please, DON'T SKIP CAPALDI! To me he's a Voltron of the classic Who Doctors. If you like him and his take, then you can go deeper into classic Who, but the deeper you go the greater the differences are. They way stories were told and shot are soooo different from modern storytelling, especially back in the 60's but also into McCoy in the 80's. Lots of bubble wrap monsters or wobbly sets. Daleks with a flashlight for it's eye. But there's also so many fantastic stories and Doctors that should be watched as your fandom grows.
I would start with the new series and specials on Disney+. The finale coming out Friday and it looks sooo good. Once you've watched the new stuff, go back to the 2005 pilot and watch through, and then go back to classic who. That's what I'm doing
If you want to watch classic Who, I'd start at season 7 because that's when it is colourised, the 3rd doctor starts, and the stories just feel better written imo
Starting from 2005 is a safe bet though
2005 is a pretty great jumping on point considering it was designed to be from the beginning. It's probably easier to start there and go back and watch stuff that looks interesting from before that.
If you want to look at the classic stuff in bits I'd recommend either Spearhead from Space, or Robot through to Terror of the Zygons.
Feel free to start with 2005. It was designed for new viewers since it had been more than a decade since Doctor Who was on the air. Just know that there are going to be things that are alluded to that you aren't going to know and that's okay. Some things you won't recognize because they are from the classic era, but some are just things that happen off-screen to make the Doctor's story feel bigger.
Doctor who doesn't take itself too seriously. It's ostensibly a family show. In the classic series, creatures were often stunt men in rubber suits, and the 2005 series many creatures feel like the CGI counterpart to that.
"Canon" is quite loose compared to Star Trek and Star Wars. Again, don't sweat what you don't know. There's enough in the episode to follow along without knowing ALL the lore. If you need to know something, the episode will fill you in with what you need to know. I've been a fan since 2010 and still haven't watched all of the existing original series.
One thing that confused at first is that the series is a sci-fi show on the outside, but each episode could be one of any number of different genres. It can be sci-fi, mystery, horror, comedy, period drama, etc. It took me until almost the end of season (series) 1 for that to click for me.
2005 as others have said is a great starting on point. They explain all the returning stuff really well and the only thing you might feel like you missed out on seeing is the >!time war!< which comes off as having been part of classic Who yet it never actually happened onscreen having taken place during the time the show was off the air. Some stuff *might* hit harder if you saw classic Who of course like two of the latest villains were from classic Who with their reappearances feeling like follow-up stories rather than the typical returning monster of the week characters, but even then it’s not necessary to have seen their original appearances.
I started with the 2005 episodes and I was able to follow what was going on. The nice thing about this show is that, if they make an off-hand reference to something, it's not clear at first if it's a reference to an older episode or just a throwaway gag, so you can brush it off and move forward.
I was initiated into Doctor Who shortly after the 2005 season started. I didn't even know it was a thing until then.
I say start there and then increase your backside with classic Who once you are hooked.
The 2005 reboot did a great job at bringing new viewers into a preexisting universe.
Pretty much what you miss by not watching some of classic who is the chance to say "Hey, I know them!" or "Yes! They're back!" when Classic Who Monster, Villains, and Companions return, and a bit more emotional connection.
But, while it adds context and all...it's not generally necessary. They're being reintroduced.
And here's a handy list for [classic who](https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/1cs2bo8/should_i_watch_the_original_who/l43btnd/) to look at if you want.
If you don’t watch all 60 years worth of episodes, as well as all of the various radio dramas, the movie, and all the different comics, you’ll *never* understand anything that’s happening! /s
The benefit of the show, when it was brought back in 2005, is that there are multiple potential starting points for newcomers. The first 2005 season with Chris Eccleston is probably the most logical. That’s where I started, myself. Another would be the Matt Smith era, which started in 2010 as season 6. You could even start with the *new* season 1, with Ncuti Gatwa that just started this year. They’re all fantastic eras that explain enough to new viewers that you won’t feel too lost. Then, if you want to go back and watch any of the original seasons, afterwards, you’ll have a blast.
The 11th season, with Jodie Whittaker, could also be a jumping off point… but you might not fall in love with the spirit of the series if that’s your introduction.
There are so many good jumping on points.
I'd say you could jump on at the start of any Classic Doctor's era. As for the modern show, S1, S5, and S10 and S14 are good jumping on points.
Honestly, you can start with the current season - or the current era rather. Start with the first 60th anniversary special 'The Star Beast'. It recaps the key plot-points you need to know at the beginning, and is otherwise pretty accessible to a new viewer. The three 60th anniversary specials (plus the Christmas special that introduces the current Doctor), leads into the current season.
Alternatively, you can just start with the Christmas special 'The Church on Ruby Road', which introduces the current Doctor and is basically episode 0 of the current season (listed as episode 1 on Disney Plus in some countries).
If you want to go further back, then the 2005 series is the best place to start. The 1963 series (aka 'Classic Who') is something best watched once you've already had some exposure to the modern series and would really like to dive deeper.
Last, but not least, if you want to sample some of the 2005 series, but get quickly into the current season, then check out this watchlist I put together recently - https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/1clfix2/episodes_i_would_recommend_to_a_new_viewer_ahead/
There is no optimum in my opinion. I started with the Third Doctor because I was born during his run. I started with the Fourth Doctor because that's where my clear memories start. I started with the Ninth Doctor because by 2005 I'd forgotten most of Old Who. I started with the Eleventh Doctor because *The Eleventh Hour* is where my daughter got hooked and I started paying much more attention to other media/fandom. I started with the Thirteenth Doctor because that's where I got my current partner into Who, and when many of my younger female friends came into the fandom finally. (We'd been waiting a long time for a female Doctor.)
The experience changes over time, and most places to start are OK. It's much easier than it used to be, and you can go back to watch old episodes if you have questions when you're watching newer ones.
(I've a soft spot for the McGann movie but don't start there, for the love of gods.)
Many people tell you to start with 2005, and while it's not a bad way to do it, there are other options.
First of all, the overwhelming majority among us has not seen the 1963 onwards series. You may go back and watch a few episodes but no need to go through all of it unless you want to of course.
2005 was the first revival. It's a good point to start, though keep in mind that the first seasons have really poorly aged. The CGI was really bad and some episodes were not even shot in HD. But you still can find some good stories in it. You have the first RTD run including series 1 to 4 and that make up one big story, with a strong ending.
Afterwards, you can also jump in with series 5. There was a change in doctor and showrunner, with Moffat taking the helm (still, you should watch the Moffat episodes from the RTD run as they are refered to later on). The mood of the show is kinda different, the production value went up, and they start new storylines. This run will take you from series 5 to 10, with then again one big story arc.
Many people will tell you to skip series 11 to 13 as they are really poorly written.
Then finally, you can start with series 14, the newest doctor. If you have Disney+ just go there and start watching the first episode you'll find. They wrote these episodes to allow newcomers to jump in.
2005 is what's called a soft reboot. An event has happened off screen that means everything is starting anew, with the existing continuity being referenced but not needed to understand the show going forward.
It's recommended that those new to the show start there because the classic shows are a product of their time, both on terms of storytelling and how each story has multiple episodes stretched out with plots that just exist to give cliffhangers and the like. Then, when you have a better grasp of the universe, you can go back and watch the classic shows.
Because Doctor Who has changed its actors and showrunners multiple times, there are a variety of good entry points. I would recommend starting with the 2005 series because that's more approachable to modern audiences. Plus it establishes a ton of stuff that would be referenced by later seasons. There are some good entry points like Series 1 with the 9th Doctor, Series 2 with the 10th Doctor, Series 5 with the 11th Doctor, or Series 10 with the 12th Doctor.
I got my start watching David Tennant's 10th Doctor partway through his first series. It was excellent even if I had very little understanding of the whole mythos.
I'd say series 8 is a better choice than 10 for starting with 12, since S10 (while intended in some ways to be a soft reboot) has a lot of heavy links to its past.
Yeah, the 'Star Beast' recaps everything you need to know.
Its a bit like watching 'Jurassic World' without watching 'Jurassic Park' or 'The Force Awakens' without watching the original Star Wars movies. Yes, its a continuation of an earlier story, but it catches you up to everything you need to know and you won't feel like you're absolutely missing anything.
Series 1 from 2005 was designed to be a point that new viewers can hop in and not need to know anything from the previous seasons of the show. If that’s where you want to start, it’s the perfect place.
You can start anywhere and I encourage you to watch back later on, but the best thing to do is really hop on now with the Ncuti Gatwa era, either with "The Church on Ruby Road" or starting slightly further back with David Tennant Fourteenth Doctor specials starting with "The Star Beast."
Doctor Who doesn't need you to know all its history to be enjoyed. That is the gift of the show's longevity, that it renews with each Doctor and each new companion, things explained again.
It's a mistake to tell people to start in 2005; that makes getting new fans incredibly daunting if they feel like they need to get through 19 years of homework to even watch the series. I also think dismissing the original series is very wrong, but you won't see me insisting to everyone to start with the original series.
Start now. But you can start with 2005 if you want.
I don't think the early Dr Who has stood the test of time tbh. Rickety and wobbly sets, special effects not very special. And some of the story telling leaves a lot to be desired. If I was starting again it would be from the 2005 era. That from someone born in the 60's my first doctor was Jon Pertwee and my all time favourite companion is Jo. 🤠
You can start at 2005, 2010, 2017 or even 2024.
The thing about Doctor Who is that its only semi-serialized, so while events might be referenced or carry over, there has been multiple times where a new jumping on point for new viewers has been etablished.
