Whovians: Where should I start?
13I have never watched an episode of Dr. Who. I did watch Torchwood and enjoyed it.
If I wanted to wet my feet in the Whoniverse, where should I start? If I am not mistaken, there have been many Doctors over many years. Can I pick up with the 2005 revival and not miss any pertinent plots or characters?
- 23 comments, 53 replies
- Comment
I started with the 9th Dr (Christopher Eccleston) and think that’s a solid starting point for the modern Doctor Who universe. He’s quirky and outrageous.
David Tennant as the 10th Dr is very well loved and thoroughly enjoyable.
I agree with @thumperchick.
9th is the best starting point. I think watching the new series will help you appreciate the older series if you decide to jump in.
Also a BUNCH of Valentino Rossi / 46 references hidden in the episodes too. I didn’t start off as a fan but now have something cool to watch for so I’m kind of an addict now.
My Son would say Matt Smith the 11th Doctor (He dressed like him for ComicCon one year)… I agree with @thumperchick and @riskybryzness that the 9th Doctor is probably the best most recent place to start
The fourth Dr. played by Tom Baker.
@yakkoTDI I wanted a Baker scarf for the longest time. (still do I guess.)
@riskybryzness @yakkoTDI Longest scarf, too.
2005 revival is a good starting place since it was tailored for people who didn’t see/remember the Classic Who. There are many references to the classic series, but they are not necessary to follow the modern plot.
The only place I know to stream the Classic Who is Britbox. Not every episode survived and some have been only partially restored from degraded tapes. You can always go back to look at the classic series later. Surprising, in many ways, how much the original has remained consistent. The Daleks have changed very little in 50 years, and the Cybermen don’t look much more cyber-y than they did in 1966, though they do look better in color.
@rockblossom Daleks aren’t made from plungers and whisks anymore
@riskybryzness But the plunger and whisk shapes are still there, and they make me laugh when I see them, knowing their genesis.
@rockblossom Same, I love it.
@riskybryzness @rockblossom I will always be partial to the green bubble wrap monster from… whichever episode that was. I just remember Tom Baker and people holding the green bubble wrap monster up to their throats? Maybe?
@mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom
@Felton10 This sounds like it’s right up your alley!
@Kyeh @mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom Green bubble wrap-my heart is racing so fast right now. Why didn’t you @kidsandliz know about this. I am sure if you did you would have taunted me with it.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom
Yes, you might want to be careful with that stuff!
@Felton10 @Kyeh @mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom
What? You expect us to do all the work for you? We will have to tell Walter to set you straight. Now go to your goat corner and play with these toys.
@Felton10 @Kyeh @mossygreen @riskybryzness @rockblossom Felton10 to get you started here are some ideas.
Meh - you ought to make one of these outfits and put it in the next irk felton10 gets.
And for your wife if she wants a matching dress to go with what you will be wearing:
Here are some more options:
These have heart air chambers. Maybe make your wife’s dress out of these for next valentine’s day
You will have to use your imagination for Walter’s outfit as I couldn’t find one made for a bird.
I started watching Dr. Who after school with the guy with the tux. Then Tom Baker. And some episodes of the guy from All Creatures Great and Small. I guess I’m out of date.
I recently bought a ton of new episodes on VUDU and keep meaning to watch them.
@sammydog01 For info, the whole modern series is available on HBOMax, including the Christmas Specials.
@rockblossom @sammydog01 oh no, really? Well, there goes my spring/summer …
@sammydog01
Remember when Tristan Farnon became Dr. Who?
@PocketBrain Yes I do!
I got to go to the Doctor Who museum when I visited Cardiff for the day back in 2009. Didn’t have enough money to buy out the entire gift shop sadly, but it was a really fun experience.
@riskybryzness I saw the Madame Tussaud’s Doctor Who exhibit in 1980. It terrified me. Somewhere I have a picture of little me standing next to the Tom Baker waxwork.
Also because no one asked.
Torchwood is an anagram for Doctor Who. They used this to hide the tapes from being leaked.
Another factoid, not a spoiler:
Georgia Tennant was in the episode of The Doctor’s Daughter, playing the Doctor’s daughter and is actually the 5th Doctor’s daughter (Peter Davison) and she’s married to the Doctor (David Tennant.)
@riskybryzness
TIL: Torchwood is an anagram for Doctor Who
@chienfou @riskybryzness And Torchwood was originally an Anti-Doctor organization. Be careful about entanglements with reigning monarchs.
