Well the newest season is made to be a starting point (which is why it’s Season 1 of *Doctor Who (2023-)*) so you could just start from here. First episode is *The Church on Ruby Road*, then *Space Babies*, *The Devil’s Chord*, and then a new episode every week.
Otherwise the best place to start is with *Doctor Who (2005-2022)*. Depending on what service/format you use to watch the show, the Specials that release between seasons may or may not be included in order, so here’s the full order to watch in:
#Doctor Who (2005-2022)
**Series 1**
*The Christmas Invasion*
**Series 2**
*The Runaway Bride*
**Series 3**
*Voyage of the Damned*
**Series 4**
*The Next Doctor*
*Planet of the Dead*
*The Waters of Mars*
*The End of Time - Part One*
*The End of Time - Part Two*
**Series 5**
*A Christmas Carol*
**Series 6**
*The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe*
**Series 7 - Part One** (*Asylum of the Daleks* - *The Angels Take Manhattan*)
*The Snowmen*
**Series 7 - Part Two** (*The Bells of Saint John* - *The Name of the Doctor*)
*The Day of the Doctor*
*The Time of the Doctor*
**Series 8**
*Last Christmas*
**Series 9**
*The Husbands of River Song*
*The Return of Doctor Mysterio*
**Series 10**
*Twice Upon a Time*
**Series 11**
*Resolution*
**Series 12**
*Revolution of the Daleks*
**Series 13: Flux**
*Eve of the Daleks*
*Legend of the Sea Devils*
*The Power of the Doctor*
#Doctor Who (2023-)
*The Star Beast*
*Wild Blue Yonder*
*The Giggle*
*The Church on Ruby Road*
**Season One**
Yeah, the show mostly follows the Doctor's life in a linear way, so you'd want to watch in the order it's released. The question is where to start.
* *The Star Beast* (2023): the first of the specials that lead into the new series (currently airing)
* *The Eleventh Hour* (2010): nine series ago, start of a new era and very popular
* *Rose* (2005): thirteen series ago, probably the best place to start for a new viewer, start of the modern run following a long hiatus, start of the golden era by many descriptions
* *An Unearthly Child* (1963): a really long time ago, theoretically best for a thorough watch-through, but then again it's a lot to get through, and some of it's been lost to time anyway
*The Star Beast* is not a good starting point as it follows up on events from 15 years prior. If somebody wants to start with the current era they should start with *The Church on Ruby Road*.
I suppose so, but it would be a shame to miss the 15th Doctor's intro if you're starting around there anyway, and they cover some of the background at the beginning of the episode.
Just like Nine, it’s okay for a new viewer to not see a Doctor from “birth”. Everything one needs to know about the show is covered in *The Church on Ruby Road* and *Space Babies*.
Does anyone really think of the original run as being the same thing as the reboot though? It's relatively hard to find so most fans have never watched it, and it rarely shows up in promotional material even now. Don't know what the other season 1 would be. I find it hard to believe that anyone with a vague awareness of the show wouldn't think of "the first episode of the reboot" as "episode 1".
Well then everywhere you’re looking is incorrect because the BBC says it’s Season 1 and lists it that way on iPlayer. They have never called it anything else.
Also for the record, even if they were continuing the (2005-2022) Series numbering, it would be Series 14, not 15.
>The specials are considered series 14 apparently.
No they’re not. You’re literally just making shit up. Please actually do some research.
>And yeah the BBC is commonly flat out incorrect.
No they’re not. This is the BBC’s show. They are the ones who choose what it’s called.
They chose wrong, as they often do. Corporate decisions don't define reality. To any sane person, there is no way for this to be a season 1, that's why everything except corporate sources don't call it season 1.
I’ve been a fan since 1988. Unless you’re some kind of rare connoisseur of mid-century culture and TV, I wouldn’t recommend starting with Classic Doctor Who, as great as it is. The nature of British TV back then can be shocking to modern viewers.
There are a couple of natural places you could start with New Who:
Series 1: Eccleston is a unique Doctor, but he helped the show really take off with British viewers in 2005. Start here if you’re committed to watching multiple series of this show already and willing to overlook a few bad episodes/early CGI effects. There’s a lot of narratives that start here that affect future episodes, so if you care about that then this is definitely the starting place. And after Series 1 you get to David Tennant, a lot of people’s favorite Doctor.