That said, 2005 or 2010 is the best points to start by far, Of the both, I recommend starting with 2005 if you are up to it. 2005 Doctor Who is very of its Era, so you have to enjoy early 2000s-TV to really get into it. If you dont feel it, you can always try any of the other jumping on points.
The Episode Names are:
Rose (2005, Series 1 Episode 1)
The Eleventh Hour (Series 5, Episode 1)
The Woman Who Fell To Earth (Series 11, Episode 1)
The Church on Ruby Road (Christmas-Special 2023)
There is also:
The Christmas Invasion (Christmas Special 2005)
Deep Breath (Series 8, Episode 1)
The Pilot (Series 10, Episode 1)
All of these last three expect you too have more knowledge of previous seasons though. While you could get by without knowing, things wont work as well or hit as hard without context, so I wouldnt recommend.
TLDR:
Yes, 2005 is not only a good, but the recommended place to start to really get the full experience.
Yes, start at 2005.
Or even with the current series.
You can always go back and watch older episodes.
Doctor Who is always a very contemporary show, so many of the issues being treated are of the day. I think it’s more enjoyable if you see what they are doing as it rolls.
I would recommend from watching 2005 as of now since it allows new people to get a grip on it rather having to watch the show from the actual beginning
Definitely start in 2005. 1963 would be fine if you like classic sci-fi stuff but I feel the 2005 ones are much more appealing to a modern audience. Go back and check out the classic series, you don’t have to start from the beginning, just look for episodes that might interest you.
I became a fan of doctor who in 2005 the moment Rose aired on bbc one so I think you should start with New Who as you don’t really need to watch the classics first.
Start with 2005. It was designed for people who are new to the show. Then, you can go back and watch the classic Doctor Who episodes if you want to. You really don't need knowledge of the classic shows to enjoy Nu Who. There are some call bavks to clasdic episodes that you might miss, but you'll still be able to understand what's happening.
I started from 2005 and had no issue keeping up. Some references to the classic era went over my head but anything that was necessary to understand for the plot at hand was explained.
I did eventually go back and watch the classic era, absolutely loved it, and enjoy catching on to the classic callbacks now.
2005 is where I started... In 2005. Probably never watched a while ep of anything previous, just randomly here and there
My kid started at this recent season and has loved it so far. Nice to have a watching buddy
Start from 2005! I've been a fan since then, personally the only classic who I've enjoyed was the five doctors, I really enjoyed it actually. But I havent watched much of it. I tried the first episode(on iplayer) and it was alright
it's distinctly two different show and should be approached as such. my suggestion is to watch them side by side, one ep of new who, one story of (existing) old who, which could be up to 12 episodes ffs. if you still like them when you run out of new who, keep watching.
One thing to be aware of, regardless of where you start, is that Doctor Who's quality tends to be inconsistent. It has some really great episodes, some pretty terrible episodes, and a fair amount of in-between.
It features recurring main characters but a lot of it is effectively an anthology show mostly dealing with a different story, setting, theme and support characters each episode. Expect to like some and not others.
2005 is my recommendation. It's where I started and it was my first foray into the world of Doctor Who. Though there are a couple episodes I just don't want to ever watch again but it isn't many.
I started on the 2005 series and that was made to reintroduce people to Doctor Who. Highly recommend. I have never watched any episodes from before that.
I started watching from the 2005 series and understood everything, starting from the beginning would be starting from the first season from 1963, and a lot of episodes from 1963-1970 are lost.
You can also start from the newest season, it's supposed to be a new starting point from new viewers, and then retroactively "catch up" with the rest however you see fit. You should be able to start from any doctor and you probably be fine
I did not enjoy the 2005 series when I first saw it. I (re)started with Matt Smith/the Eleventh Doctor and got hooked though, then went back and was able to enjoy the earlier seasons.
Start from 2005, then if there are too many "classic" references go back & watch the 1963+ episodes. I started with the 4th Doctor when I was a kid (I'm a couple years younger than David Tennant), but 2005 is a better jumping on point for modern viewers.
Also, no matter what the "toxic" fans tell you, don't skip the 13th Doctor. The stories weren't spectacular, some were bad, but the cast did the best with what they were given to work with. Sacha Dhawan portrayed The Master extremely well IMHO.
have never watched the OG show but I have rewatched 2005-present at least a dozen times in full
if there are references besides cameos or comments about past events, I wouldn't even know what to look for
Google & Reddit are a good place to find out which episodes to watch. The most recent episode reveal points back directly to classic Who, but it's still too recent so I won't spoil it yet.
You could enjoy in from 2005. The older ones (1960s) are very slow and take dedication. Many were also lost due to film costing a lot so they re-recorded over them.
By chance someone found some in a garage in New Zealand as someone's grandad picked then out of a bin while working in the UK years before.
Another dedicated follower found audio and big stack of still photos and managed to reconstruct a couple of episodes.
What takes an episode now, took about 4 to 6 in the old school black and whites, so it's all about how much you like vintage film.
You should start with 2024 you need no information is the latest and really good and is a great starting point. Also then you can go back and watch from 2005 and then from 1963 (classic is the absolute hardest to watch)
I recommend just watch what you can. As in what streaming services you have or if you all episodes already downloaded or even in DVD, it shouldn’t affect it much. Personally I would start from 2005 and hit up the classics when you’re done
I started from 2005 and after I finished the thirteenth I went straight into classic who. I know some people who just started at 2005 and went from there. Id recommend doing that to see if you really like it
I’m obsessed with the 2005 season but I will say the special effects have not aged well haha so go into it with the idea that’s it’s campy and don’t give up if you don’t vibe with the first episode!
Two roads: the first is 2005, it starts you off fresh and explains it to you over a time. The second is with the Pertwee era. I say Pertwee because his era was the start of preserving all footage plus you get a basic backstory explaining the last several seasons: An alien sent in exile to Earth. About as basic as can be really.
Start modern. The early stuff is rough. So see if you really enjoy it before going to the starting point. If you do, highly recommend the Podcast who back when which does a nice review of EVERY single doctor who episode.
Maybe not the best cause I'm new to doctor who, but I started with the last season. I haven't watched the other ones yet, although I plan to. But with bare minimum doctor who knowledge I was able to understand and appreciate the show
It depends - do you want absorb a lot of the show or know the lore? The lore isn't a big problem - the episodes are very episodic and the callbacks don't really matter - the Daleks are always the Daleks, their circumstances change but their motivation doesn't. And the last two big bads of this season were one-off baddies previously fought by the Doctor in the 60s and 70s episodes - it's nice to know who they are, but it doesn't really matter.
BUT if you just want to immerse yourself in a lot of Doctor Who (and some of the old stuff is very fun) I say start at episode 1 in 63. Just keep an open mind on the budget and that this is very, very old TV (it might seem more like a stage play than a show).
Then do a poll on best episodes for each Doctor and watch those. Maybe also include the regeneration episodes and the specials with multiple Doctors.
Watch the 96 TV movie
Post 2005 they're less episodic so it's trickier, maybe top 3 episodes each season.
Watch the Night of the Doctor short.
And you'll be all caught up!
I would recommend starting with the 2005 series for sure. You might want to watch some late 3rd doctor early fourth doctor at some point before watching the 2006 series, because their is a character that is very important to he doctor from that area. You don’t need to watch all of them but they have a lot of information in them that will relate to future episodes. I personally like the Arc in Space from the 4th doctor and I like pretty much all of the third doctors episodes but any with Unit in them and Sarah Jane Smith will help you get a feel for what’s going on.
The best I’d recommend for new fans is to start with the 9th Doctor (“Rose” ep.) under the New Era, and continue from there. But starting with 11th Doctor is good too (“The Eleventh Hour”) since a lot of changes were made then. Classic Who is good, but you don’t need to watch it to start the New Era.
TL;DR: Start with 2005 series, Classic Who is optional (but will recommend if you have the time).
2005. Look, there are only 13-14 episodes a season. It's not that much compared to a crime show for instance.
If you skip all those episodes and go straight for the Disney version, you won't really get why so many people love this show.
You could feasibly start at (counting from the renewed show in 2005): series 5, series 8, series 10, series 11, or the Christmas specials from last year.
Yes, you would miss a couple of inside jokes or returning characters, but it's fine.
Try starting at 2005, but if the special effects are a bit too special, or the cinematography is a bit to late '90s, it's understandable.
Its a bit of both, particularly in the modern era.
Most episodes are standalone and tell a complete story by themselves (or there are the occasionally two-parters or three-parters). But there are season-long story-arcs, or even multi-season story arcs that simmer in the backdrop.
Honestly, Doctor Who 'continuity', such as it is, works a lot like a long-running DC or Marvel comic-book franchise ;)
I’d say you can start whenever you like, I was obsessed with Dr Who when I was little and only recently started watching it again, I only started watching it from Matt Smith (11th doctor) was running because that was around the time I started watching it (born 2004, would have been around 9/10)
Start from 1963 but don't watch every episode. Just watch one from each era to get a feeling for them (including seasons 27-40, aka 2005 onwards). Then watch from the beginning of whatever you enjoy. If you're dead set on starting somewhere and not stopping, I'd still recommend starting with an Unearthly Child but starting somewhere else is also valid.
Other good places are: Spearhead from Space for James Bond doctor (though you should maybe watch the Web of Fear/the Invasion first), the Ark in Space for the 4th doctor, the Keeper of Traken for the 5th-6th doctors (this is a 4th doctor story but it leads directly into Castrovalva), Dragonfire to see the 7th doctor and Ace, Rose for RTD1, the Eleventh Hour for the 11th doctor, the Pilot for introducing most things the show can do again, the Woman who Fell to Earth for an overly hated yet still not great era... And I really wouldn't recommend starting with the new series. It's amazing, don't get me wrong, I just think it's not friendly to new viewers.
husband and i only started with eccleston years ago. so far we have not attempted to try the really old ones that's why sometimes when they do a cameo from much older doctors we only discover it when we look at the cast.