I agree on starting with Christopher Eccleston, it’s fresh start for everyone, and the effects are up to modern standards.
Having said that, Tom Baker is “my doctor”. That’s where I came in.
@blaineg I love Tom Baker. To me, he IS The Doctor.
They used to run an ad for the older ones: “It’s not goofy, it’s surreal.” Over scene with the doctor on a tricycle being chased across a field by some creature.
@walarney
ATC, or “All-Terrain Cycle.” My family had a Honda model. It was the 3-Wheeled forerunner to the ATV.
I remember that scene. They overdubbed a weird electronic sound effect for the engine so it sounded science-fictiony.
@walarney I’m disappointed, an actual tricycle would have been much more surreal.
@walarney The Whomobile was Jon Pertwee’s personal vehicle that he got written into the show.
@walarney Well, that image didn’t last long. Let’s try again.
The original series tends to spend a lot of time “waxing philosophical” and it can get a bit rambling and boring. That said, it’s fun to go back later and see the origins of some of the stuff, and see how the effects have matured, etc. But I’d start at Eccleston as well. He’s FANTASTIC.
@endi1276 I see what you did there.
Start with Tom Baker (#4). I did, and he’s great. Slightly over-the-top wacky, reminding you that the target audience is kids, but any adult with an appreciation of campy style can enjoy it. Notably, some of the Baker-era episodes were written by Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams.
@PocketBrain And properly watched while hiding behind the couch, in case of scary parts.
The other difference between original and revived series is the older ones were done in the classical “serial” style where you were left in a cliffhanger with the doctor about to die, making it imperative you come back next week to set how he could possibly get out of it THIS time. I agree, you cold probably start with Eccleston, but if you can watch the old series, even at the same time, it not only gives you more background, but a greater appreciation for the story telling that was not special effects dependent. I always enjoyed Pertwee, especially his car. Took me a while to warm up to Baker, but he’s definitely my favorite now.
@ybmuG Yes, the older tales could take many episodes to complete, but then they were 20 minutes long or so, weren’t they?
@blaineg Yes, they were short and you had a week between them. No binging back then! Production quality was terrible but you didn’t care.
@ybmuG Fortunately my local PBS station ran them sequentially all week long, so I only had to wait a day. 10:40pm, after the other channels finished their news broadcasts.
Seems like overwhelming support to start with the’05 series. Since I have HBO Max, and they have 12 seasons available this is a logical place to start and will apparently give me the opportunity to experience several Doctors (yes, I stand corrected: Doctor Who, not Dr. Who: thanks for the lowdown you know who you are).
I will seek out opportunities to watch some classic episodes as well for a flavour comparison. Our local PBS station was playing classic Who for many years but I don’t know if they still do. Otherwise I’ll grab an episode here and there when I go back to Dorset. Next trip is scheduled for June, and I’ll be there for 5 days, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to watch.
@ruouttaurmind As infrequent as new Doctor Who releases have been over the last few years, I have to wonder if Harold Saxon has taken over the BBC.
@blaineg I’m assuming that’s a character from the series? As I’m only to the 5th episode of season 1 I have yet to encounter Mr. Saxon.
I just was told Beth Latimer became the Doctor in ‘17 and I’m having a very difficult time imagining that.
@ruouttaurmind if you have a Vizio smart TVs that has the free streaming tv (I think is called watchfree) there is a Classic Who channel that plays the old ones all day everyday. Not sure if other smart TVs have similar channels.
@remo28 I do have a Vizio TV! I will check it out right now. Thanks!
@blaineg @ruouttaurmind she did and she’s good. There was a lot of whining cause people are weird about things. For dumb reasons. The companion mix shifts up a little too. But whatever. It’s the Doctor.
@ruouttaurmind Yea, jokey inside reference, sorry. You’ll encounter him during David Tennant’s reign.
I don’t know Beth Latimer, but Jodi Whittaker is the current Doctor.
My favorites among the new Who Doctors are David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. Not necessarily in that order, they all have brilliant moments. The “regenerations” from one to another have been fun and interesting.
@blaineg Jodie Whittaker performed the role of Beth Latimer on the immensely popular 2014 BBC crime mystery series Broadchurch (recreated in the US as the Fox limited series Gracepoint, ca. 2015).
I see Whittaker and think “mum of that little boy who was murdered” not “TARDIS wielding, Dalek battling time lord”.
@ruouttaurmind Ah, I haven’t seen Broadchurch, but it’s on my list. So you’ve got two Doctors in that show.
