Modern Doctor Who: an episode roadmap for beginners

Maps To TV Shows: Is there a popular show you’d really like to watch but you just don’t have time to wade through years of it all at once? Do you just want to know why that one character keeps turning up on Tumblr? Do the fans all tell you ‘season one is a bit iffy but stick with it, it gets great!’, leaving you with absolutely zero desire ever to watch the boring/silly/just plain weird season one? Then Maps To TV Shows is for you!

In these articles, we’ll outline routes through popular TV shows focusing on particular characters, story arcs or episode types. Are you really into the Klingon episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Do you want to get the overall gist of the aliens arc on The X-Files? Or perhaps you’d rather avoid aliens and watch the highlights of their Monsters of the Week? Do you just want to know who that guy dressed like Constantine is? In these articles, we’ll provide you with a series of routes through long-running shows designed for new viewers so that you can tailor your journey through the very best TV has to offer.

N.B. Since part of the aim of these articles is to encourage new viewers, spoilers will be kept to a minimum. However, be aware that due to the nature of the piece, certain elements of world-building, bad guy-revelation, late character arrivals etc. will be spoiled, and looking at the details of one suggested ‘route’ may spoil another.

Here’s our guide to modern, post-2005 Doctor Who, or ‘Nu-Who’ as some of us call it. This was written after series 8 and before series 9, meaning if you’re looking to get yourself or a loved one up for speed in time for the new episodes set to land in September 2015, we should be able to help.

Here are four routes through the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff…

Route 1: The Time War, AKA the main plot

The Time War, or ‘The Last Great Time War,’ is the big overarching plot of modern Doctor Who seeded by Russell T. Davies as far back as 2005’s Rose. It came to a head in 2013’s The Day Of The Doctor special and continues to have ramifications for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor in the present day. ‘Present,’ of course, being a fairly relative term at this stage.

This run-down of episodes should be enough to give you a basic understanding of all the Doctors and companions while getting you to the Time War as quickly as possible…

Series 1:

Rose

The End Of The World

The Unquiet Dead

Dalek

The Long Game

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways

Season 1 of Nu-Who is pretty much vital to an understanding of the modern show, establishing the basics of the revived Doctor/companion dynamic and a tone that blends terror and humour. In terms of long-term plot, you can see seeds being sown here, with the episodes listed all featuring either overt references to the Time War or links that will become apparent later on.

Series 2:

The Christmas Invasion

New Earth

School Reunion

The Girl In The Fireplace

Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel

The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit

Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday

Time War references are fairly thin on the ground in series 2, but they are there. References to the Doctor being alone come thick and fast, though, laying some groundwork for the hefty emotional turmoil caused by the Time War, which won’t be fully explained for years – sorry!

Series 3:

The Runaway Bride

Smith And Jones

The Shakespeare Code

Gridlock

Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks

Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/The Last Of The Time Lords

The Time War references start small in this series, so I’ve included a few episodes that feature nods to the Doctor’s dark nature as well. Don’t worry, though – the series concludes in a big, continuity-relevant way thanks to the three final episodes, which are both fantastic and expertly interconnected.

Series 4:

Partners In Crime

The Fires Of Pompeii

The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

The Doctor’s Daughter

The Unicorn And The Wasp

The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End

Again, Russell T Davies is a little coy about the Time War in series 4, but clues are there both in dialogue and the Doctor’s actions (Fires Of Pompeii seems particularly relevant to the Doctor’s post-war mentality, but doesn’t feature any overt references). Again, the finale makes sure to drag the plot back towards the Time War in case you had forgotten about it. On your way there, you could skip The Unicorn And The Wasp if you’re really pressed for time, but the Doctor does say some relevant stuff about time being changeable in that episode.

2008/2009 Specials:

The Waters Of Mars

The End Of Time Part 1/The End Of Time Part 2

David Tennant’s farewell specials give the biggest Time War teases of Nu-Who so far, as well as finding time for heartbreaking regeneration scenes, companion send-offs and a returning baddie (John Simm’s Master) with a newfound penchant for eating people.

Series 5:

The Eleventh Hour

The Beast Below

Victory Of The Daleks

The Vampires Of Venice

Amy’s Choice

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

This was Steven Moffat’s first series as head writer, having taken over from Russell T. Davies. As such, the Time War pretty much takes a year off. Saying that, references to the Doctor mourning and/or belonging in a mausoleum are peppered throughout. Amy’s reference to the Doctor being ‘the last of his kind’ in The Beast Below is sure to get your tear ducts going, too. The Dalek episode and the finale don’t feature the Time War, but they do show the idea of the Doctor in the middle of a battleground, which should be enough to tide you over.