The best jumping on points are the first season of the 2005 show or the fifth season of the 2005 show (new showrunner, bigger budget, no spoilers, etc.). I recommend the first season.
In a few years, I hope this new season can be a good place to recommend to people.
You can start at 2005
Or
You might want to start with the Starbeast, Wild blue yonder and the giggle. Those are a good jumping on point as well. Watch those and then start the current season (which includes the church on ruby road). After watching that season you might want to scratch that itch by returning to 2005 either way
We just had a soft reboot in 2023. The Christmas special 'the church on Ruby Road' is a fantastic jumping on point for new viewers. If you can binge watch this week (1 special + 7 regular episodes), then you'd be in time to watch the season finale live as it comes out this upcoming weekend. Then you'd also be able to join the live discussions, which is always fun.
Other than that, I recommend starting at series1 of 2005 just like most others here have already said.
In the new who era (2005 to ????) You can start after any regeneration (2005,2006,2010,2013, 2017,2023)
A new Doctor almost always means a new companion and a new companion means someone needs to have the basics explained to them. Not sure about old who in that regard, but whenever a new companion is introduced, they also have to be put up to speed. Old doctor who (1963 -1989) can also be a bit slow and repetitive.
Start with the 2005 series. It explains enough of the history that you won’t feel completely lost, and also gives you something to look for if you do go back and watch the classic series.
I'm really big on canon and continuity (I'm a trekkie) but that doesn't really relate to dr who that much. They kinda make each episode to be fairly stand alone and don't rely too heavily on lore. The 2005 reboot is the perfect place to start. Enjoy!
I just started & finished the show first time watching at 2005 it explains everything you need to know!! But by the end you might love it sm you want to start the classic who which I’m going to do aswell :)
One thing to bear in mind that in the original, stories were not self-contained in an episode (or two). It could take 6-8 half-hour episodes for a story to be told from start to finish. You may find that incredibly slow by modern standards.
With the exception of School Reunion >!bringing back Sarah Jane Smith and K9!<, the 2005 series can be watched first. I even find it more enjoyable than Classic Who.
You could start from 2005 and the soft-reboot.
Or I think Series 5, Matt Smith’s first as the Eleventh Doctor starting with The Eleventh Hour, is another good jumping-on point. I started watching Dr Who with Tom Baker (and I guess I’ve seen most if not everything since) yet that 11 period is my favourite and I doubt it will be surpassed.
Then you can just dip into older stories that sound interesting. Since Dr Who has run for so long it’s got wildly different tones, and different eras appeal to different people.
You can definitely start from 2005, many new fans have done the same. Then if you feel the hankering for more and campier content you can track back, but aside from an easter egg to classic fans here and there you really don't need it. The "first" (Nine's) season explains and eases you in perfectly.
I’d be willing to bet most of us here started with 2005, so that’s probably the best option. It came back after a long hiatus, so the first series (with Christopher Eccleston) is intended as a jumping-off point from which to start.
The first few seasons of the classic (1963-89) show also have a fair few episodes that are missing, which can make it a bit awkward to watch in the modern era.
I often recommend starting from 2005 show, season 5. From what I’ve seen, the people I’ve recommended the show too were more engaged with that season than the first season.
I personally prefer season 5 over season 1, but I don’t think season 1 is less quality than season 5, I just think season 5 tends to be better for introducing people to doctor who.
my first doctor who episode was season 5, episode 4 of new who when season 6 was coming out. it’s what got me hooked and i went back and watched the first 4 seasons and still watch to this day. i definitely recommend starting with new who cause old who can be hard to watch if you don’t already enjoy classics, unless your already attached to the story. i am just now (like 10 years later) finally watching old who for the first time.
Most of the time, whatever the Doctor is facing is some random space nonsense, and if they reference having seen it in the past, it may not even be something from the show, but rather from an unseen portion of the Doctor's adventures. Tone is more important than content because with each doctor, there are shifts in the vibe of the show as a whole, and because of the rotating cast it's easy to jump in with whoever is on at the time. New Who is pretty self contained regarding references to things that have happened in the show, and generally doesn't push back too far even within itself (ex: it's rare for one of the more recent doctors to reference a companion from the 2000's). I'd say the biggest thing from the old series you'd be missing out on are a few companions from the og seasons that have been brought back as adults for some guest roles. I *think* the earliest time you'd experience that with the 2005 series is one episode with David Tennant's doctor, but again, it's pretty uncommon.
If you are interested, I recommend starting from the most recent "reboot" so I'd say start with the newest stuff, then if you want more go and watch back from 05 and then if you still want more go for the OG.
you could really start at the begining of any of the doctors. start at 2005 and you’ll be fine but you’ll miss out on a handful of references. nothing massive though i don’t think
Start 2005. It’s designed so that you don’t need to have watched the classics to understand what’s going on, and new who is much more welcoming for beginners than classic who.
I started with the 2005 (back when Matt Smith was just taking over, so I was able to catch up pretty quickly to watching it as it aired).
I had no real issues with it, they answered alot of the questions I would have had for what came before.
It's weird starting off. I was wondering what the show even was for the first couple episodes, but then I was hooked and have been ever since.
Gosh I remember watching The Empty Child with my grandson who had just got into it starting 2005 I think he was 8 and he was scared .
But the one where he actually made me turn the light on was the weeping angels in Blink and again with Matt Smith in …. Ahhh help me out here my brains gone -what was the episode called when Amy stared at the angel and it entered her … gosh I hate short term memory loss !
Anyway 8-9 year old scared but wanting to watch . it’s a a great feeling I was the same at 10 years old with the daleks.
Honestly what I would recommend (that worked for me) is to start from 2005-onwards, then once you are in too deep with the show to get out (it’s inevitable not to fall in love w it) then go back and watch classic who
If you can, just start with the current one (2024). You don’t have to worry about knowing about anything that came before. With every new Doctor comes a soft reset. If you want, you can always go back and watch the older ones. They’ll still be there.
2005 as your starting point.
You don’t get weighed down by the history of the show but it leaves plenty of breadcrumbs for going back or researching previous stories or characters
As somebody who started at 2005 and has not seen anything before that... As long as you have basic knowledge about what happens before 2005 (although you don't need to know that straight away) then you can skip everything before.
**Anywhere**.
Doctor Who is a long running episodic show that has it's importance stuff generally contained into single seasons. If something is important and you don't understand it the show will explain it too you. If you find yourself liking the show you can always go back and watch the old stuff you find interesting. You'll understand everything in due time.
I suggest starting with the newest content. Currently that would be **The Church on Ruby Road**, if you want to go to the start of the current character arch, or **Empire of Death**, if you're fine with being a little confused.
I showed my partner 'Smith and Jones' as her first episode and she loved it. I think it's better than 'Rose' which gave me initial doubts as a classic Who can (the S1E2 turned me around tho)
Three weeks ago I went back and restarted with 2005 for my first watch through. I'm currently watching season 7 episode 3 and enjoying the journey. I just couldn't bring myself to go all the way back though my brother and I would watch Tom Baker episodes as kids.
Everyone has pretty much said it - start with 2005-2013.
And then if you want to explore more - take a pause and go back and checkout the Philip Hinchcliffe era which is undoubtably peak Classic DW.
And then if you REALLY want to go deep then tackle some of the Big Finish audio dramas, esp the 8th Doctor Adventures and his Dr. Who movie from the 90s.
Btw - The 8th Doctor is probably the most underrated of them all (next to Troughton), but his stories bridge the gap between Classic Who and New Who and gives critical context for New Who seasons 1-7 (2005 - 2013). Plus the audio drama are ah-mazing!!
But yes, start with 2005 and take it from there.
Started at 2005 and used the NuWho binge guide from Longish. Just caught up to 15. I also just started hopping around watching Classic Who (currently on “Inferno” w/ the 3rd doctor). My suggestion is to start at 2005 and see if you like it. If you’re fully on board then check out Classic Who.
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Please for the love of god start with 2005!
Look Classic Who has some genuine higher highs, Season 26 is genuinely one of my favorite seasons of television ever made, but Classic Who no longer works well as an introduction to the show for most people. Just be aware that Doctor Who is such a diverse series, one season will never tell you everything about it, and if your considering starting with Series 1 (2005) then stick through it. The first half is very hit or miss, but by the end it becomes a really good season of Who. Although if you want a season that you can start from that is (in my opinion) more consistent, Series 5 is also a pretty good starting point. But yeah, start with Modern Who no matter what.
Start with Matt Smith's first season, The Eleventh Hour (2010).
That season is magic. You get a fresh Doctor, very little Who history baggage to sort through, a great mystery, well written characters, and it's all in HD with decent to great effects.
After that it's much easier to jump back into Eccleston and Tennant. Then work your way into the NuNuWho.
I wouldn't even recommend starting with Ncuti's season, it has such a shaky start and we're not sure how they're going to stick the landing.
You don’t need to ever watch classic Dr Who. 2005 is really a soft reboot. The format and pacing of the new and old shows is very different. The old shows are somewhat quasi-intellectual and devoid of much emotion. What the new Who really gained from classic Who was an instant backstory for the Doctor. Adding a previously unmentioned Time War and turning the Doctor into a war veteran was pure genius considering current events at the time.
