Timothy Eggert

Are you sitting comfortably?
Then, we'll begin.

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If it were 1986, I'd say start with Season 12 (Tom Baker's first year) or 16 ("The Key to Time" also with Tom Baker) and move forward to the newest available episode.

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Since it's 2015, I recommend starting somewhere in the new series to whatever the latest episode is, and THEN taking my 1986 advice. There are a few easy entry points into the new series.

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One suggestion I hear over and over again is to start with "Blink". In my opinion it's one of the best and certainly one of the most popular episodes. It has a careful balance of gothic horror, brainy science fiction, and grin worthy comedy - elements that the best episodes always draw from. It's safe to say that if you enjoyed "Blink" you'll enjoy Doctor Who in general. (Plus it features one of the most interesting alien races created for the new series.) All that said, it's an odd introduction as the Doctor and his companion are barely in it. The episode is like an out of context prologue or a tangential short story for a much richer epic. Finish up by saying, "if you liked that, imagine how good the show is with the Doctor IN it." If you start with this, I recommend going back to 2005's "Rose" and moving forward. If your son asks why the Doctor looks different, just give him a knowing grin and tell him to wait. Or you could say, "Spoilers..." with in your best River Song voice.

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Or... you could start with Matt Smith's first episode, "The Eleventh Hour", which is written from a child's point of view. She's never met the Doctor before, and it's a great plot device if you haven't either. Even though I'm not a huge Matt Smith fan, I have to admit he's got probably the strongest FIRST episode from any Doctor ever. If you start there, run through to whatever the latest episode is and then go back to "Rose" and continue through to the end of time (literally).

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Since "Rose" keeps coming up, you could start there too. (After all, I'm finding more often that fans are recommending skipping over this and all the other Christopher Eccelston episodes. It's utterly absurd. Eccelston is a fine actor and a fantastic Doctor. David Tennant is my favorite of the new Doctors, but Eccelston sets him up. The stories start a little comically, but progressively get darker. And there's only 13 episodes! Why skip him? Slackers.

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Other honorable mentions (still go back to "Rose" and move forward) -
"The Girl in the Fireplace": for kids into Disney princesses.
"Midnight": for horror fans.
"The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances": for those who like happy endings.

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Wherever you decide to start, be sure to get a good episode list. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon have certain episodes categorized in weird ways. Beware: the specials are not always easy to find and easy to skip over.

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Let me know when you're ready for Tom Baker (or new references to earlier episodes).

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Good luck and Allons-y!

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Doctor Who. I still remember my first episode.

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I was staying over at a friend's house for a Saturday night sleepover circa 1986. This would make me about 11 years old. We were watching Monty Python on KUHT. I wasn't terribly familiar with Python at the time, but I was aware of them. About 9pm, my friend's new favorite show came on and we watched it.

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Even with the wobbly sets, dodgy acting, and awful chromakey, I could tell I was watching something special. As an long-time fan and adult, I can see now that this was not one of the better episodes, but as an impressionable tween and first time viewer, I was instantly captivated. Here was a TV show with a funny yet authoritative hero saving an underground civilization from its short sightedness while wearing a totally absurd scarf that I wanted to wear from the instant I saw it. Risking her life along with him was a curious savage girl from another world, and a robot dog who could be any 11 year old boy's best friend. I didn't notice the show's flaws because it was just so unique and imaginative, so unlike anything I've seen on television before or since. And fun.

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My fandom for this show was instant and has taken me in unexpected directions, but Tom Baker is still my Doctor.

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