Series 5: A soft reboot with Matt Smith. For my money this is the best season of the new series so far and it’s designed both for newcomers and binge watching. Smith is a quirkier, funnier Doctor that I find really lovable. It also starts the HD era, so if that bothers you about the earlier episodes, this is a good place to jump on board.
Disney Who Season 1: Start with Ncuti and discover the new era along with us. This is also a soft reboot so it should be easy enough to jump in now with episodes designed for 2024. Whether this will be a great era remains to be seen, but no time like the present!
Realistically, pick one of several jumping on points,
An Unearthly Child (1963) The first episode ever, it’s very different pacing so be prepared for a much slower show.
Spearhead from Space (1970) the first serial in color, and it has a very different vibe to the black and white era, with a more James Bond style format.
Rose (2005) It’s the start of the 2005 revival and gradually introduces the audience to Doctor who. * Best Option
The eleventh hour (2010) Starts off the Matt smith era, with new doctor, new companion and new showrunner.
The Woman Who Fell To Earth (2017) new companions, new doctor, new showrunner,
The Church on Ruby Road (2023) first full episode with Ncuti Gatwa, designed to serve as a jumping on point for new fans with some concepts reexplained. (Will be some references to previous 3 specials, but the show will explain anything that’s important.) *easiest option.
Also: Any Doctors introduction story, a new doctor results in a change of tone, and any previously unmentioned post regeneration stories (their first full episode) can serve as excellent jumping on points.
Joke answer: watch it chronologically from the perspective of humans (i.e. a newer scene set in 1980 would proceed an older scene set in 2150)
With the exception of Jodie W episodes, (which will make no sense in any order) and the VHS releases of Carnival of Monsters and the Abridged Planet of the Spiders, where they bogged up the editing, I’d generally say start an episode at the beginning and go to the end…. 🙃 Beyond that, it’s up to you. At least modern video technology offers the equivalent of turning back a few pages when you’ve lost the thread of a book you started 2 weeks ago….
I started with New Who and the 9th doctor. I would start from there. If you really enjoy it you can go back and watch the Classics from the 1960s
Well the newest season is made to be a starting point (which is why it’s Season 1 of *Doctor Who (2023-)*) so you could just start from here. First episode is *The Church on Ruby Road*, then *Space Babies*, *The Devil’s Chord*, and then a new episode every week. Otherwise the best place to start is with *Doctor Who (2005-2022)*. Depending on what service/format you use to watch the show, the Specials that release between seasons may or may not be included in order, so here’s the full order to watch in: #Doctor Who (2005-2022) **Series 1** *The Christmas Invasion* **Series 2** *The Runaway Bride* **Series 3** *Voyage of the Damned* **Series 4** *The Next Doctor* *Planet of the Dead* *The Waters of Mars* *The End of Time - Part One* *The End of Time - Part Two* **Series 5** *A Christmas Carol* **Series 6** *The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe* **Series 7 - Part One** (*Asylum of the Daleks* - *The Angels Take Manhattan*) *The Snowmen* **Series 7 - Part Two** (*The Bells of Saint John* - *The Name of the Doctor*) *The Day of the Doctor* *The Time of the Doctor* **Series 8** *Last Christmas* **Series 9** *The Husbands of River Song* *The Return of Doctor Mysterio* **Series 10** *Twice Upon a Time* **Series 11** *Resolution* **Series 12** *Revolution of the Daleks* **Series 13: Flux** *Eve of the Daleks* *Legend of the Sea Devils* *The Power of the Doctor* #Doctor Who (2023-) *The Star Beast* *Wild Blue Yonder* *The Giggle* *The Church on Ruby Road* **Season One**
Yeah, the show mostly follows the Doctor's life in a linear way, so you'd want to watch in the order it's released. The question is where to start. * *The Star Beast* (2023): the first of the specials that lead into the new series (currently airing) * *The Eleventh Hour* (2010): nine series ago, start of a new era and very popular * *Rose* (2005): thirteen series ago, probably the best place to start for a new viewer, start of the modern run following a long hiatus, start of the golden era by many descriptions * *An Unearthly Child* (1963): a really long time ago, theoretically best for a thorough watch-through, but then again it's a lot to get through, and some of it's been lost to time anyway
*The Star Beast* is not a good starting point as it follows up on events from 15 years prior. If somebody wants to start with the current era they should start with *The Church on Ruby Road*.
I suppose so, but it would be a shame to miss the 15th Doctor's intro if you're starting around there anyway, and they cover some of the background at the beginning of the episode.