Series 6:

The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon

The Doctor’s Wife

A Good Man Goes To War

Let’s Kill Hitler

The God Complex

The Wedding Of River Song

There are some hefty references to the Time War’s massive conflict in The Doctor’s Wife and The God Complex. Beyond that, series 6 tends to leave that stuff alone. The Silence, introduced in the two-part series opener, do become relevant to the Doctor’s wider struggle later on, though. The Doctor also ‘goes to war’ mid-season, but it’s a different battle altogether. It’s worth a watch as you pace through the series, though.

Series 7:

The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe

Asylum Of The Daleks

The Power Of Three

The Rings Of Akhaten

Cold War

Journey To The Centre Of The T.A.R.D.I.S.

The Name Of The Doctor

Moffat finally ratchets up the Time War plot here, in time for the hefty revelations that would come with the special episodes at the end of 2013. The ideas of the Doctor’s family (or lack thereof), UNIT, the Time War itself and the Doctor’s real name are all seeded before the tease to end all teases concludes the series in The Name Of The Doctor. With The Rings Of Akhaten, you can just skip to the speech at the end, though.

2013 specials:

The Night Of The Doctor [online special]

The Last Day [online special]

The Day Of The Doctor

The Time Of The Doctor

The 50th anniversary specials were a huge celebration of all things Doctor Who, and to give away any details here will probably spoil all seven preceding series in one way or another. Suffice to say – lots of fans loved it. Also, check out The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot around this time, if you fancy a giggle.

Series 8:

Deep Breath

Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Season 8 takes place after the Time War (from the current Doctor’s perspective), but there are still clear ramifications for the Doctor, which I won’t spoil here. The three episodes listed above are the most relevant to the Doctor’s ongoing story. By this point, though, you’ll be up-to-speed enough with Who lore to jump in for series 9. If you’ve got to this point with a few weeks/days/hours left until the new series, you could do a lot worse than watching series 8 in its entirety.

 

Route 2: Hiding Behind The Sofa

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to exclusively check out the scarier episodes of Doctor Who. Perhaps you’re a horror fan who has heard good things, but doesn’t want to see too much sci-fi pomp in between. Maybe you’re a classic Who fan who wants to recreate that hiding-behind-the-sofa experience once more. Maybe, um, you’ve got a thing for scary aliens. If any or all of the above apply to you, here’s our scary route through modern Who…

Series 1:

Rose

The Unquiet Dead

Dalek

The Long Game

Father’s Day

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways

When Russell T Davies brought back Doctor Who, he made sure that anyone who fancied a scare wouldn’t go away disappointed, for the most part. Rose uses the classic baddies The Autons to full creepy effect, while Dalek sees the Doctor’s greatest foe back in fine form after a few years out of commission. There’s plenty of new baddies, too, including the one-time-only Reapers (from Father’s Day) and a wonderfully frightening adversary in the marvellous two-parter The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. The series finale has its moments, too.

Series 2:

The Christmas Invasion

Tooth And Claw

School Reunion

The Girl In The Fireplace

Rise Of The Cybermen/Age Of Steel

The Idiot’s Lantern

The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit

Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday

Scariness is subjective, so your hiding-behind-cushions levels will vary wildly depending on your age and toughness level. The Christmas Invasion is mostly a cuddly Christmas episode, with a baddie thrown in that likes to threaten forced-suicide on a large chunk of Earth’s population. If you’re a kid with scary teachers, School Reunion will probably have you shrieking. Your enjoyment of four of these episodes will hinge on how much you like Cybermen, too.

Series 3:

The Shakespeare Code

Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks

The Lazarus Experiment

42

Blink

Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords

Scares are a bit thin on the ground in season 3, with the biggest exception being Blink – Steven Moffat’s magnum opus of terrifying children and adults alike. New Who fans, prepare to be scared out of your skin by The Weeping Angels, arguably the scariest new baddie rendered in Who’s post-comeback years. There’s also Mark Gatiss transforming into a big CGI flesh-eater thingie in The Lazarus Experiment.