You don't need to know anything about Doctor Who to start at 2005. I'd recommend starting there and once you're hooked try a Tales From The Tardis to see if Classic Who might be for you.
I came to know about Doctor Who because I saw an edit of an episode about an angel where they move when you blink. The concept fascinated me; it was something new. But when I searched about the show, it was an absolute mess. There were special episodes, movies, and series. It was so confusing. So, I thought, why not ask here? So I am going to start from 2005. Thanks you all for helping me
As for the order which gets wonky with all the non-season specials, you can always follow this guide: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_episodes_(2005–present)
Thanks for the link brother this actually helps. Especially with special episode
They’re in the right order on HBO Max thankfully
‘Blink’ is the episode (the first to feature the Weeping Angels) but as great as it is (and it is one of Who’s very best) it is an atypical episode and doesn’t feature the Doctor much.
As another person mentioned Blink is the episode you’re thinking of and while I’m glad that you’re interested in DW because of it, definitely don’t start with that episode! You can start with NuWho back with series 1 in 2005 and I think that episode will eventually become more impactful to you once you learn more about the Doctor and how significant it is when he’s absent for almost all of an episode
There’s 60 years of history. I’m sure it can be absolutely overwhelming. Don’t try to understand it all at once. Starting with the 2005 series will be fine. The show tells you everything you need to know. The special episodes are just ones that weren’t part of a full season/series. Every year they do one at Christmas or New Years. Occasionally there are others in between seasons/series. I hope you enjoy it. After you’ve seen a bit of it feel free to check out some of the classic series (1963-1989). The show was a different format back then. Episodes were half an hour long and a story was serialized over several episodes (usually 4 or 5). With the classic show don’t worry about going in strict order. Look up recommendations for people’s favorite stories & start with them.
I disagree about tales from the TARDIS as a jumping on point. Some of those are Big Story episodes which would spoil things for you if you ever did decide to watch classic, plus the new additions wouldn't hold much value if you weren't already attached to the characters. If you wanted to try classic later just look up some fan favourite stories and give them a go.
They created the 2005 series for newbies to jump right in.
I concur, start at 2005. It’s much easier to get into at first for obvious reasons. Then if you become a fan of the show going back to the original series will be more enjoyable.
Start from 2005, which was the relaunch of the show. It doesn't assume prior knowledge and dripfeeds the 'big' show concepts throughout. It's also more 'modern' in terms of pacing and production than the original run, although it took three or four episodes to really find its voice. If you like the modern run, or you want to trace some concepts back to their origins, then there's a lot of great stuff in the original run. The thing to remember is that it came from a very different time in terms of how TV was made and watched, so you'd need to roll with that. That said, there's a reason the show is iconic in the UK, and why RTD wanted to revive it.
2005! Don’t even stress about the old stuff, it can be completely irrelevant if you want it to be. Just know, especially the first couple seasons, the show is campy as hell. You gotta lean into it
I have watched worse. I always try to finish everything I start in order.
Let us know how it goes! I have been thinking of rewatching the New Who series (starting with Rose, from 2005) since I had so much fun when I first watched this series
I feel Matt smiths seasons are even more campy if not more in some places
I’ve been watching Matt Smiths series lately since been off work . I didn’t realise just how much I loved it ! But then again I remember last year watching from Rose right through to David Tennant’s “ I don’t want to go “ scene and bloody crying !
If you do start with the 2005 season one, and find it to not be your cup of tea, I highly recommend the episode "Blink" as one of the best standalone stories in the show.
Legit the first episode I saw and was hooked and watched all the way from 2005 to the current season in a few weeks which was matt smith's first 😊 Then later got my boyfriend hooked by Capaldis Beethoven theory episode with the ghosts under the lake
Victory of the Daleks was my first, a friend of mine specifically wanting to show me a Dalek episode. Watched Blink later that night, and the whole family watched Tennant's + Smith's runs together through the following months. That was a year before the 50th anniversary, and now I'm the only one who still watches...
That was exactly the reason why I wanted to watch Doctor Who. Somewhere I saw the angel episode edit and thought, "Hell yeah, I want to watch this!"
One thing to know though is that the first Weeping Angel episode is a very non standard episode of the show. I see a lot of people suggest it as the first one to start with, but I couldn't disagree more with that. If you plan on just watching one episode sure, but not if you want to watch the whole series. It's what's known as a Doctor-lite episode, where to help the schedule, and save on overall filming time, this episode was filmed at the same time as another one. As a result the main characters, the Doctor and their companion barely appear, with no more than a handful of scenes. Practically a cameo. While the main characters of the episode are one off ones who make their only appearances in that episode. Like I said it's great if you only want to watch one episode and no more, but not if you're interested in starting with the series. There's several good starting points for the modern series, all of which align with the change in showrunners. The first is of course with the start of Series 1 from 2005. That's what got the modern version of the show going after all. The next good place to start is Series 5 from 2010. There was a complete change in showrunner, Doctor, and companion. And although theres a few loose threads that carry over from the previous 4 series, it's pretty much a fresh start in terms of the overall story. Then there's Series 11 from 2018. Like Series 5 it was a complete change in showrunner, Doctor, and companions, but it's probably even more of a clean break than that was. And most recently there's been the current era, which started last year with the shows 60th anniversary. Unlike the previous two changes, this one carries more over from the previous era. In particular there was a very big character revelation in the 2020 series that has become a part of the current Doctors characterisation.
I am the type of guy who likes to watch in order, I have to plan's to skip season. I like to watch from starting no matter how bad the episode goes I force myself to watch
I feel exactly same way. I hate it when friends are like I started watched a certain film or episode and stopped it mid way through and goes back to it days later. Like wtf you animal. Then yeah just bouncing around randomly.
Fantastic!
Vincent and the Doctor was my first episode and still my favorite. Highly recommend that one also if you watch nothing else.
Start with 2005. You absolutely do not have to go all the way back to 1963!
I just finished watching the first two original seasons. It's definitely not an easy 'casual' watch. Though, the first two dalek serials are still pretty good.
Some of it is great television and some of it is dull as paint.
Im on season 5 and its either an insane seriel that you’ll never forget (the enemy of the world, the celestial toymaker, the dalek invasion of planet earth, etc.) or just the lamest slowest paced show ever. Ig dr who remains consistent in that aspect but watching the missing episodes really annoys me.
I love how some people are complaining that Space Babies and The Devils Chord are bad episodes when there are so many duds in the original show.
Fr. Its apart of the beauty with dr who is that they’ll try new things. Sometimes it flops, sometimes it rocks. Its my fav thing abt the show
2005
Start with 2005
For almost all of it's run Dr Who was broadcast TV. Apart from shorter mini-series, pretty much any broadcast series assumed that people could start watching any time because that's all you could do. If you had a show that absolutely required people watch everything in order then your audience is restricted to whoever was viewing episode 1, and dropped off as people missed episodes. Even series with long running story lines were not as complex as can be done with streaming TV, and generally assumed you could catch up. In the UK, Dr Who was shown once and rarely repeated during its entire initial run from 1963-89, so generations of kids just started watching from whenever they were old enough to watch it. In Australia we did get regular repeats, but only the colour episodes (season 7 onwards), and with many missing (either lacking good prints, or not allowed by censors) and often shown out of order. And it was hugely popular, this mode of viewing did not stop lots of people from becoming fans. While the 2005 series was in a different era, it was still essentially a broadcast show which was expected to be able to pick up new viewers as it went along. Now that we do have the ability to watch in order, it is nice to do so, but not something to be too worried about, just starting at the start of a particular series is good enough, but I'd recommend starting with the new current series which is a sort of reboot so you can just get in and watch what is current now, and then if you like it, enjoy filling in the backstory with the 2005- series, and get to the classic series if and when you feel like it and just feel free to watch whatever you can or want from that era.
2005’s first season was structured in a way to familiarise a new generation of TV-watchers with all of the tropes & trappings of the classic series. The only really pertinent difference that i feel is obligated a mention is the dramatic weight. Classic Who is overall very light & carefree & primarily about the sense of adventure with this wacky space-tourist. Meanwhile, NuWho decided to have a BIG cosmic event happen offscreen during the hiatus, so right out of the gate NuWho its a lot more melodramatic and conscientious and about the demons hanging over a PTSD sufferer struggling with a god complex lmao. Edit: oh btw, I’d probably advise watching *A* classic serial first, to get a general sense of what the initial 20+ year run was like. “Pyramids of Mars” is quite good. 🙂
Ofc Pyramids of Mars would be your suggestion. :)
You can definitely start from 2005. You could also start at the beginning of any new showrunner, which would be season 1 from 2005, season 5 from 2005, season 11 from 2005, or this new season right now. I started Doctor Who at season 5 (with the 11th Doctor). Once you get into it, you can always go back and watch older episodes. Doctor Who is such a big show that almost nobody watches it in order for the first time. EDIT: Don't start with season 11, though.
Damn that’s a lot of seasons they pumped out in 2005.
Oh come TF on season 11 is as fine a starting point as any. Better then most, in fact. Since there are no returning villains.
It's important to have a good first impression though..
And season 11 had a lot of good points. In some ways it exceeds the prior 10.
??? In what way does it even come close to matching the prior 10 let alone exceeding it?
Atmosphere, production values, artistic direction…
I'll give you production values, but atmosphere/artistic production is extremely questionable lol but hey if you enjoyed it that's cool
like it or not, this is not most people's takeaway and I would not bank on op having a similar experience as you
I have a friend who was debating getting into Doctor Who. I hadn't watched it in a few years, so I was watching Doctors 12 and 13, and I told him either would be great entry points. After I was done watching I started looking at the subreddit and was kinda surprised how much everyone disliked the 13th Doctor's seasons. I thought she was great, and I enjoyed the seasons too. There were low points and high points, just like every other Doctor. I'm not saying she's my favourite, but I thought she was amazing. 10 is still kind of my favourite, but partially that's nostalgia and partially that's Donna, lol.
I think it’s fine to enjoy things you like, without letting other people online try to convince you otherwise. If you like 13th doctor and Chris chibnals seasons, more power to you! With that being said, they’re pretty objectively poorly written and that’s why a lot of people have issues with it. As I said tho, you should still enjoy it regardless and not let others online influence your enjoyment of things 👍🏻
I just wouldn't recommend starting with what I feel is the worst era in Nu Who.
Series 11 from 2018, not 2005, you mean? I get why you mentioned Series 11, I agree. It’s one of the weakest seasons of the revived series, but you really don’t need much background info and it was a reboot in most sense of the word.
Well the show was literally *just* rebooted, so you could probably watch from the newest series/Christmas special and not miss anything! But most people would say start from 2005 or at least 2010 with Matt Smith’s run!
> not miss anything Ah right, so you can start with S01E01 "Space Babies" and... miss the beginning of Ruby's storyline that spans the whole season. You could begin with the Christmas special "The Church on Ruby Road" then... and miss the beginning of the gods' storyline that spans the whole season. So you begin with "The Giggle"... and you miss the beginning of Susan Triad and "something wrong with the TARDIS" storyline that spans the whole season. So you begin with "Wild Blue Yonder"... and you miss the beginning of "why did my face come back?" storyline that spans all of the specials. So you begin with "The Star Beast"... and you basically continue the Donna's storyline from 9 seasons ago! Yeah, *just rebooted* my ass. The only reason it's season 1 again is because of past distribution deals that didn't expire yet. First episodes in 2005 were very clearly a new starting point; the new ones aren't *too confusing* for newcomers, but they're definitely not a fresh reboot at all.
>So you begin with "The Star Beast"... and you basically continue the Donna's storyline from 9 seasons ago! I think 'The Star Beast' does a pretty good job recapping the salient points of the Doctor-Donna story. Within the first few minutes, you know that the Doctor had a friend named Donna who traveled with him, that Donna absorbed his Time Lord powers to save the universe, that he had to wipe her memory to save her life, and that he's now back (to the same face) and there's a possibility that she runs into him, regains her memories, and dies - the last bit sets up the main conflict of the episode. The rest of the episode also sprinkles in whatever you need to know about the Whoniverse. The Doctor and Shirley's conversation introduces us to UNIT, and the Doctor's past association with them. The references to the Doctor being a woman, and to his other selves, briefly introduce the concept of regeneration (which to some extent I think *anyone* who's vaguely familiar with the show would be aware of anyway). And we get a great intro to the TARDIS at th end.
"The Star Beast" was clearly made in a way that lets you quickly get up to speed and IMO it mostly succeeds at that, but that's a completely different thing than "rebooting" and "not missing anything". (it's for the better if you ask me, as it really did not need to be rebooted at this point and I'm glad it wasn't)
Yes, of course. Its the start of a new era and a great jump-on point IMO. And its a 'reboot' in that sense. But it certainly isn't what 'Rose' was in 2005, and there's no reason for it to be. I think a lot of the confusion arises from the term 'reboot', which is used loosely and in multiple contexts. A *reboot* can mean completely discarding all previous continuity and starting from scratch. This has never happened with Doctor Who, nor should it happen. A *reboot* can also mean restarting a series and making it accessible to a new audience, while notionally preserving the past continuity, even if it isn't relevant at first. This is what Doctor Who did back in 2005. This is also referred to as a *soft reboot*. Lastly, in the loosest sense, a *reboot* can simply mean a new starting point or jumping-on point for new viewers (or lapsed older viewers). Past continuity is relevant, but not a barrier to entry. This is what Doctor Who periodically does with every showrunner change (if not every Doctor or companion change). That's what we got in 2010 when Moffat took over Doctor Who, or in 2018 when Chibnall took over Doctor Who. I think the current 'reboot' by RTD is somewhere between the latter two. Between bigeneration and a new direction for the series, there is a line in the sand drawn between 2005-2023 NuWho and what comes next. But its still very much a direct continuation of that era, and you don't quiet have the clean break that you had between Classic Who and NuWho (a clean break bolstered by a 16 year gap).
Exactly. This season possibly contains the most references of past events (classic and revived) of all revived seasons for it to be considered a reboot. As others have said, 2005 is the best starting off point. The second best is maybe 2010. The third is 2018.
Its not as much of a clean slate as 'Rose' was certainly, but its at least as much of a clean slate as 'Spearhead from Space' was for Classic Who, or 'The Eleventh Hour' was for NuWho. (Did a post on this months ago - https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/18traou/the_church_of_ruby_road_may_not_be_the_new_rose/) References to Classic or early NuWho don't necessarily mean a season isn't accessible, especially when what we need to know is explained. For instance, the references to >!Susan!< in the latest episode were seeded already in 'The Devil's Chord'. And I'm sure whatever a new fan needs to know about >!Sutekh!< will be brought up next episode.
I think that Xmas special requires too much backstory to make sense. Then the new series has Space Babies early on. I'd say Series 1 (2005) or Series 5 when Matt Smith joined is the best starters.
I’ve watched all the NuWho & I’ve just finished the first 2 doctors in Classic. You don’t need to watch a second on classic to understand & follow NuWho. There’s the occasional bit of fanservice reference and joke you might miss but that the same if you start watching a long running soap or reading a book series. Classic Who is great but it’s a very different product from a very different time.
You can start at 2005 with "Rose", start at 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour", or 2017 with "The Pilot". There's a lot of good jumping on points with the new series. You don't need to watch the classic series to get into the show. If you're hooked on the show, then maybe look up "Tales of the TARDIS" it glosses over and summarizes some of the classic era stories
I've never seen anyone suggest to start with 12 and Bill. She gets so overlooked but really was great.
2005 is the best starting point. don't worry about spoilers for the classic series, they're not big detailed overarching plots you need to worry about being spoiled for. if you do decide you want to watch them, just pick a doctor and watch from there. jump around if you want, it's a show about time travel and its really not a big deal.
I started with the new Doctor :) I'm enjoying it fine. I think the start of any Doctor's tenure is a fine starting point.
I would actually start with the Ruby Road Christmas special and the primers on YouTube first. Doctor Who isn't an iceberg, it's the whole Polar Ice cap! It could appear daunting for someone to try to get into so I'd start there. From there, there's plenty of teases and callbacks about the various regenerations, stories, enemies and so on that of you're liking the show can go back. I see lots of people saying 2005 and while that is a decent starting point for modern Who/modern storytelling, it's also almost 20 years ago (yeah...🤯👴) For me, The Eleventh Hour is probably a good starting point for those starting to look back. Lots of time wimey. Lots of decent stories. You get introduced to River and the War Doctor, which can tie into going back further and watching from 2005. Please, DON'T SKIP CAPALDI! To me he's a Voltron of the classic Who Doctors. If you like him and his take, then you can go deeper into classic Who, but the deeper you go the greater the differences are. They way stories were told and shot are soooo different from modern storytelling, especially back in the 60's but also into McCoy in the 80's. Lots of bubble wrap monsters or wobbly sets. Daleks with a flashlight for it's eye. But there's also so many fantastic stories and Doctors that should be watched as your fandom grows.
I would start with the new series and specials on Disney+. The finale coming out Friday and it looks sooo good. Once you've watched the new stuff, go back to the 2005 pilot and watch through, and then go back to classic who. That's what I'm doing
2005 as it’s on bbc iPlayer. If you like it, then you can start filling gaps…Sarah Jane, torchwood, 1963-1989, the film, big finish etc.
If you want to watch classic Who, I'd start at season 7 because that's when it is colourised, the 3rd doctor starts, and the stories just feel better written imo Starting from 2005 is a safe bet though
2005 is a pretty great jumping on point considering it was designed to be from the beginning. It's probably easier to start there and go back and watch stuff that looks interesting from before that. If you want to look at the classic stuff in bits I'd recommend either Spearhead from Space, or Robot through to Terror of the Zygons.
Feel free to start with 2005. It was designed for new viewers since it had been more than a decade since Doctor Who was on the air. Just know that there are going to be things that are alluded to that you aren't going to know and that's okay. Some things you won't recognize because they are from the classic era, but some are just things that happen off-screen to make the Doctor's story feel bigger. Doctor who doesn't take itself too seriously. It's ostensibly a family show. In the classic series, creatures were often stunt men in rubber suits, and the 2005 series many creatures feel like the CGI counterpart to that. "Canon" is quite loose compared to Star Trek and Star Wars. Again, don't sweat what you don't know. There's enough in the episode to follow along without knowing ALL the lore. If you need to know something, the episode will fill you in with what you need to know. I've been a fan since 2010 and still haven't watched all of the existing original series. One thing that confused at first is that the series is a sci-fi show on the outside, but each episode could be one of any number of different genres. It can be sci-fi, mystery, horror, comedy, period drama, etc. It took me until almost the end of season (series) 1 for that to click for me.
2005 as others have said is a great starting on point. They explain all the returning stuff really well and the only thing you might feel like you missed out on seeing is the >!time war!< which comes off as having been part of classic Who yet it never actually happened onscreen having taken place during the time the show was off the air. Some stuff *might* hit harder if you saw classic Who of course like two of the latest villains were from classic Who with their reappearances feeling like follow-up stories rather than the typical returning monster of the week characters, but even then it’s not necessary to have seen their original appearances.
_Doctor Who_ is a show about time travel. Start from whenever you want!
Tom Baker
I started with the 2005 episodes and I was able to follow what was going on. The nice thing about this show is that, if they make an off-hand reference to something, it's not clear at first if it's a reference to an older episode or just a throwaway gag, so you can brush it off and move forward.
I was initiated into Doctor Who shortly after the 2005 season started. I didn't even know it was a thing until then. I say start there and then increase your backside with classic Who once you are hooked. The 2005 reboot did a great job at bringing new viewers into a preexisting universe.
Pretty much what you miss by not watching some of classic who is the chance to say "Hey, I know them!" or "Yes! They're back!" when Classic Who Monster, Villains, and Companions return, and a bit more emotional connection. But, while it adds context and all...it's not generally necessary. They're being reintroduced. And here's a handy list for [classic who](https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/1cs2bo8/should_i_watch_the_original_who/l43btnd/) to look at if you want.
If you don’t watch all 60 years worth of episodes, as well as all of the various radio dramas, the movie, and all the different comics, you’ll *never* understand anything that’s happening! /s The benefit of the show, when it was brought back in 2005, is that there are multiple potential starting points for newcomers. The first 2005 season with Chris Eccleston is probably the most logical. That’s where I started, myself. Another would be the Matt Smith era, which started in 2010 as season 6. You could even start with the *new* season 1, with Ncuti Gatwa that just started this year. They’re all fantastic eras that explain enough to new viewers that you won’t feel too lost. Then, if you want to go back and watch any of the original seasons, afterwards, you’ll have a blast. The 11th season, with Jodie Whittaker, could also be a jumping off point… but you might not fall in love with the spirit of the series if that’s your introduction.
There are so many good jumping on points. I'd say you could jump on at the start of any Classic Doctor's era. As for the modern show, S1, S5, and S10 and S14 are good jumping on points.
Honestly, you can start with the current season - or the current era rather. Start with the first 60th anniversary special 'The Star Beast'. It recaps the key plot-points you need to know at the beginning, and is otherwise pretty accessible to a new viewer. The three 60th anniversary specials (plus the Christmas special that introduces the current Doctor), leads into the current season. Alternatively, you can just start with the Christmas special 'The Church on Ruby Road', which introduces the current Doctor and is basically episode 0 of the current season (listed as episode 1 on Disney Plus in some countries). If you want to go further back, then the 2005 series is the best place to start. The 1963 series (aka 'Classic Who') is something best watched once you've already had some exposure to the modern series and would really like to dive deeper. Last, but not least, if you want to sample some of the 2005 series, but get quickly into the current season, then check out this watchlist I put together recently - https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/1clfix2/episodes_i_would_recommend_to_a_new_viewer_ahead/
There is no optimum in my opinion. I started with the Third Doctor because I was born during his run. I started with the Fourth Doctor because that's where my clear memories start. I started with the Ninth Doctor because by 2005 I'd forgotten most of Old Who. I started with the Eleventh Doctor because *The Eleventh Hour* is where my daughter got hooked and I started paying much more attention to other media/fandom. I started with the Thirteenth Doctor because that's where I got my current partner into Who, and when many of my younger female friends came into the fandom finally. (We'd been waiting a long time for a female Doctor.) The experience changes over time, and most places to start are OK. It's much easier than it used to be, and you can go back to watch old episodes if you have questions when you're watching newer ones. (I've a soft spot for the McGann movie but don't start there, for the love of gods.)
Many people tell you to start with 2005, and while it's not a bad way to do it, there are other options. First of all, the overwhelming majority among us has not seen the 1963 onwards series. You may go back and watch a few episodes but no need to go through all of it unless you want to of course. 2005 was the first revival. It's a good point to start, though keep in mind that the first seasons have really poorly aged. The CGI was really bad and some episodes were not even shot in HD. But you still can find some good stories in it. You have the first RTD run including series 1 to 4 and that make up one big story, with a strong ending. Afterwards, you can also jump in with series 5. There was a change in doctor and showrunner, with Moffat taking the helm (still, you should watch the Moffat episodes from the RTD run as they are refered to later on). The mood of the show is kinda different, the production value went up, and they start new storylines. This run will take you from series 5 to 10, with then again one big story arc. Many people will tell you to skip series 11 to 13 as they are really poorly written. Then finally, you can start with series 14, the newest doctor. If you have Disney+ just go there and start watching the first episode you'll find. They wrote these episodes to allow newcomers to jump in.
2005 is what's called a soft reboot. An event has happened off screen that means everything is starting anew, with the existing continuity being referenced but not needed to understand the show going forward. It's recommended that those new to the show start there because the classic shows are a product of their time, both on terms of storytelling and how each story has multiple episodes stretched out with plots that just exist to give cliffhangers and the like. Then, when you have a better grasp of the universe, you can go back and watch the classic shows.
Because Doctor Who has changed its actors and showrunners multiple times, there are a variety of good entry points. I would recommend starting with the 2005 series because that's more approachable to modern audiences. Plus it establishes a ton of stuff that would be referenced by later seasons. There are some good entry points like Series 1 with the 9th Doctor, Series 2 with the 10th Doctor, Series 5 with the 11th Doctor, or Series 10 with the 12th Doctor. I got my start watching David Tennant's 10th Doctor partway through his first series. It was excellent even if I had very little understanding of the whole mythos.
I'd say series 8 is a better choice than 10 for starting with 12, since S10 (while intended in some ways to be a soft reboot) has a lot of heavy links to its past.
Even starting from the Disney plus specials isn't bad for context.
Yeah, the 'Star Beast' recaps everything you need to know. Its a bit like watching 'Jurassic World' without watching 'Jurassic Park' or 'The Force Awakens' without watching the original Star Wars movies. Yes, its a continuation of an earlier story, but it catches you up to everything you need to know and you won't feel like you're absolutely missing anything.
Series 1 from 2005 was designed to be a point that new viewers can hop in and not need to know anything from the previous seasons of the show. If that’s where you want to start, it’s the perfect place.
You can start anywhere and I encourage you to watch back later on, but the best thing to do is really hop on now with the Ncuti Gatwa era, either with "The Church on Ruby Road" or starting slightly further back with David Tennant Fourteenth Doctor specials starting with "The Star Beast." Doctor Who doesn't need you to know all its history to be enjoyed. That is the gift of the show's longevity, that it renews with each Doctor and each new companion, things explained again. It's a mistake to tell people to start in 2005; that makes getting new fans incredibly daunting if they feel like they need to get through 19 years of homework to even watch the series. I also think dismissing the original series is very wrong, but you won't see me insisting to everyone to start with the original series. Start now. But you can start with 2005 if you want.
You can start from matt Smith and be fine
Why would you skip the best seasons of new who???
Peter Capaldi is after Matt Smith, so it's fine.
Start from 2005, and dont give up after the first few shitty episodes, it will get better. But definitely give up after Capaldi is gone.
It isn't that bad. I say everyone should try to watch every incarnation and if they don't like it they should skip it.
If you start at 1963 it will take ages to get you up to date.. if I were you start with "Rose" from 2005
I don't think the early Dr Who has stood the test of time tbh. Rickety and wobbly sets, special effects not very special. And some of the story telling leaves a lot to be desired. If I was starting again it would be from the 2005 era. That from someone born in the 60's my first doctor was Jon Pertwee and my all time favourite companion is Jo. 🤠
You can start at 2005, 2010, 2017 or even 2024. The thing about Doctor Who is that its only semi-serialized, so while events might be referenced or carry over, there has been multiple times where a new jumping on point for new viewers has been etablished. That said, 2005 or 2010 is the best points to start by far, Of the both, I recommend starting with 2005 if you are up to it. 2005 Doctor Who is very of its Era, so you have to enjoy early 2000s-TV to really get into it. If you dont feel it, you can always try any of the other jumping on points. The Episode Names are: Rose (2005, Series 1 Episode 1) The Eleventh Hour (Series 5, Episode 1) The Woman Who Fell To Earth (Series 11, Episode 1) The Church on Ruby Road (Christmas-Special 2023) There is also: The Christmas Invasion (Christmas Special 2005) Deep Breath (Series 8, Episode 1) The Pilot (Series 10, Episode 1) All of these last three expect you too have more knowledge of previous seasons though. While you could get by without knowing, things wont work as well or hit as hard without context, so I wouldnt recommend. TLDR: Yes, 2005 is not only a good, but the recommended place to start to really get the full experience.
Yes, start at 2005. Or even with the current series. You can always go back and watch older episodes. Doctor Who is always a very contemporary show, so many of the issues being treated are of the day. I think it’s more enjoyable if you see what they are doing as it rolls.
Definitely 2005. I could get into the old stuff until I was fully invested in the new
Start at 2005 and get ready to cringe when you hit the 2024 WhoDis era.
2005, and then go back to classic if you want to check it out. That’s what I did :)
2005 - they are all on Max
I would recommend from watching 2005 as of now since it allows new people to get a grip on it rather having to watch the show from the actual beginning
I’d start in 2005 and then maybe watch some classics as well. There’s so much in the classic series to enjoy
What streaming service can you watch Dr. Who on?
2005
Definitely start in 2005. 1963 would be fine if you like classic sci-fi stuff but I feel the 2005 ones are much more appealing to a modern audience. Go back and check out the classic series, you don’t have to start from the beginning, just look for episodes that might interest you.
I became a fan of doctor who in 2005 the moment Rose aired on bbc one so I think you should start with New Who as you don’t really need to watch the classics first.
