If you’re new to Doctor Who (because it’s never too late to become a Whovian), here’s the Beginner’s Guide to Doctor Who that will tell you everything you need to know. Including what this means:
“Who is he?”
“He’s the Doctor!”
“Doctor Who?”
And that’s the recurring joke throughout the Doctor Who series. If none of this makes sense to you, don’t worry. I’m a Doctor Who newb as well. I never even started watching the show until this year because it just didn’t appeal to me. I wasn’t sure that I was that into sci fi shows or British shows. Put them both together and I was very wary of diving into this show.
It was a few years ago that my sister was at my house watching my son. I walked in on them watching what looked like a frightening episode of Doctor Who (for a kid of his age at the time). I turned it off and we never looked back. Who really likes British shows anyway?
Okay. Stop right there. Turns out I love British shows and I have the podcast episode to prove it. But it wasn’t until after we had a conversation with a true sci-fi nerd on another podcast episode that I realized it might be time to give Doctor Who a second chance.
Now, I’m proud to say that I’m in on the inside jokes. (Spoilers!!!) I know each Doctor and companion. And I finally understand the artwork hanging in my sister’s house.
Here’s everything you need to know to get started on your Doctor Who adventure.
A Brief History of Doctor Who
Let’s consult Wikipedia for this, shall we?
Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called “the Doctor”, an extraterrestrial being, to all appearances human, from the planet Gallifrey. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by a number of companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes, while working to save civilisations and help people in need.
I mean, that’s a pretty straightforward and brilliant description of the show. But in its original incarnation, it ran from 1963 to 1989. Many Brits (and a few devoted Americans) grew up watching the antics of this time lord.
The rest of us starting watching it with the 2005 reboot which has been wildly successful. So that’s where we’ll start.
Where to Watch Doctor Who
You can watch the first 26 seasons (yes, I said 26 seasons) by streaming it on a service called Britbox, which is a subscription service of British TV. It’s available as an add-on service to your Amazon Prime subscription. Or you can just outright buy it (either in DVD format or digitally on Google Play, Vudu, or Amazon).
But the Doctor Who for the rest of us starts in 2005 with the Ninth Doctor. All seasons are available on Prime Video (Amazon) but it’s not as easy to watch as you might think. Skip on down to The Right Order to Watch Doctor Who Episodes if you’re ready to get started. But if you still need a little more background, I’ve got you covered.
Why Are There So Many Doctors in Doctor Who?
There’s actually only one Doctor Who. He’s just really really old. Over 900 years old, I believe. He’s a Time Lord so he travels across space and time and is kind of immortal (not totally, but mostly). When his body gets old or wears out, he simply regenerates a new one. That means new body, new face, new actor. And that’s what we mean when we talk about the Ninth or Tenth or whateverth Doctor. We’re talking about his regeneration.
How Doctor Who Works
As mentioned above, Doctor Who has a TARDIS, a blue British police box that serves as his time machine/spaceship. But he is especially fond of Earth and returns here often. And it’s usually here that he finds his companion. The Doctor does not like to travel alone so he usually finds someone to go with him across time and space. And OH THE ADVENTURES THEY HAVE! But eventually, his companion moves on and the Doctor, for one reason or another, has to regenerate. So we’re constantly changing actors on the show while still keeping it fresh.
I will say that each regeneration has made me VERY resistant. I get attached to characters and actors and I don’t like change. So each time, I’ve refused to accept the newest members of the show. Until I do. And we move on.
Doctor Who and his Companions
2005 Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Companion: Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)
2005 – 2010 Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), Companions: Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)
2010 – 2013 Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), Companions: Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill), Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman)
2014-2017 Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Companions: Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), Nardole (Matt Lucas)
2018 Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)
The Right Order to Watch Doctor Who Episodes
This might seem like a no brainer. Start at the beginning and watch until the end. But it’s not so easy.
First of all, you want to start with season 1 but remember that it’s technically not the first season of Doctor Who. It’s just the first season of the reboot that started in 2005.
The second thing you need to know is that Doctor Who has a special place in the hearts of Brits at Christmas time. Yes, there is a Doctor Who Christmas special every year and these are significant episodes. So once you complete a season, you’ll have to search for the specials often by name. Aren’t you glad you have me to tell you exactly how to watch this?
