How to Watch Doctor Who (2024) Beginner's Guide

I ended up at a party full of World Health Organisation medics- Apparently, I've gone to the wrong Doctor WHO convention.

This is not going to happen if you watched the real Doctor Who time travel series on BBC. Though it will never appear on Torchwood as per Steven Moffat, the rest of the world will continue to love watching Doctor Who starting from Series 1.

We’ll show you how to watch Doctor Who the right way, right now. 

3 Things To Know When Watching Doctor Who

1. Who's the Doctor?

Doctor Who comes from the humanoid alien race called Time Lords, but he is somehow different from the rest of the inhabitants of Gallifrey. The main protagonist of this TV series travels in his vehicle called the TARDIS. Regeneration is a trick under the sleeves of Doctor Who. 

It allows them to trick the reaper when on the verge of death. It rewrites their biology, which then changes their appearance as it happens. This is how a new Doctor Who comes out. Every episode shows the Doctor's adventure, which sometimes is very heartstopping, like The Day of the Doctor episode, a special episode aired in 2013. 

This is a 50th Anniversary Special presentation of the Doctor Who series. Interesting fact, though, about Torchwood. This is a spin-off of Doctor Who, but the series's creator said that the Doctor would not appear on the show. 

Read: Our Cool Doctor Who Costume Ideas

2. What's a Companion?

The companion keeps the immortal Time Lord grounded as it acts as the force of balance of the Doctor's unimaginative abilities. What happened in "The Waters of Mars" on the Tenth Doctor special would let you know why Doctor Who needs a companion to be effective with his infinite quest in time and space. 

Moreover, the two are also friends and confidants. The race of the Companions varies as they come from various species and planets. There is always someone traveling with the Time Lord. A special Doctor, Thirteenth, played by Jodie Whittaker, had companions from previous episodes- Rose, Jack, Sarah Jane, Martha, and Mickey.

3. Who are the Villains?

Adversaries are what the Doctor has, and in these episodes, one appears, making the protagonist's life extremely difficult. The Daleks and the Cybermen are the genocidal(1) alien races that want to eradicate all life forms or recreate them into their image. 

These two are not the only headache to the Doctor as his own race also has a rogue Time Lord named The Master, who wants to spread evil and cause chaos. The Waters of Mars also showed a different villain to the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. The Doctor and Sarah Jane adventures are made exciting by these villains even in the classic releases. 

Where to Start

First Doctor/Classic Series

Suppose you want to watch Doctor Who just out of curiosity, it is best to start with the classic episode, An Unearthly Child. The spin-offs series consist of four episodes, at 25 minutes each. This was initially aired on November 23, 1963, on BBC TV. 

The series has the adventures of Sarah Jane adventures, the companion who stayed with the Doctor for the longest time. You can be sure that all Sara Jane adventures are action-packed and heart-stopping, which is better viewed at night. 

Read: Doctor Who Day Complete Guide

Ninth Doctor/Modern Series

The modern series started in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor. Episode 1, where an Auton was attacking the young shopgirl. Episode 1, or season 1of the series, is a two-part episode that was enjoyed by many. 

The Tenth Doctor, played by Tennant, was highly viewed as well as the successors. Peter Capaldi, who appeared on The Time of the Doctor, was the Twelfth Doctor watched by many on the BBC. 

Read: Top 25 Gifts for Whovians

Prequels & Epilogues

The Doctor's prequels and epilogues are all very exciting to watch, especially at night, and have their distinction from the others. A prequel of every Doctor's episode was always heart-stopping. The featured scenes shows time traveling on TARDIS where the Doctor tries to stop the end of time with his trusted companions. We listed down prequel episodes that made a mark in this TV program. 

• The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe
• A Good Man Goes to War
• Asylum of the Daleks
• A Town Called Mercy
• The Vampires of Venice
• The Name of the Doctor
• The Name of the Doctor 

Extras

The Doctor Who BBC TV Program did not just release the best episodes but specials for the holiday seasons too. Since everyone on earth can all be seated at this time of the year, the producers decided on making specials. The first time they released was in 2005 with the initial episode entitled, The Christmas Invasion. Below are the titles of the Christmas specials released. Prequel and extras are never dull releases because of the out-of-the-box story. 

• Christmas Carol 
• Last Christmas
• Attack of the Graske
• Husbands of River Song
• Voyage of the Damned
• Runaway Bride 
• The return of Doctor Mysterio

Doctor Who Episodes Based On Your Preference 

For Newbies - Blink Episode

Blink is probably one of the scariest Doctor Who series released. They introduced the Weeping Angels in this episode. This is not one of the ordinary villains made by the BBC TV program producers but a very cunning nemesis that kills faster than a blink of an eye. 

They highlighted the story of the Weeping Angels in this series. How these evil beings terrorized the night and threatened every living creature was truly scary. 

For Quick Catch-Ups - Pilot Episode

Series 1 of Doctor Who is worthy of viewing if you want to fully grasp this TV program's out-of-the-box tale as this started everything about the series and the scary night that brings out enemies trying to destroy a planet or rage war in space. 

This episode inspired spin-offs in the first series though it was a bit long. These are still available online, which are best to watch at night. 

For the Best Episode - Eleventh Hour

This is the initial episode of the fifth series, which we considered the best Doctor Who episode of the season. The Doctor only has Amy Pond to help him while the screwdriver is damaged and the TARDIS is a wreck. This can be considered as a prequel to an episode released in 2005. 

This is an out-of-the-box prequel of the protagonist trying to save the day, and it is available to view online along with other spin-offs such as Sarah Jane adventures. 

For the Best Introduction - Rose

This is the first episode of the series released in 2005. The Daleks were also introduced in this series and showcased how much threat it can give, just like in episode 6. Episode 6 of season 1 was all about Dalek. The Doctor and Sarah Jane adventures are not yet featured in this release but are equally entertaining if you enjoy the older releases.

FAQs

Is Doctor Who on Netflix?

Yes. For a time. It was streaming online on Netflix, but it was over in 2016 since they signed an agreement to put the show on Amazon Prime, but only for the 2005 series onwards. BritBox will be showing the classic Doctor Who in the US.

Is Doctor Who free on Amazon Prime?

Yes. You can stream Doctor Who online on Amazon Prime, absolutely free for Amazon Prime subscribers. This includes all-new series except for the most recent Season 11. 

Time to Binge-Watch Doctor Who!  

Doctor Who has been around since 1963 and proven to provide the best entertainment, regardless of who the Doctor is. Preferred actors play the role, but people still get hooked on it because of the out-of-the-box storyline. BBC proved over and over that the series is going to stay until the end of time. Or until another prequel shows Daleks destroyed for good.

If you don't know yet, Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who. If you already saw how great that show is, you should feast your eyes on the series where it all started. Do it online, at night, to get a better feel. 

For Doctor Who toys and collectibles, check out the Toynk store!