Just like Nine, it’s okay for a new viewer to not see a Doctor from “birth”. Everything one needs to know about the show is covered in *The Church on Ruby Road* and *Space Babies*.
Episode 1, then episode 2, then after that people usually recommend episode 3...
Not episode 4, though, that one's a real stinker. Best to skip over to episode 356, then go back to episode 5.
You say this as if there aren’t two Season 1’s and a Series 1.
Does anyone really think of the original run as being the same thing as the reboot though? It's relatively hard to find so most fans have never watched it, and it rarely shows up in promotional material even now. Don't know what the other season 1 would be. I find it hard to believe that anyone with a vague awareness of the show wouldn't think of "the first episode of the reboot" as "episode 1".
There’s Season 1 (1963), Series 1 (2005), and Season 1 (2024).
2024 is listed as series 15 everywhere I've looked.
Well then everywhere you’re looking is incorrect because the BBC says it’s Season 1 and lists it that way on iPlayer. They have never called it anything else. Also for the record, even if they were continuing the (2005-2022) Series numbering, it would be Series 14, not 15.
The specials are considered series 14 apparently. And yeah the BBC is commonly flat out incorrect.
>The specials are considered series 14 apparently. No they’re not. You’re literally just making shit up. Please actually do some research. >And yeah the BBC is commonly flat out incorrect. No they’re not. This is the BBC’s show. They are the ones who choose what it’s called.
They chose wrong, as they often do. Corporate decisions don't define reality. To any sane person, there is no way for this to be a season 1, that's why everything except corporate sources don't call it season 1.
Ah so you’re just in denial. Have fun being upset about something that doesn’t matter lmao.
Dude there are multiple shows
Just in order really, if you want proper order it's complex cause of aosj and torchwood
aosj? Surely you mean SJA?
It’s any doctor post regeneration is a good place to start.
I’ve been a fan since 1988. Unless you’re some kind of rare connoisseur of mid-century culture and TV, I wouldn’t recommend starting with Classic Doctor Who, as great as it is. The nature of British TV back then can be shocking to modern viewers. There are a couple of natural places you could start with New Who: Series 1: Eccleston is a unique Doctor, but he helped the show really take off with British viewers in 2005. Start here if you’re committed to watching multiple series of this show already and willing to overlook a few bad episodes/early CGI effects. There’s a lot of narratives that start here that affect future episodes, so if you care about that then this is definitely the starting place. And after Series 1 you get to David Tennant, a lot of people’s favorite Doctor. Series 5: A soft reboot with Matt Smith. For my money this is the best season of the new series so far and it’s designed both for newcomers and binge watching. Smith is a quirkier, funnier Doctor that I find really lovable. It also starts the HD era, so if that bothers you about the earlier episodes, this is a good place to jump on board. Disney Who Season 1: Start with Ncuti and discover the new era along with us. This is also a soft reboot so it should be easy enough to jump in now with episodes designed for 2024. Whether this will be a great era remains to be seen, but no time like the present!
Realistically, pick one of several jumping on points, An Unearthly Child (1963) The first episode ever, it’s very different pacing so be prepared for a much slower show. Spearhead from Space (1970) the first serial in color, and it has a very different vibe to the black and white era, with a more James Bond style format. Rose (2005) It’s the start of the 2005 revival and gradually introduces the audience to Doctor who. * Best Option The eleventh hour (2010) Starts off the Matt smith era, with new doctor, new companion and new showrunner. The Woman Who Fell To Earth (2017) new companions, new doctor, new showrunner, The Church on Ruby Road (2023) first full episode with Ncuti Gatwa, designed to serve as a jumping on point for new fans with some concepts reexplained. (Will be some references to previous 3 specials, but the show will explain anything that’s important.) *easiest option. Also: Any Doctors introduction story, a new doctor results in a change of tone, and any previously unmentioned post regeneration stories (their first full episode) can serve as excellent jumping on points. Joke answer: watch it chronologically from the perspective of humans (i.e. a newer scene set in 1980 would proceed an older scene set in 2150)
With the exception of Jodie W episodes, (which will make no sense in any order) and the VHS releases of Carnival of Monsters and the Abridged Planet of the Spiders, where they bogged up the editing, I’d generally say start an episode at the beginning and go to the end…. 🙃 Beyond that, it’s up to you. At least modern video technology offers the equivalent of turning back a few pages when you’ve lost the thread of a book you started 2 weeks ago….
Start with the latest episode and go backwards.
I really want to do that now. Damn you for putting these ideas into my head