With all the recent excitement of popular actor Ncuti Gatwa portraying the role of “The Doctor,” you may be asking yourself, “What is this show Doctor Who that I keep hearing all about?”
So, you do a brief Google search and find that Gatwa is the 15th (14th? 16th?) actor playing the infamous Doctor in a show that’s been airing in the UK since 1963 (barring its 15-ish year hiatus). You start to panic. How will you ever catch up with a show that’s been airing for over 60 years? Do you have to watch every single episode ever made? And if you don’t, where should you begin?
Allow me, Abbie Wells, certified Whovian (what we call ourselves in the fandom), to take your hand and help you decide where to start.
First things first. Doctor Who is a sci-fi-esque British TV show about an “alien” known as The Doctor who travels through time and space in the Tardis. The TARDIS is The Doctor’s time machine and spaceship, and is “disguised” as a 1960s blue police box. The Doctor is often accompanied by companions who travel and stand by their side, protecting Earth and other planets. When The Doctor is nearing death, they regenerate, allowing them to keep living in a new body (and allowing The Doctor to be continuously recast, meaning the show can go on for over 60 years).
Now that you have a brief overview, where do you begin?
You DO NOT need to start in 1963. And actually, I don’t recommend it. More on that later. I have multiple recommendations because everyone is different, has a distinct interest level, and a different bandwidth of what they can accept from special effects. These will fall into two categories: Seasons or Doctors to begin with, for a chronological watch or singular episodes that I believe can immediately hook everyone.
So let’s get started. Allons-y! My first and most enthusiastic recommendation is to follow.
‘New Who’ — The new beginning
1×1: ‘Rose’
When Doctor Who returned in 2005, this “era” affectionately became known as “New Who”. It was the restart the show needed. New Who begins with Christopher Eccleston as The 9th Doctor and Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper) shortly joins as his companion. The first episode of this new era is titled “Rose”. After being saved from living mannequins (yes, you heard that right) by a strange man who calls himself The Doctor, Rose Tyler goes down a rabbit hole trying to figure out who this mystery man could be.
Why you should start here
- It’s a new beginning. It’s a fresh start. It was like the show rebooted itself. It is as if you are starting a new show from the top.
- You’re not dropping into the middle of plot points.
- You have the pleasure of watching the story unfold as it was meant to.
Cons of starting here
- This first season can be cringeworthy, but camp if you’re having fun. The effects… exist. It premiered in 2005, so you need to watch it with that 2005 mindset. There is a special feeling of nostalgia that accompanies this first season of Doctor Who.
If you decide not to start here, I HIGHLY recommend that once you’re hooked, you swing back around and give it a go. There is so much lore and context in these early seasons that you don’t want to miss out on.
The start of Matt Smith
5×1: ‘The Eleventh Hour’
Years before he played Daemon Targaryen, Matt Smith took over as the 11th Doctor in 2010 with Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, his trusted companion (yes, before she graced our screens as Nebula). This season begins with the aptly named “The Eleventh Hour”. After a wild regeneration, the Doctor’s Tardis has crash-landed in the yard of young Amelia Pond. Unafraid of the strange man, she welcomes him into her home, where he learns what she’s terrified of.. The crack in her bedroom wall.
Why you should start here
- The season starts fresh with a new doctor and a new companion.
- The effects have gotten a bit better.
- Matt Smith is excellent.
- Karen Gillan is fantastic.
- Amy Pond and {insert other character here} are my favorite companions of all time.
- This is my favorite Doctor Who season. (Clearly, I have no bias here.)
Cons of starting here
- That lore and context I mentioned earlier? You’re missing it. Yes, we’ve started fresh, but you may end up asking yourself, “Wait, what are they talking about? Who was that? How did we get here?”
- And you missed all of David Tennant, one of the most beloved Doctors and men of all time.
Disney Who
Special 1: ‘The Star Beast’
In 2022, it was announced that Disney+ had acquired the international streaming rights for Doctor Who. This meant a new online home and Disney money. Disney’s Doctor Who begins with a series of three specials, the first special titled “The Star Beast”. The Doctor has just regenerated into a familiar face (Yes, David Tennant again) and is confused about what that could mean when he runs into another familiar face. While trying to keep his friend safe, he gets sucked into the middle of a war between species, but which is on the right side of the war?
Why you should start here
- It’s *shiny*. This season has that Disney money.
- After the specials, Ncuti Gatwa takes over the role of The Doctor, and we love him.
Cons of starting here
- You’re REALLY MISSING A LOT OF LORE AND CONTEXT. The specials won’t hit the same, and even though Ncuti comes in as fresh and new, there’s so much to be missed. If you’re tempted to start here, I would suggest maybe just trying my recommended singular episodes of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor to get you started, and then see if you can go back to Season 1, Episode 1: “Rose”.
‘Classic Who’ — The very beginning
1×1: ‘An Unearthly Child’
Don’t start here. Seriously, just don’t. (Trust me, I watched An Unearthly Child for this article, and part of me regrets that choice.)
I have only included this option because I know someone out there will push their glasses up their nose and argue that you can’t really get started unless you have seen it all. Those people are wrong. In fact, you can’t see it all even if you do start at the beginning. There are currently almost 100 episodes of Doctor Who missing from the classic era. Probably lost in a time vortex somewhere. You’d just be even more confused.
Singular Episodes To Get You Hooked
Welcome! We have now arrived at singular episodes that I believe can interest anyone in Doctor Who. My selected episodes showcase each of the new Who Doctors from Eccelstan to Gatwa. I have also taken great care to ensure that these episodes are light on possible spoilers and don’t need heavy background information.
Since we’re getting a little wibbly wobbly timey wimey here (You’ll understand soon), there may be some exceptions. In the event where the hint of a spoiler may be present (I’m talking Lemon La Croix), I will add in a Wibbly Wobbly Warning and suggest an alternative episode.
