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Let's say I've never seen Doctor Who.

How do I start?

start at the most recent season. do it via netflix (or if you have comcast, i think they have everything on demand). http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Doctor_Who/70142441?locale=en-US

it starts quite cheesy and a bit silly, and each season gets better, deeper, most interesting. slowly political commentary sneaks in. Science fiction is good at making points a more "realistic" show cannot (think of Battlestar galactica).

And as they grew more popular the special effects got better (plus and minus if you are a fan of the cheesy) and great writers like Neil Gaiman started helping. The show became more eerie, more interesting.

Torchwood, the spin-off was quite good as well. So if you end up liking it, you've got hours and hours of pleasure.

Even if you have no taste for the previous run in the 70's and 80's, you can enjoy the current.

So start with series 6?

Or start with series 5?

Or just be bold and start with series 7?

Might as well start with series 1.

If you are feeling impatient, Series 5 would be a good jumping on point.

netflix.... seasons 1-6 incl most of the xmas specials are available :-)

they designed season 5 to be a potential starting off point, so you're not required to start and go thru the full 4 previous seasons.

... but _my_ Doctor is David Tennant, so you'd be missing out if you skipped it all, imo... :-)

Watching them out of order is probably not a problem, right?

There are a couple of very good arcs you'll miss if you do that, as well as the pleasure of the character development. It becomes more necessary to watch in order after series five.

+1 on starting with Season 1. I loved Christopher Eccleston. He was only Doctor for a season, but he showed the pain and hurt and anger of being the last of his kind, that gave David tennant something to heal from... I would have said My Doctor was David Tennant, but Matt Smith has really hit it out of the ballpark.

But c'mon-- it's like someone just gave you the boxset of the westwing. just watch and loll around in it.

Now if you were asking if there was a single episode or two to watch to get a "feel" that's a different question. I'm torn between the Christmas specials, which tend to be out of continuity anyhow, or Silence in the Library/Forest of the dead which is witty and creepy. Or Impossible astronaut which is completely brilliant.

Anyone watch last night? it was a little disappointing, more of a classic standalone with a twist. Certainly no Impossible Astronaut.

Thanks for the tips, C. Part of me just wants to start with series 7 and fill in the rest later.

I hear you but starting with five (easy) or six (the mind blowing impossible astronaut) will make seven make more sense. Good luck!

Thank you! Luckily the wiki exists to explain the holes in my knowledge.

See: http://tardis.wikia.com/

The Moff has said that this season will all be standalone stories with little story arc going on.