@blaineg
Correctamundo, dos Doctores. I’m not generally a crime mystery watcher, but Broadchurch kept me on the hook through all 3 seasons. Partly because I’m very familiar with the West Bay areas where it was primarily filmed maybe (that’s the area where I spend much of my time when I visit the UK). The US version, Gracepoint, despite a typically excellent performance by Tennant, was very flat in comparison.
@blaineg @ruouttaurmind never saw Gracepoint def watched broadchurch. And enjoyed it. There was some full on stupid noise about the doctor being a woman. as if that mattered. they are an alien ffs. And she’s a good doctor. So… Wtf
I have never seen the originals but they were also not available at the time. In college which was the first time I’d had cable (2006) they broadcast the revival on sci fi(syfy is dumb) and we were already watching all the stargates and things after them (later warehouse 13). And it was excellent. And still is.
Only thing I wouldn’t do is pick a doctor in the middle of the new series. They all have their place even though there are favorites. And favorite companions. And it’s alot of time to burn.
Although hopefully we won’t have to for much longer lol. It’s still worth watching. As mentioned the episodes don’t usuay do the cliff hanger thing but there is still some overarching character development/story. That is subtle. Idk it feels like you are always learning something about who he is.
And it course there’s some call backs and the usual stuff
Since you enjoyed Torchwood, I’d guess starting with the 2005 episodes and seeing the introduction of Captain Jack would be fun. It’ll also further inform your understanding of Torchwood.
I had grown up as a kid with the Doctor, but at the time I didn’t really care much about the specifics of each actor (other than noting that some of the special effects in the older seasons were humorously cheesy). When the new series restarted, I went to the library and borrowed a mess of tribute DVDs that BBC had done of the old series. That turned out to be amazingly educational, especially the interviews with the surviving cast members. The original series was done in theatrical play format, which must have been incredibly challenging to do for science fiction. There are a ton of inside jokes and idiosyncrasies that have carried on for decades, the evolution of the Tardis, music and sound effects are a story in themselves, and a few of the hijinks of the Dalek actors are pretty amusing.
So I’d recommend a little sampling of each the old Doctors from those DVDs, to include the regenerations, then jump into Eccleston. Because, it isn’t necesarily the best sci-fi ever written (heresy, I know, I know), but the story of a sci-fi serial that started in the early 1960’s is amazing. (And you’ll get most of the inside jokes).
Also, if you develop a taste for old Doctor Who, check out Blake’s 7 from the late 70’s - early 80’s.
@blaineg I love that show. It’s free on YouTube.
If you get a chance after watching at least into Matt Smith’s episodes. try to find “The Day of the Doctor”. It was a special long story first released in 2013. Some of the Christmas specials were amazing but this one episode was probably my favorite of the entire new series. But get at least well into Matt Smith series before you watch it.
You should be well informed about fish sticks (fingers) and custard by then.
@duodec “The pointing again! They’re screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?” I love the War Doctor!
@duodec I’m just trying to not drop anything they might be tempted to google. Cause some are so good. If someone wanted to cherry pick… Different discussion than should I watch lol
Any of the multiple Doctor episodes are fun, but probably more so after you’ve met each of them on their own.
Here’s an 8 minute one, no spoilers for the rest of the shows.
If you want to experience Classic Who in its traditional way (as in, you turn it on and get what you get just like over-the-air television where you could wander in after missing part one or have to leave before reaching part six) there’s a Pluto TV channel https://pluto.tv/live-tv/doctor-who-classic streaming old episodes
@slydon IT’S PETER DAVIDSON! Thanks!
@sammydog01 the best adric scene is coming up
@slydon I think I missed it because SPACE 1999 IS ON TOO!
By far the best way. If luck of the draw gives you an episode with Moe Howard as The Doctor – so be it.
@walarney He was on last night with the cybermen. I couldn’t take it after about 10 minutes.
Ohmygosh. If I have to watch one more episode with Daleks I might just have to give up on the Doctor! Something about their voices totally grates on my nerves. Plus, why does every episode featuring Daleks seem to be accompanied by at least 15 minutes of klaxon sound effects?
@ruouttaurmind I think this relaxation tape may help you:
@ruouttaurmind @Trillian Great recording! Daleks are the best. I think I have a little battery operated one under my bed somewhere. I should dig him out.
@sammydog01 @Trillian
@ruouttaurmind @sammydog01 @Trillian
@sammydog01 Bonus points if you can re-program it to play the relaxation tape!