It would be so much easier if we all just lived in England where, apparently, Doctor Who is required viewing. And much easier to watch.
Here is the episode order (all can be found on Prime Video):
Doctor Who, Season 1: Christopher Eccleston (The Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Doctor Who, Season 2: David Tennant (The Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Doctor Who, Season 3: David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)
Doctor Who, Season 4: David Tennant (The Doctor), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)
Doctor Who, The David Tennant Specials: 4 Episodes (Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars, End of Time Part 1, End of Time Part 2)
Doctor Who, Season 5: Matt Smith (The Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond)
Doctor Who: The Christmas Specials (Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol)
Doctor Who, Season 6: Matt Smith (The Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams)
Doctor Who, The Christmas Specials: 1 episode (The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe)
Doctor Who, Season 7, Part 1: Matt Smith (The Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams)
Doctor Who, The Christmas Specials: 1 episode (The Snowmen)
Doctor Who, Season 7, Part 2: Matt Smith (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, The Day of the Doctor: All Doctors From 1 to 11 (The Doctors), John Hurt (The War Doctor)
Doctor Who, The Time of The Doctor: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Peter Capaldi (The Doctors)
Doctor Who, Season 8: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor) Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)
Doctor Who, Last Christmas: (1 Episode, Last Christmas)
Doctor Who, Season 9: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald), Michelle Gomez (The Master)
Doctor Who, The Husbands of River Song: 1 Episode (The Husbands of River Song)
Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio: 1 Episode (Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
Doctor Who, Season 10: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Pearl Mackie (Bill Pots), Matt Lucas (Nardole)
Doctor Who, Twice Upon a Time: 1 Episode (Twice Upon a Time)
But that’s not the end! We’ve just welcomed a BRAND NEW DOCTOR! The Thirteenth Doctor is played by the fabulous Jodie Whittaker and while fans are mixed on whether or not they’ll like the first female Doctor Who, I’m so excited about it. Since it’s not available for streaming, I might have to go ahead and purchase the season from Prime and watch it each week as it drops.
Fun Facts about Doctor Who
Can you tell how quickly I’ve become a fan? I only started my Doctor Who journey earlier this year and I already consider myself a Whovian, which is a nerdy term for a big fan of the show. But the best part is picking up fun little references throughout the series and realizing just how many actors (American and British alike) have made an appearance on the show. Here are just a couple of fun Doctor Who facts that I’ve picked up while obsessing about the show.
- Everyone that watches the show has a favorite Doctor (I still can’t decide mine yet).
- You will probably be very sad when the Doctor regenerates. There may even be tears.
- It will take several episodes to adjust to the new Doctor but it WILL happen (probably).
- Billie Piper (Rose) was actually a teen pop star before her stint on the show.
- Jenna Coleman (Clara) dated Prince Harry the summer before he married Meghan Markle.
- David Tennant became an actor because he wanted one day play the role of Doctor Who. He’s now considered one of the finest actors from Scotland.
- Matt Smith has been cast in Star Wars: Episode IX.
- Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan both appeared as a characters in one of the David Tennant episodes.
- David Tennant married Georgia Moffett after they met on the set of Doctor Who where she played his clone daughter.
- An unbelievable number of actors have appeared on the show including:
- Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jumanji)
- Arthur Darvill (Legends of Tomorrow, Broadchurch)
- Catherine Tate (The Office)
- Alex Kingston (ER)
- John Barrowman (Arrow)
- Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch, Black Mirror)
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw (A Wrinkle in Time)
- James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden)
- Timothy Dalton (James Bond)
- Josh Dallas (Once Upon A Time)
- James Norton (Happy Valley)
- David Morrissey (The Walking Dead)
The Doctor Who universe is a boundless one, literally. There’s no end to the time or space through which The Doctor can travel, which makes for some interesting writing. One episode might be aboard a spaceship battling an unknown creature like Alien and the next is in 19th century England to solve a murder mystery. If you don’t like one episode, just wait. There will always be one that will get you talking!
If you’re already a Doctor Who fan, you must leave an obligatory comment telling me who your favorite Doctor and/or companions are!