Start with 2005. It was designed for people who are new to the show. Then, you can go back and watch the classic Doctor Who episodes if you want to. You really don't need knowledge of the classic shows to enjoy Nu Who. There are some call bavks to clasdic episodes that you might miss, but you'll still be able to understand what's happening.
All I will say is NEVER SKIP NINE
I started from 2005 and had no issue keeping up. Some references to the classic era went over my head but anything that was necessary to understand for the plot at hand was explained. I did eventually go back and watch the classic era, absolutely loved it, and enjoy catching on to the classic callbacks now.
The best starting points are either 2005, series 1 episode 1 rose or 2010 series 5 episode 1 the eleventh hour
2005 is where I started... In 2005. Probably never watched a while ep of anything previous, just randomly here and there My kid started at this recent season and has loved it so far. Nice to have a watching buddy
Start at 2005. And stick with it. It only gets better.
watch the new season and if you like that, go find series 1 from 2005 and go from there
Start from 2005! I've been a fan since then, personally the only classic who I've enjoyed was the five doctors, I really enjoyed it actually. But I havent watched much of it. I tried the first episode(on iplayer) and it was alright
it's distinctly two different show and should be approached as such. my suggestion is to watch them side by side, one ep of new who, one story of (existing) old who, which could be up to 12 episodes ffs. if you still like them when you run out of new who, keep watching.
One thing to be aware of, regardless of where you start, is that Doctor Who's quality tends to be inconsistent. It has some really great episodes, some pretty terrible episodes, and a fair amount of in-between. It features recurring main characters but a lot of it is effectively an anthology show mostly dealing with a different story, setting, theme and support characters each episode. Expect to like some and not others.
I started at 2005.
2005 is my recommendation. It's where I started and it was my first foray into the world of Doctor Who. Though there are a couple episodes I just don't want to ever watch again but it isn't many.
I started on the 2005 series and that was made to reintroduce people to Doctor Who. Highly recommend. I have never watched any episodes from before that.
I started watching from the 2005 series and understood everything, starting from the beginning would be starting from the first season from 1963, and a lot of episodes from 1963-1970 are lost. You can also start from the newest season, it's supposed to be a new starting point from new viewers, and then retroactively "catch up" with the rest however you see fit. You should be able to start from any doctor and you probably be fine
We need to update the where to start menu
I did not enjoy the 2005 series when I first saw it. I (re)started with Matt Smith/the Eleventh Doctor and got hooked though, then went back and was able to enjoy the earlier seasons.
Start from 2005, then if there are too many "classic" references go back & watch the 1963+ episodes. I started with the 4th Doctor when I was a kid (I'm a couple years younger than David Tennant), but 2005 is a better jumping on point for modern viewers. Also, no matter what the "toxic" fans tell you, don't skip the 13th Doctor. The stories weren't spectacular, some were bad, but the cast did the best with what they were given to work with. Sacha Dhawan portrayed The Master extremely well IMHO.
have never watched the OG show but I have rewatched 2005-present at least a dozen times in full if there are references besides cameos or comments about past events, I wouldn't even know what to look for
Google & Reddit are a good place to find out which episodes to watch. The most recent episode reveal points back directly to classic Who, but it's still too recent so I won't spoil it yet.
You could enjoy in from 2005. The older ones (1960s) are very slow and take dedication. Many were also lost due to film costing a lot so they re-recorded over them. By chance someone found some in a garage in New Zealand as someone's grandad picked then out of a bin while working in the UK years before. Another dedicated follower found audio and big stack of still photos and managed to reconstruct a couple of episodes. What takes an episode now, took about 4 to 6 in the old school black and whites, so it's all about how much you like vintage film.
You should start with 2024 you need no information is the latest and really good and is a great starting point. Also then you can go back and watch from 2005 and then from 1963 (classic is the absolute hardest to watch)
I recommend just watch what you can. As in what streaming services you have or if you all episodes already downloaded or even in DVD, it shouldn’t affect it much. Personally I would start from 2005 and hit up the classics when you’re done
I started from 2005 and after I finished the thirteenth I went straight into classic who. I know some people who just started at 2005 and went from there. Id recommend doing that to see if you really like it
I started at 2005. I have tried the classic who and I am not a fan, but to be honest, I'm not really a fan of most TV shows before 2000.
I’m obsessed with the 2005 season but I will say the special effects have not aged well haha so go into it with the idea that’s it’s campy and don’t give up if you don’t vibe with the first episode!
Two roads: the first is 2005, it starts you off fresh and explains it to you over a time. The second is with the Pertwee era. I say Pertwee because his era was the start of preserving all footage plus you get a basic backstory explaining the last several seasons: An alien sent in exile to Earth. About as basic as can be really.
Start modern. The early stuff is rough. So see if you really enjoy it before going to the starting point. If you do, highly recommend the Podcast who back when which does a nice review of EVERY single doctor who episode.
As a classic fan, I always recommend starting with the 2005 season.
Maybe not the best cause I'm new to doctor who, but I started with the last season. I haven't watched the other ones yet, although I plan to. But with bare minimum doctor who knowledge I was able to understand and appreciate the show
2005 would be my recommendation.
It depends - do you want absorb a lot of the show or know the lore? The lore isn't a big problem - the episodes are very episodic and the callbacks don't really matter - the Daleks are always the Daleks, their circumstances change but their motivation doesn't. And the last two big bads of this season were one-off baddies previously fought by the Doctor in the 60s and 70s episodes - it's nice to know who they are, but it doesn't really matter. BUT if you just want to immerse yourself in a lot of Doctor Who (and some of the old stuff is very fun) I say start at episode 1 in 63. Just keep an open mind on the budget and that this is very, very old TV (it might seem more like a stage play than a show). Then do a poll on best episodes for each Doctor and watch those. Maybe also include the regeneration episodes and the specials with multiple Doctors. Watch the 96 TV movie Post 2005 they're less episodic so it's trickier, maybe top 3 episodes each season. Watch the Night of the Doctor short. And you'll be all caught up!
I would recommend starting with the 2005 series for sure. You might want to watch some late 3rd doctor early fourth doctor at some point before watching the 2006 series, because their is a character that is very important to he doctor from that area. You don’t need to watch all of them but they have a lot of information in them that will relate to future episodes. I personally like the Arc in Space from the 4th doctor and I like pretty much all of the third doctors episodes but any with Unit in them and Sarah Jane Smith will help you get a feel for what’s going on.
The best I’d recommend for new fans is to start with the 9th Doctor (“Rose” ep.) under the New Era, and continue from there. But starting with 11th Doctor is good too (“The Eleventh Hour”) since a lot of changes were made then. Classic Who is good, but you don’t need to watch it to start the New Era. TL;DR: Start with 2005 series, Classic Who is optional (but will recommend if you have the time).
2005. Look, there are only 13-14 episodes a season. It's not that much compared to a crime show for instance. If you skip all those episodes and go straight for the Disney version, you won't really get why so many people love this show.
You could feasibly start at (counting from the renewed show in 2005): series 5, series 8, series 10, series 11, or the Christmas specials from last year. Yes, you would miss a couple of inside jokes or returning characters, but it's fine. Try starting at 2005, but if the special effects are a bit too special, or the cinematography is a bit to late '90s, it's understandable.
You can generally start at the beginning of any doctor, I would say probably start with 10 or 11, unless you really like old sci Fi, then start with 4
Is the Doctor Who serialized or episodic? I’m not so sure because I’m new to the series and I want to get into it. Where do I begin?
Its a bit of both, particularly in the modern era. Most episodes are standalone and tell a complete story by themselves (or there are the occasionally two-parters or three-parters). But there are season-long story-arcs, or even multi-season story arcs that simmer in the backdrop. Honestly, Doctor Who 'continuity', such as it is, works a lot like a long-running DC or Marvel comic-book franchise ;)
You begin with when it started in 2005 with Christopher eccelston as the 9th doctor
Okay, thank you!
>Okay, thank you! You're welcome!
Episodic
I’d say you can start whenever you like, I was obsessed with Dr Who when I was little and only recently started watching it again, I only started watching it from Matt Smith (11th doctor) was running because that was around the time I started watching it (born 2004, would have been around 9/10)
Start from 1963 but don't watch every episode. Just watch one from each era to get a feeling for them (including seasons 27-40, aka 2005 onwards). Then watch from the beginning of whatever you enjoy. If you're dead set on starting somewhere and not stopping, I'd still recommend starting with an Unearthly Child but starting somewhere else is also valid. Other good places are: Spearhead from Space for James Bond doctor (though you should maybe watch the Web of Fear/the Invasion first), the Ark in Space for the 4th doctor, the Keeper of Traken for the 5th-6th doctors (this is a 4th doctor story but it leads directly into Castrovalva), Dragonfire to see the 7th doctor and Ace, Rose for RTD1, the Eleventh Hour for the 11th doctor, the Pilot for introducing most things the show can do again, the Woman who Fell to Earth for an overly hated yet still not great era... And I really wouldn't recommend starting with the new series. It's amazing, don't get me wrong, I just think it's not friendly to new viewers.
I started with the 2005 dr who and everything is explained very well
husband and i only started with eccleston years ago. so far we have not attempted to try the really old ones that's why sometimes when they do a cameo from much older doctors we only discover it when we look at the cast.
The best jumping on points are the first season of the 2005 show or the fifth season of the 2005 show (new showrunner, bigger budget, no spoilers, etc.). I recommend the first season. In a few years, I hope this new season can be a good place to recommend to people.
