Doctor Who newb here...

[Eddie The 'Ead]

I'm thinking about making my first jump into Doctor Who. They have a some DVDs at the store that I'm going to, so my question is: Do I need to watch all the Doctors in order, or can I start with the first episodes of, say, the third of fourth Doctor?

[Stormraven]

I jumped in around Tom Baker (#4) but it really doesn't matter as far as I'm aware. My lady didn't get into the Doctor until David Tennant (#10).

[HYHYBT]

I started on the series because my brother got me to watch a couple of episodes of the new version (this would be around three years ago, I guess.) But like a complete idiot, I approached it like I would anything else, by starting at the beginning and working forwards, at least, as much as was available through Netflix. There's simply too much; I mostly enjoyed the oldest episodes, but lost interest shortly after he became stranded on Earth somewhere in the early 70's (what's the point of a show about a time-and-space traveller who never leaves the here and now?) and never continued. If I had it to do over again, I'd have started with the beginning of the revived version, looked up anything confusing online, and once in a while thrown in a disc or two of the old stuff. Though I did like the first doctor.

So that's my advice, if advice from a failed attempt is helpful, rather than from someone who actually follows the show. I definitely wouldn't start with #3.

[JoitheArtist]

I jumped in with Doctor 9 (Chris Ecclestone), and did just fine. You really can just start with the new series (which is easiest to find, anyway), and do some backtracking later.

[Eddie The 'Ead]

Just recently bought "Image of the Fendahl". Also thinking about buying "Genesis of the Daleks" from Amazon.

[ShadedWings]

I saw an ep or two with David Tennant, decided to start with the beginning of the "new" series, started with Doc #9 (Chris Ecclestone) and I've enjoyed the new stuff just fine starting there. Still unsure about Matt Smith so far but he has his own flair! Tennant's my huge favorite currently though.

[cinema guy]

Also thinking about buying "Genesis of the Daleks" from Amazon.

Genesis of the Daleks is a cracking story. One of the best.

The easiest place to jump in is probably the start of the new series. However, since you've already dipped your toe into the classic series, just pick and chose what takes your fancy. There is almost no continuity to worry about.

Great stories on DVD include:

Daleks Invasion of Earth
Tomb of the Cybermen
Ark in Space
talons of Weng Chiang
Pyramids of Mars
Caves of Androzani
City of Death
The Time Warrior
Earthshock

[XCashier]

If you want to start with the new series, start with Christopher Eccleston's first one, Rose. That'll give you a good background. Definitely watch all of Nine's episodes, because they're all very good (Dalek is my personal favorite) and Eccleston was brilliant as the Doctor (I wish he'd stayed on for more than one year).

If you want to try the classic series, Doctors Three (Jon Pertwee) and Four (Tom Baker) are consistently good. Three was trapped on Earth for a while, but was surrounded by interesting people (including the original Master) and had plenty of good stories. Four also has a lot of good stories, though things start getting a little silly during his sixth year (skip The Horns of Nimon, unless you want to do a MST3K on it. Trust me on this.) The other Classic Doctors are all good, but Three and Four are the best IMHO. YMMV.

Oh, and ignore the "special effects" in the classic series. Yes, they're laughable. The writing and acting make up for it, though.

[Seshat]

I'd recommend Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, in order, with Matt Smith as his are released.

And hit your local video store and pick up older stuff and watch it as 'historic' to the current.

There was a kind of semi-reboot of the Dr Who universe between the old series and Christopher Eccleston. Doctors Nine and Ten (Eccleston and Tennant) reference a 'Time War', in which many things were changed by the various time-travelling powers.

So think of the older stuff as things the Doctor has lived through, but which may or may not have happened in the current objective universe. Yes, time travel makes things confusing!

[Ben_Who]

I'd start with "City of Death," myself, the 1979 Tom Baker serial. Those old "classic" episodes are paced very differently from the current series, but that one pretty much says everything that needs to be said about the old series.

The new series is very continuity-intensive, so if you want more modern storytelling, you might as well begin with "Rose." My own personal favorite "new" episode is "The Unicorn and the Wasp," but that's a personal preference.

Doctor Who is one where you probably don't want to begin at the beginning, not until you're already a fan. Those old early-to-mid 1960s episodes owe more to movie serials than modern television, and they can drag a bit for the modern young viewer. Not to say that they don't have some incredibly good stories in there - I highly recommend "The Keys of Marinus" - but you don't want an episode produced in 1964 to turn you off a series still in production in 2010.

Love, Who? (No relation)

[Zoom]

For maximum enjoyment I recommend the "About Time" series of books by Tat Wood and Lawrence Miles. These books give the most meticulous detail about the inner workings of classic Doctor Who, the BBC, television itself, and popular culture and the interconnections between them.

As for the DVDs themselves, of course they haven't released all of them yet, and because some episodes were deleted, they won't, ever. But even 120+ existing stories of the original show would be a daunting task to purchase, and if you choose to rent, you will likely not have a great selection of them.

Jon Pertwee was my favorite Doctor. It may come across as silly that he couldn't travel in time and space in a show about a time/space traveller, but that's exactly the point. He genuinely suffered more than the other Doctors. However, UNIT, the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton were fun to have in the stories.

Interestingly, I haven't watched the stories in some time without the commentaries on. I know most of them by heart, thanks to 10+ years of PBS Sunday nights.

[Dreamstalker]

I remember that my dad had a couple stacks of videos. I would watch it with him on occasion when I was a pup, but never really got into it until the new series started (Tennant's still my favorite ).

It's hard to find the older BBC DVDs used at a decent price though (at least locally).

[raw456]

Tom Baker will always be my favourite Doctor I grew up with him on the TV and desperately wanted a long scarf like he wore.

Christopher Eccleston was a great re-introduction of the character to a new generation of viewers. It took a while for me to warm to David Tennant, but by his second series I was hooked. One of the best episodes he did was called "Blink" it scared the pants off me and I still cannot re watch it, but it was brilliant none the less.

Everyone has their favourite Doctor, I would suggest trying a little from each one. It should give you a good cross section of the character.

And Welcome to the Whoniverse

[dawnfire]

David Tennant is my fave doctor followed by Tom Baker. I'm looking forward to the new doctor (it airs next week here in oz).

Welcome to whodom, buckle your seats cause your in for some fun

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Yes, time travel makes things confusing!

Made me think of this bit from the new series, season 3, "Blink"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhBK3...eature=related

(It's the bit that starts at around 8:20.)

I first got to see the Tom Baker Doctor when BPS started playing it Sundays, and loved it. My work schedule changed about the time that they started running the Colin Baker episodes. Never saw it again until the new series started.

I'd love to find a copy of the special with Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor...