Complete series cast summary: | |||
Tom Baker | ... | Doctor Who 173 episodes, 1974-1984 | |
William Hartnell | ... | Dr. Who / ... 140 episodes, 1963-1984 | |
Jon Pertwee | ... | Doctor Who / ... 129 episodes, 1970-1984 | |
Patrick Troughton | ... | Dr. Who / ... 127 episodes, 1966-1985 | |
Frazer Hines | ... | Jamie / ... 116 episodes, 1966-1985 | |
Nicholas Courtney | ... | Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart / ... 106 episodes, 1965-1989 | |
Pat Gorman | ... | Guard / ... 34 episodes, 1964-1985 | |
Elisabeth Sladen | ... | Sarah Jane Smith 81 episodes, 1973-1984 | |
Jacqueline Hill | ... | Barbara Wright / ... 81 episodes, 1963-1980 | |
William Russell | ... | Ian Chesterton 78 episodes, 1963-1965 | |
Katy Manning | ... | Jo Grant 77 episodes, 1971-1984 | |
John Scott Martin | ... | Dalek / ... 66 episodes, 1965-1988 | |
John Levene | ... | Sergeant Benton / ... 70 episodes, 1967-1983 | |
Peter Davison | ... | The Doctor / ... 70 episodes, 1981-1984 | |
Traveling across time and space, the immortal time-lord known as 'The Doctor' travels across the universe with his many companions and his loyal shape-shifting space-ship: The TARDIS. The Doctor faces many threats across many generations: from The Daleks, The Cybermen and his time-lord adversary The Master to the sinister Davros, creator of The Daleks. Written by Johnny
The sheer volume of Doctor Who episodes makes briefly commenting on all aspects of this wonderful show a challenge. However, I can make some recommendations for new viewers.
If the ONLY thing you want from science fiction is special effects, then Doctor Who is not for you. The quality of the effects are often admirable when the shoestring production budget considerations are factored in, but Doctor Who never really equaled the special effects of other shows. What Doctor Who does deliver is keen attention to character, dialogue, and plot. Doctor Who was always something more than its 1963 b&w kid's show origins suggest, and over the years it evolved into a program that could make some very clever, thought-provoking comments and observations while at the same time delivering a fun and suspenseful adventure.
Cliffhangers were what made me a fan from the beginning. Unfortunately, Doctor Who tends to be shown now in movie-style blocks. This dilutes those marvelous cliffhangers. Every episode of the show is about a half-hour, but most stories had at least 4 parts. At the end of each part, the Doctor or one of his many companions faces seemingly absolute, inescapable doom of some kind or another. I was lucky enough to first see Doctor Who on PBS, one half-hour episode per week-night. My friends and I had to wait a whole agonizing day to see the Doctor's clever escape or rescue. I don't know how the UK fans had the patience to wait a week. If you can, you should try to preserve the breaks too in order to get a real sense of the show, even if you just pause a few moments between parts.
One more thing to remember is that the Doctor is enigmatic. We still don't know everything there is to know about this renegade Time Lord. Part of the fun of the show is learning about the complex character and his history. But rest assured, his hearts are always in the right place.
So which episode should you start with? Every fan has a favorite Doctor and episode. I think you can't go wrong with "Remembrance of the Daleks" (1988). The 7th Doctor and Ace are a great team. Or try "City of Death" (1979), a terrific 4th Doctor and Romana story set in Paris. But ask around and check the web; other fans will send you in other directions. That's the most fun thing about discovering this show, there are so many directions to explore.