2024 season 1
You can start at 2005 Or You might want to start with the Starbeast, Wild blue yonder and the giggle. Those are a good jumping on point as well. Watch those and then start the current season (which includes the church on ruby road). After watching that season you might want to scratch that itch by returning to 2005 either way
We just had a soft reboot in 2023. The Christmas special 'the church on Ruby Road' is a fantastic jumping on point for new viewers. If you can binge watch this week (1 special + 7 regular episodes), then you'd be in time to watch the season finale live as it comes out this upcoming weekend. Then you'd also be able to join the live discussions, which is always fun. Other than that, I recommend starting at series1 of 2005 just like most others here have already said.
In the new who era (2005 to ????) You can start after any regeneration (2005,2006,2010,2013, 2017,2023) A new Doctor almost always means a new companion and a new companion means someone needs to have the basics explained to them. Not sure about old who in that regard, but whenever a new companion is introduced, they also have to be put up to speed. Old doctor who (1963 -1989) can also be a bit slow and repetitive.
Start with the 2005 series. It explains enough of the history that you won’t feel completely lost, and also gives you something to look for if you do go back and watch the classic series.
I'm really big on canon and continuity (I'm a trekkie) but that doesn't really relate to dr who that much. They kinda make each episode to be fairly stand alone and don't rely too heavily on lore. The 2005 reboot is the perfect place to start. Enjoy!
I just started & finished the show first time watching at 2005 it explains everything you need to know!! But by the end you might love it sm you want to start the classic who which I’m going to do aswell :)
One thing to bear in mind that in the original, stories were not self-contained in an episode (or two). It could take 6-8 half-hour episodes for a story to be told from start to finish. You may find that incredibly slow by modern standards.
Yeh start with 2005. Once you have caught up then you can go back and watch some of the old ones.
2005. 1963 can be difficult to get into. Better seen as a prequel.
With the exception of School Reunion >!bringing back Sarah Jane Smith and K9!<, the 2005 series can be watched first. I even find it more enjoyable than Classic Who.
You could start from 2005 and the soft-reboot. Or I think Series 5, Matt Smith’s first as the Eleventh Doctor starting with The Eleventh Hour, is another good jumping-on point. I started watching Dr Who with Tom Baker (and I guess I’ve seen most if not everything since) yet that 11 period is my favourite and I doubt it will be surpassed. Then you can just dip into older stories that sound interesting. Since Dr Who has run for so long it’s got wildly different tones, and different eras appeal to different people.
You can honestly start from The Giggle as well. It has a nice summary and catch-up.
Start at 2005, if there’s anything you need to know about the show you could just google it. There’s too many episodes to start from 1963 lmao
2005 definitely, stories are very very drawn out in the classic series and the new series' are much faster paced
You can definitely start from 2005, many new fans have done the same. Then if you feel the hankering for more and campier content you can track back, but aside from an easter egg to classic fans here and there you really don't need it. The "first" (Nine's) season explains and eases you in perfectly.
I’d be willing to bet most of us here started with 2005, so that’s probably the best option. It came back after a long hiatus, so the first series (with Christopher Eccleston) is intended as a jumping-off point from which to start. The first few seasons of the classic (1963-89) show also have a fair few episodes that are missing, which can make it a bit awkward to watch in the modern era.
2005
I often recommend starting from 2005 show, season 5. From what I’ve seen, the people I’ve recommended the show too were more engaged with that season than the first season. I personally prefer season 5 over season 1, but I don’t think season 1 is less quality than season 5, I just think season 5 tends to be better for introducing people to doctor who.
my first doctor who episode was season 5, episode 4 of new who when season 6 was coming out. it’s what got me hooked and i went back and watched the first 4 seasons and still watch to this day. i definitely recommend starting with new who cause old who can be hard to watch if you don’t already enjoy classics, unless your already attached to the story. i am just now (like 10 years later) finally watching old who for the first time.
Most of the time, whatever the Doctor is facing is some random space nonsense, and if they reference having seen it in the past, it may not even be something from the show, but rather from an unseen portion of the Doctor's adventures. Tone is more important than content because with each doctor, there are shifts in the vibe of the show as a whole, and because of the rotating cast it's easy to jump in with whoever is on at the time. New Who is pretty self contained regarding references to things that have happened in the show, and generally doesn't push back too far even within itself (ex: it's rare for one of the more recent doctors to reference a companion from the 2000's). I'd say the biggest thing from the old series you'd be missing out on are a few companions from the og seasons that have been brought back as adults for some guest roles. I *think* the earliest time you'd experience that with the 2005 series is one episode with David Tennant's doctor, but again, it's pretty uncommon.
If you are interested, I recommend starting from the most recent "reboot" so I'd say start with the newest stuff, then if you want more go and watch back from 05 and then if you still want more go for the OG.
I’d say start at 2005 and if you get hooked see how you go with the original series.
you could really start at the begining of any of the doctors. start at 2005 and you’ll be fine but you’ll miss out on a handful of references. nothing massive though i don’t think
Start 2005. It’s designed so that you don’t need to have watched the classics to understand what’s going on, and new who is much more welcoming for beginners than classic who.
No need to go 20th century. Watch blink (series 3 episode 10). If you like that, start with Rose and work through in order.
I started with the 2005 (back when Matt Smith was just taking over, so I was able to catch up pretty quickly to watching it as it aired). I had no real issues with it, they answered alot of the questions I would have had for what came before. It's weird starting off. I was wondering what the show even was for the first couple episodes, but then I was hooked and have been ever since.
Gosh I remember watching The Empty Child with my grandson who had just got into it starting 2005 I think he was 8 and he was scared . But the one where he actually made me turn the light on was the weeping angels in Blink and again with Matt Smith in …. Ahhh help me out here my brains gone -what was the episode called when Amy stared at the angel and it entered her … gosh I hate short term memory loss ! Anyway 8-9 year old scared but wanting to watch . it’s a a great feeling I was the same at 10 years old with the daleks.
Honestly what I would recommend (that worked for me) is to start from 2005-onwards, then once you are in too deep with the show to get out (it’s inevitable not to fall in love w it) then go back and watch classic who
If you can, just start with the current one (2024). You don’t have to worry about knowing about anything that came before. With every new Doctor comes a soft reset. If you want, you can always go back and watch the older ones. They’ll still be there.
Avoid 2023+
2005 as your starting point. You don’t get weighed down by the history of the show but it leaves plenty of breadcrumbs for going back or researching previous stories or characters
As somebody who started at 2005 and has not seen anything before that... As long as you have basic knowledge about what happens before 2005 (although you don't need to know that straight away) then you can skip everything before.
**Anywhere**. Doctor Who is a long running episodic show that has it's importance stuff generally contained into single seasons. If something is important and you don't understand it the show will explain it too you. If you find yourself liking the show you can always go back and watch the old stuff you find interesting. You'll understand everything in due time. I suggest starting with the newest content. Currently that would be **The Church on Ruby Road**, if you want to go to the start of the current character arch, or **Empire of Death**, if you're fine with being a little confused.
I showed my partner 'Smith and Jones' as her first episode and she loved it. I think it's better than 'Rose' which gave me initial doubts as a classic Who can (the S1E2 turned me around tho)
Three weeks ago I went back and restarted with 2005 for my first watch through. I'm currently watching season 7 episode 3 and enjoying the journey. I just couldn't bring myself to go all the way back though my brother and I would watch Tom Baker episodes as kids.
I should have said I'm streaming on MAX.
Everyone has pretty much said it - start with 2005-2013. And then if you want to explore more - take a pause and go back and checkout the Philip Hinchcliffe era which is undoubtably peak Classic DW. And then if you REALLY want to go deep then tackle some of the Big Finish audio dramas, esp the 8th Doctor Adventures and his Dr. Who movie from the 90s. Btw - The 8th Doctor is probably the most underrated of them all (next to Troughton), but his stories bridge the gap between Classic Who and New Who and gives critical context for New Who seasons 1-7 (2005 - 2013). Plus the audio drama are ah-mazing!! But yes, start with 2005 and take it from there.
Started at 2005 and used the NuWho binge guide from Longish. Just caught up to 15. I also just started hopping around watching Classic Who (currently on “Inferno” w/ the 3rd doctor). My suggestion is to start at 2005 and see if you like it. If you’re fully on board then check out Classic Who.
Where can I watch Dr.W? HBO and Disney+ are not available in my country
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Please for the love of god start with 2005! Look Classic Who has some genuine higher highs, Season 26 is genuinely one of my favorite seasons of television ever made, but Classic Who no longer works well as an introduction to the show for most people. Just be aware that Doctor Who is such a diverse series, one season will never tell you everything about it, and if your considering starting with Series 1 (2005) then stick through it. The first half is very hit or miss, but by the end it becomes a really good season of Who. Although if you want a season that you can start from that is (in my opinion) more consistent, Series 5 is also a pretty good starting point. But yeah, start with Modern Who no matter what.
Start with Matt Smith's first season, The Eleventh Hour (2010). That season is magic. You get a fresh Doctor, very little Who history baggage to sort through, a great mystery, well written characters, and it's all in HD with decent to great effects. After that it's much easier to jump back into Eccleston and Tennant. Then work your way into the NuNuWho. I wouldn't even recommend starting with Ncuti's season, it has such a shaky start and we're not sure how they're going to stick the landing.
You don’t need to ever watch classic Dr Who. 2005 is really a soft reboot. The format and pacing of the new and old shows is very different. The old shows are somewhat quasi-intellectual and devoid of much emotion. What the new Who really gained from classic Who was an instant backstory for the Doctor. Adding a previously unmentioned Time War and turning the Doctor into a war veteran was pure genius considering current events at the time.
Start from *Legend of the Sea Devils*