Doctor Who Series 1
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2005: The Christmas Invasion
Doctor Who Series 2
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2006: Runaway Bride
Torchwood Season 1
Doctor Who Series 3
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2007: Voyage of the Dammed
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 1
Torchwood Series 2
Doctor Who Series 4
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 2
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2008: The Next Doctor
Doctor Who Easter Special 2009: Planet of the Dead
Torchwood Season 3: Children of Earth
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 3
Doctor Who Special: Waters of Mars
Doctor Who Special Christmas 2009: End of Time Part 1
Doctor Who Special New Years Day 2010: End of Time Part 2
Doctor Who Series 5
Sarah Jane Adventures Season 4
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2010: A Christmas Carol
Doctor Who Series 6 Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 7)
Torchwood Season 4: Miracle Day
FAQs
Wow that’s a lot of shows. Do I really have to watch Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures?
No. You don’t need to watch Torchwood to understand Doctor Who or vice-versa, however, some details of plot lines will makes more sense if you do. Sarah Jane Adventures generally stands apart from Doctor Who and can be skipped. I would, however, recommend watching Season 3 Episodes 5/6 “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith” and Season 4 Episode 5/6 “The Death of the Doctor” as they include guest appearances by the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, respectively.
Is Torchwood any good?
Personally, I only recommend watching Season 3 of Torchwood which is a five part mini series entitled “Children of Earth.” Season 4 is taking a similar format with a ten part story; hopefully it will be good as well.
Isn’t Sarah Jane Adventures a children's show? Is it any good?
Yes, Sarah Jane Adventures is specifically targeted at younger children. In general it’s a bit hit-and-miss. I generally use it to fill the space between seasons of Doctor Who.
What comes before “New Who?”
The Classic series aired from 1963 - 1989 and includes the adventures of the 1st to 7th Doctors. “Doctor Who: The TV Movie” aired in 1996 and deals with the 8th Doctor.
Where should I start?
If you’re not sure if you are going to like the show or if you are introducing the show to a sceptical friend I suggest starting with Series 3 Episode 10 “Blink”.
In generally, however, I recommend starting with Series 5 Episode 1 “The Eleventh Hour.” This episode marks the beginning of a new Doctor, new companion, and new head writer. As a result it covers most of the basics. The “Eleventh Hour” gives you much more a feel for the current show than 2005 pilot “Rose” does. If you enjoy the Eleventh Hour and series 5, I would definitely recommend going back and watching series 1 to 4 and the various specials along the way.
I don’t really want to sit down and watch all of these. Can you just tell me what the really good episodes are?
Sure, check out my top ten episodes list here.
Love the show but are they any podcasts you’d recommend?
(Ok no one has ever asked me this but I always wanted to give an answer).
My favourite is Radio Free Skaro. I’ve also recently started listening to The Oddcast. There are a number of other Doctor Who podcasts, a directory of which can be found can be found here.
Thank you! I recently decided to start watching the new Doctor Who and I'm glad I did. You've helped me figure out a reasonable viewing order and I appreciate it.
ReplyDeletewhere does K9 fit in?
ReplyDelete@Myowngrandpa K9 is not being produced by the BBC and isn't considered canon so I can be watched at any point.
ReplyDelete