Should I watch all 20 years of the original run or just begin with the new one which I think is been around for 15 years? What are the best episodes? I’ve seen only a handful of the old and New ones but I liked what Ive seen, just hoping for a guide to really get into it
The key thing to understand is that The Doctor is on a constant rotation. Some are really liked, some are not. So if you start watching one doctor, and for whatever reason it just doesn’t hit for you, try another one. :)
Right now, for a brand new viewer, Disney+ is treating the new Doctor as “Season 1” and it’s not awful. I think there are better seasons, but I’m biased.
It IS better than the last few though.
Free streaming services have a “Doctor Who Channel” which is all the old classic Who, I like to put it on as background noise.
If it’s black and white, that means it’s either Doctor #1 or #2. All the others are color.
White hair and velvet jacket? #3
Long scarf? #4 - My first and favorite.
Cricket Jacket? #5
Multi-colored jacket that makes no sense? #6
Straw hat and umbrella? #7
After that, #8 was a TV movie.
Then the show rebooted with #9. Bald, slick leather jacket.
#10 - Skinny guy, current popular favorite. Brown or blue suit, converse sneakers.
#11 - Kind of goofy looking, bow ties are cool.
#12 - Angry attack eyebrows.
#13 - First female doctor.
The show kind of started losing steam at the end of #11, and never really recovered. #12 and #13 were fine, but they needed better writers.
#14 - the current doctor on Disney+, has writers and show-runners from the #9 and #10 eras, so a big up tick in quality.
I started with the new one and have since gone back to watch the original. From my experience this will be the best for a new viewer as I found that the charm in many of the original episodes was lost in not having lived at the time they aired. And I may not have as much appreciation for how the show began if I didn’t have the knowledge of how the Dr Who series has evolved that the revival goes to lengths to give.
Variable to taste. For me it’s all rise throughout 9, 10 and 11 of the Doctor’s regenerations with only a handful of dull or missable episodes. I absolutely adore Peter Capaldi’s time with the show but Clara just doesn’t do it for me as a companion. I actually haven’t had a chance to watch enough of 13 to form an opinion but the consensus seemed to be that the story is bogged down with weak companions.
I hope that someone else may provide some insight.
I’ll add I had a similar perspective on 9-12, and recently finished 13’s run.
13 is fun despite the writing, and some plot themes that are controversial for good reason. I think the showrunner was good at setting the stage, and creating characters, creating plot devices… but then they’re all underutilized or underdeveloped. Her first season was really setting that stage, which is why it worked best for me. The actors were brilliant though, and really did the best they could with what they had. So much potential, but it didn’t quite manage to reach it.
I’m glad you mentioned here that a major issue for the last couple of season was writing and specifically of the companions. A lot of people blame the issues with the newer seasons on “wokeness” or the fact that there was a female doctor which I never agreed with. Jodie Whittaker is a fine actress, Ive seen her in more than one thing and she’s been phenomenal, so I’ll always defend her even if her run was not my favorite.
It was very much so the writing that was at issue and I think the writing hit the companions the hardest in my opinion. And that did not start with Chibnall. Clara got rebooted every single season she was in into a totally new character. To the point that I thought it was going to be part of her plotline but it didn’t end up that way. And then the companions in Thirteen’s run were just… not memorable. At least for me. I could not tell you a single character trait for any of them.
But, I am very pleased so far with what we’ve gotten from Fifteen’s run though. I enjoy Ruby Sunday quite a bit. She reminds me of Rose in Series One which isn’t a bad think and I enjoy that there’s a mystery surrounding her. I think having a singular companion is better than an entire “Tardis team” as much as I did love the Pond family, the true companion was always Amy, Rory and River were always a bit secondary. I think RTD is aware that the companion writing has been pretty lacking which is why he really is giving Ruby her time to shine. It’s refreshing. I’m glad he’s back.
I’d start with the 9th Doctor.
Start with the modern reboot. First episode is a little dry, but later episodes rely heavily on sneaky references to events prior. Especially the specials. Don’t be afraid to rewatch episodes as well. The dialogue can move quickly and I’ve always picked up on details I missed during the first playthrough. Definitely worth it.
I agree with Audrey0nne that the charm of the original has not aged well, and also not all of the episodes are available due to archive policies and legal restrictions of the day.
The first season of the reboot suffers from the same uncertainty that Star Trek TNG first season did. Nobody knew if the show was going to be a success and also they were trying to balance new techniques with old expectations. Christopher Eccleston was cast for his name recognition and star power and he already knew going in he was only committed for one season.
I say start with the season finale of the reboot’s first season to see David Tennant come in and see where that takes you.