Singular Episodes
3×10: ‘Blink’ (Tennant)
Blink is a “Doctor Lite” episode, but one of the highest-rated episodes in the fandom (9.8/10 on IMDB). In this episode, we meet Sally Sparrow, a normal girl who has just started receiving strange messages from an unknown entity. Not only that, but people in her life begin disappearing..
Why this episode?
This story is gripping from the very beginning. You are pulled into the mystery along with Sally Sparrow. It also introduces one of the scariest Doctor Who villains in existence. (Your life will never be the same.)
5×10: ‘Vincent and the Doctor’ (Smith)
Vincent and the Doctor was the beginning of my obsession with Vincent Van Gogh. After visiting a Van Gogh exhibition, the Doctor and Amy decide to pay the man himself a visit. As we all know, Van Gogh had a troubled life, but what if there was more troubling him than just the demons in his mind?
Why this episode?
As much as I love Sci-Fi, I love the episodes of Doctor Who that pull from the real history of humankind. Your heart can’t help but break for Vincent as you watch this story unfold. It’s beautiful and devastating all at once.
Wibbly Wobbly Warning
There are hints of or nods to an important plot line that has just passed us by and that is not yet finished. If you want ZERO hints of this flavoring, my alternative suggestion for a Matt Smith episode is simply his very first episode: “The Eleventh Hour”.
4×8: ‘Silence in the Library’ / 4×9: ‘Forest of the Dead’ (Tennant)
Nothing like a two-parter to get you really locked in. The Doctor and Donna have just landed in the biggest library in the universe. Only one problem. Where are all the people? And why hasn’t anyone come to investigate until now?
Why this episode?
These episodes play on one of everyone’s oldest fears – the dark. There are mysteries within mysteries, plus an enticing group of characters. I fear there’s not much I can say without spoiling things, so I just need you to believe me that this is an amazing pair of episodes.
1×5: ‘Dot and Bubble’ (Gatwa)
In another “Doctor Lite” episode, we follow Lindy Pepper-Bean in her peaceful world where the elite live amongst each other in their own little bubbles. But some of them have been offline for a little too long.
Why this episode?
This was the first episode where I really locked in with Gatwa and where I could finally see him as The Doctor. Though he is not heavily prevalent in this episode, his performance shines, even more so as this was the first episode he ever filmed as The Doctor. The commentary this episode provides on our current social media-based world is enlightening.
2×3: ‘The Well’ (Gatwa)
While attempting to get Belinda back home, the Doctor and Belinda are dropped into the middle of a rescue and recovery mission. When they arrive, they discover only one person left alive, but is she really alone?
Why this episode?
This episode may be in my top 5 Doctor Who episodes of all time. It’s a little bit scary and tense, and a lot of what is happening in the world. Each actor’s performance is outstanding and honest. And we also get amazing British Sign Language representation.
Wibbly Wobbly Warning
There is a creature in this episode that has appeared once before in the Whoniverse (Doctor Who Universe). This was a HUGE reveal to the fandom. If you don’t care about getting to take part in this reveal and you just want a cool episode, by all means, proceed.
If you want to watch this episode, but want the context from the previous episode that this creature was in, that episode will be hidden below. If you want absolutely no part of this spoiler and want to find out in your own time, stick with Dot and Bubble for your Ncuti Gatwa representation.
Previous Episode (click to reveal)
Season 4, Episode 10: Midnight (Tennant)
1×9: ‘The Empty Child’ / 1×10: ‘The Doctor Dances’ (Eccleston)
Rose and the Doctor find themselves investigating suspicious activity with Captain Jack Harkness in the middle of the London Blitz. Plus, there’s a scary little lad in a gas mask who can’t seem to find his mummy.
Why this episode?
This two-part episode is fun and freaky. I’ll be the first to say the little boy freaks me out. The special effects also kind of freak me out. We also meet Captain Jack Harkness, and that is some fruitiness you need on your screen.
8×5: ‘Time Heist’ (Capaldi)
The Doctor, Clara, and two strangers agree to break into the most secure bank in the world. The problem is, they don’t remember agreeing, and they don’t remember why. Oh, and the bank owner isn’t very kind to those who don’t belong.
Why This Episode?
This isn’t the best of the Capaldi episodes (he has so many amazing, context-needed, and spoiler-ridden stories), but it’s a fun one. Plus, you NEED to meet Clara if I’m trying to get you hooked on Doctor Who. Also, Jonathan Bailey is in this episode. Enough said.
11×6: ‘Demons of the Punjab’ (Whitaker)
Yaz pleads with The Doctor to take them back in time to learn more about her family history, but their trip lands them in the middle of the partition of India, and everyone’s safety is thrown into uncertainty.
Why This Episode?
This is a history-based episode that reminds us that unknown alien entities are not necessarily the greatest threat to the human race. Sometimes the greatest threat is ourselves. It’s a poignant episode that I can never look away from.
Now, believe it or not, none of these was my first episode of Doctor Who. My first episode was up to whatever random episode BBC America decided to show the day I realized that my parents’ cable company had BBC America. So I was dropped smack dab in the middle of David Tennant’s run as the Doctor with the episode titled “42”.
My First Episode
3×7: ’42’
The Doctor has just 42 minutes to save Martha and an entire crew from crashing into the sun.
This isn’t necessarily a standout episode. I don’t even remember much of it (even though I’ve watched it at least three times by now). But it was my gateway into the franchise, and for that, I am forever grateful.
So there you have it! My recommendations for where to start Doctor Who if you have never seen a single episode. Or at the very least, episodes to get you or your friends hooked. Doctor Who has a rich history, but you don’t have to watch all 60 years of it to become a Whovian.
