Where do I start? Doctor Who Edition
Published: 11/27/2012 12:21 PM
Last Modified: 11/27/2012 12:35 PM
Doctor Who: The Current Series
I grew up watching a lot of public television. I'm not sure why. It was probably because cable wasn’t quite a thing yet in my household until the late ‘80s. My brother and I spent most weekends at our dad’s house, and he liked to sleep in, so every Sunday morning my brother and I would wake up, get ourselves some cereal, and plop down to watch a few good hours of Doctor Who on Denver’s channel 6.
I still remember my first episode. It happened to also be Tom Baker’s first episode, “Robot”. America was several years behind England in airing the new episodes, which was okay with us, because we got the added bonus of most stories edited together, as opposed to the weekly half-hour installments that ran across the pond where a single story could take weeks to tell. We got the whole thing in one sitting with no commercials. Barely missed an episode right up until the series was cancelled, and for some time after, as channel 6 in their infinite wisdom, started over with what episodes they had from the ‘60s. A lot of these I had already seen, and the need for new episodes, while always there, faded into the background for a while until 1996, when FOX decided that with the success of shows like the X-Files, Sci-Fi was cool again, and they made a back door pilot for an American version of the show. It was a noble effort. Not without its flaws, but intriguing enough where potential could be seen. Unfortunately, the ratings weren’t there to produce a series, and we Who fans (Whovians) had to wait until 2005, when the BBC re-booted the series. We have enjoyed 7 great seasons so far, and by all accounts this version will keep trucking for a long time to come.
The basic point of "Doctor Who" is easy enough. There is a being called The Doctor, and he has a time machine, and he has adventures. That’s pretty much it. However, with a 50 year history and 11 different actors having taken on the role, and a whole slew of companions and a massive pile of novels, comics and whatever else, where does a newbie start off?
For this post, I’m going to stick with the reboot. I know the purists will cry foul, but I honestly believe that there is no way for the uninitiated to fall in love with the old show without first gaining an unhealthy obsession with the new one. So here are a number of episodes to start off with. Watch these, then start back at the beginning of the 2005 series. That is, unless these episodes don’t make you love the show. In that case, there is no hope for you, and you should move on to something else.
1) Blink (Season 3 Episode 10)
Whenever people I know want to start watching "Doctor Who," I always show them this episode first. I still think the villains in this episode are not the best that the new series has come up with, but Blink stands as one of the most well-crafted stories the show has ever produced. The fact that the hero only has about five minutes of screen time makes it that much better.
2)The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10)
This was the first two-part story the new series did, and was also the first glimpse we get of Captain Jack Harkness, who becomes an important enough character later on that he gets his own show, Torchwood. The episodes are wonderfully creepy and have a surprisingly happy ending.
3)Midnight (Season 4 Episode 10)
Midnight is not only one of the best Doctor Who stories ever made, it may be one of the best hours of television ever made. Probably not, but it is possible. This episode’s beauty comes from its sheer minimalism. There is really only one location, and a few actors, but they make it all worthwhile.
4)The Girl in the Fireplace (Season 2, Episode 4)
This episode is just plain fun. The intriguing story is filled with creepy villains and takes place in both 18th century France and a 51st century spaceship. Also a banana daiquiri is involved.
5) The 11th Hour (Season 5 Episode 1)
This is our introduction to the 11th Doctor, and Amy pond, who utill very recently was the current companion. It sets up the Matt Smith years nicely.
6) Vincent and the Doctor (Season 5 Episode 10)
The Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh, and an invisible monster terrorizing a small French town. The ending will make you tear up. If it doesn’t, you have no soul.
7) The Lodger (Season 5 Episode 11)
This is a fish out of water story where the Doctor is forced to spend a few days living with normal people. Hilarity ensues.
If these choice episodes don't draw you in, then you can give up. I make no claims that Doctor Who is for everybody, and a lot of Americans just don't "get" British T.V., and that's okay. A lot of British people don't "get" American T.V. either.
Written by
Jason Powers
Scene Writer
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