Series 4:

Voyage Of The Damned

The Fires Of Pompeii

The Planet Of The Ood

The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

The Unicorn And The Wasp

Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead

Midnight

Turn Left

The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End

For the faint of heart, the creepy angels in Voyage Of The Damned or the fire monsters in The Fires Of Pompeii could be the stuff of nightmares. Even the most hardened horror fan will struggle to sleep peacefully after Silence In The Library or Midnight, though. Also, a heads up: If you’re not a big fan of insects, you won’t much enjoy Turn Left or The Unicorn And The Wasp.

2008/2009 specials:

Planet Of The Dead

The Waters Of Mars

The End Of Time Part 1/The End Of Time Part 2

Again, this batch of specials (David Tennant’s last go-around in the TARDIS) is a bit subjective, scare-wise – The Waters Of Mars could give anyone nightmares, but The End Of Time and Planet Of The Dead are skewed more towards mildly frightening young kids.

Series 5:

The Eleventh Hour

The Beast Below

The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone

The Vampires Of Venice

Amy’s Choice

The Lodger

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

Season 5 has more creepy goings-on than full-on jump-out-of-your-skin moments, with the return of The Weeping Angels being the exception that proves the rule. Elsewhere, you’ve got the Dream Lord, giant fish, an intercom-utilising alien and Olivia Colman as a disguise for an extra-terrestrial prisoner. The finale has the biggest assembly of villains ever, but the scariest moment comes from a single Cyberman arm.

Series 6:

The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon

The Curse Of The Black Spot

The Doctor’s Wife

The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

Night Terrors

The God Complex

The Wedding Of River Song

The Silence are your new biggest fear this year, popping up at the start and the end of the series. There are creepy dolls, banshee-like ocean spirits, a talking planet and gooey doppelgangers. There’s a minotaur too, in a 1980s-style hotel, of all places.

Series 7:

Asylum Of The Daleks

A Town Called Mercy

The Angels Take Manhattan

The Snowmen

Cold War

Hide

Journey To The Centre Of The T.A.R.D.I.S.

Nightmare In Silver

The Name Of The Doctor

Series 7 tried to push scares in a big way, with mixed results. The returning Weeping Angels are fairly frightening, as is the Alien-inspired Cold War (which brings back the Ice Warriors from the classic series). The ghost-busting antics of Hide and the space cowboy from A Town Called Mercy could have been better, though. Nightmare In Silver does the least with its potential. Each has its merits, though.

2013 specials:

The Night Of The Doctor [online special]

The Day Of The Doctor

The Time Of The Doctor

These three aren’t particularly scary, but once you’re at this stage in Doctor Who, I wouldn’t recommend skipping them. They resolve long-term mysteries and tee up Capaldi’s run. One features a decent Weeping Angel moment, but that’s about it for jumpy bits.

Series 8:

Deep Breath

Into The Dalek

Listen

Kill The Moon

Mummy On The Orient Express

Flatline

Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Last Christmas

Newcomer to the writing fold Jamie Mathieson was a revelation in series 8, serving up some terrific scares in Mummy On The Orient Express and Flatline. Moffat upped his game after series 7, too, returning to Blink-esque territory with Deep Breath, Listen and the 2014 Christmas special, Last Christmas, which we’ve tacked on the end for you.

 

Route 3: Friends, Family and Love

Loved the Doctor and Rose arc but not sure what else to watch? Heard that Doctor Who has a The Time Traveller’s Wife-influenced arc, and want to check that out? Not fussed about monsters, but more the Doctor’s personal relationships? Here are the best episodes to watch (and a few that will help make sense of it all)…

Series 1:

Rose

The End Of The World

The Unquiet Dead

Dalek

Father’s Day

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways

The Doctor’s budding partnership (for want of a better word) is the heart and soul of series 1. To be honest, if that’s what you’re after, you could watch all the other episodes in this run, too (the Slitheen-starring trio of Aliens Of London, World War Three and Boom Town are the ones I’ve left out). The Doctor Dances is worth a shout out, too – it’s the episode where Eccleston’s Doctor really opens up.

Series 2:

The Christmas Invasion

New Earth

Tooth And Claw

School Reunion

The Girl In The Fireplace

The Idiot’s Lantern

Fear Her

Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday

The combination of the Doctor and Rose is the main reason to watch Fear Her, which sees the Doctor carry the Olympic torch AND fight of the invasion of some airborne scribbles. There are some lovely moments between the central duo, though, including a sweet scene involving edible ball bearings. School Reunion brought back the classic companion Sarah-Jane, which opens up an interesting dynamic between the core cast, as well as being incredibly sweet. On the less lovely side, you’d better have your Kleenex at the ready for the series finale.

Series 3:

The Runaway Bride

Smith And Jones

The Shakespeare Code

Gridlock

The Lazarus Experiment

42

Human Nature/The Family Of Blood

Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords

In series 3, the shared romantic interest between Rose and the Doctor is replaced by Martha’s unrequited love for the runaway Time Lord. The Doctor’s commitment to saving Martha at any cost is highlighted in 42 and Gridlock, and she truly returns the favour in the series finale. It’s a different type of time travel love story, but it has its moments. Elsewhere – the Human Nature two-parter is probably the most emotional Nu-Who episode to not feature Rose Tyler.

Series 4:

Voyage Of The Damned

Partners In Crime

The Fires Of Pompeii

Planet Of The Ood

The Doctor’s Daughter

The Unicorn And The Wasp

Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead

Turn Left

The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End

This one’s a stonker for the Doctor’s personal life – there are big reunions in the series finale, the introduction (and subsequent departure) of the Doctor’s daughter, and exploration of what would happen if the Doctor travelled alone (the immense Turn Left), and an incredibly enjoyable on-going screwball-comedy-alike friendship between Tennant’s Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna.

Journey’s End is the ultimate companion team-up, too, which showcases the strength of the Doctor’s friendship circle. Alex Kingston’s River Song makes her debut in Silence In The Library.

2008/2009 specials:

The Next Doctor

The Waters Of Mars

The End Of Time

There’s nary a whiff of romance in these specials, but the importance of friends and companionship in the Doctor’s life is stressed. The Next Doctor sees him team up with another aspiring world-saver, while The Waters Of Mars stresses the consequences of travelling alone. The End Of Time teams Tennant up with Bernard Cribbins – nuff said.

Series 5:

The Eleventh Hour

The Beast Below

The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone

The Vampires Of Venice

Amy’s Choice

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood

Vincent And The Doctor

The Lodger

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

After a somewhat lonely string of specials, the Doctor (now Matt Smith) gets right back into the companion game in series 5. Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond and her boyfriend Rory (Arthur Darvill) become the new Team TARDIS, and they both have whopping great arcs. River Song returns, too, which is always fun. Matt Smith embraces the new Who status quo with unbridled enthusiasm. Also, The Lodger gives him another new pal in the shape of James Corden’s Craig.

Series 6:

A Christmas Carol

The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon

The Doctor’s Wife

The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

A Good Man Goes To War

Let’s Kill Hitler

The Girl Who Waited

The Wedding Of River Song

Marriage! Bromance! Going to war to save your friends! Even though series 6 isn’t the most consistent series of Doctor Who, it features a lot of interesting material for Matt Smith to chew on. He takes the character a bit deeper here, developing the relationships with Amy, Rory, River and Craig. The Doctor’s Wife, by Neil Gaiman, is also one of the best things ever written for any TV show.

‘Night And The Doctor’ specials:

[All available on The Complete Sixth Series DVD and Blu-ray box sets. Most of them can be found online, too]

Bad Night

Good Night

First Night

Last Night

Up All Night

This series of short episodes pads out the story of the Doctor’s relationship with River, in highly entertaining fashion. They’re set in between episodes of series 6, but don’t contain any major spoilers, so you can watch them whenever you like, really.

‘Pond Life’ specials:

Pondlife Omnibus [online only]

This one’s exclusively for fans of the Ponds – you can witness their pre-season-7 personal life in this series of short films. Warning: features an Ood on a toilet.

Series 7:

Asylum Of The Daleks

Dinosaurs On A Spaceship

The Angels Take Manhattan

The Snowmen

The Bells Of Saint John

Cold War

Nightmare In Silver

The Name Of The Doctor

Nightmare In Silver probably isn’t on many lists of Doctor Who episodes that need watching, but from a the-Doctor’s-personal-life perspective, it’s an interesting piece of the puzzle, as Clara brings her babysitting assignment along with her on a trip to space. Elsewhere, you’ll see the Pond family get their well-deserved emotional send-off and a big ol’ mystery about ‘the impossible girl’ who likes making soufflés.

2013 specials:

The Night Of The Doctor [online special]

The Day Of The Doctor

The Time Of The Doctor

Clara gives Matt Smith’s Doctor a big goodbye in The Time Of The Doctor, after helping him out in the preceding 50th anniversary special The Day Of The Doctor. The Night Of The Doctor isn’t really about his personal life, but it’s required viewing for all Doctor Who fans. You won’t regret it.

Series 8:

Deep Breath

Listen

The Caretaker

Kill The Moon

Mummy On The Orient Express

Flatline

In The Forest Of The Night

Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Last Christmas

An interesting one, this. With Peter Capaldi becoming the Doctor, the character went a little frosty. Clara isn’t hugely keen on this, and repeatedly talks about leaving his side. Meanwhile, this new Doctor seems to have more luck getting along with young people than he does fully-fledged adults. See: The Caretaker, Kill The Moon, Flatline and In The Forest Of The Night. Season 8 is an interesting change of pace for the Doctor’s personal life.

 

Route 4: For fans of Classic Who

Are you a fan of classic era Doctor Who that has been putting off watching the regenerated version of the show? Want to see some classic monsters, familiar time periods and references to Who lore without getting too bogged down by big on-going plot strands or Time Lord romance? Here are a few suggestions…

Series 1:

Rose

The Unquiet Dead

Dalek

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways

Every introduction to Nu-Who should begin with Russell T Davies’ seminal series starter Rose. Meet the new companion there, then work your way through Victorian Britain, the reintroduction of the Dalek, a thrilling World War 2 story and a whopping series finale, with a regeneration and everything.

Series 2:

Tooth And Claw

School Reunion

Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel

The Idiot’s Lantern

Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday

The Cybermen are back! So is Sarah Jane! AND K-9! Series 2 has plenty to love for fans of the original Doctor Who series. If you want a bit more from the early days of Tennant’s Doctor, you could try out The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit, a two-parter which sees the eponymous Time Lord on a mission to save a planet from being sucked into a black hole.

Series 3:

Smith And Jones

The Shakespeare Code

Gridlock

Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks

Blink

Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords

A Judoon platoon upon the moon kicks off series 3, and The Master rounds it off with a maniacal plan to win the Earth for his own. In between, the Daleks find a strange new way to preserve their species. Also: Gridlock is a low-budget adventure featuring some brilliant alien prosthetics and Blink introduces the best new monster that Nu-Who has to offer (arguably).

Series 4:

Time Crash (Comic Relief short, now available online, here)

The Fires Of Pompeii

The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

The Unicorn And The Wasp

Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead

Midnight

The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End

There are some brilliant historical episodes in season 4 – namely The Fires Of Pompeii (which sees Tennant’s Doctor struggling with a moral dilemma) and The Unicorn And The Wasp (which teams the Doctor and Donna with Agatha Christie to solve a real-life mystery). Elsewhere, Forest of The Dead and Midnight see Nu-Who at its tensest and scariest. Also: Davros is back! And the Sontarans! We’re sure you’ll love Time Crash, too.

2008/2009 specials:

The Next Doctor

The Waters Of Mars

The End of Time Part 1/The End Of Time Part 2

The Next Doctor plays with the idea of the Doctor bumping into himself, or thinking that he has. The Waters Of Mars is brilliantly suspenseful, with some of Nu-Who’s best-designed baddies. The End Of Time brings Rassilon out of retirement in a three-way battle versus the Doctor and the Master.

Series 5:

Victory Of The Daleks

The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood

Vincent And The Doctor

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

More villains than ever seen on one screen unite against the Doctor in series 5’s finale. There’s also a return for the Silurian race and the Daleks (who get an ill-fated paint job in an otherwise strong story). The Weeping Angels get scaled up for their first (and so far, only) two-parter, and Vincent And The Doctor offers one of Doctor Who’s most heart-warming historic visits of all time.

Series 6:

The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon

The Doctor’s Wife

The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

A Good Man Goes To War

Let’s Kill Hitler

The Girl Who Waited

The Wedding Of River Song

Series 6 – after years of Dalek and Cyberman schemes – gave the classic villains a rest, resulting in some interesting new ideas. The Silence are a truly chilling baddie throughout the season, while the twisty narrative involving River Song is well worth your time. The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People also have a classic base-under-siege feel to them.

Series 7:

Asylum Of The Daleks

The Angels Take Manhattan

Cold War

Journey To The Centre Of The T.A.R.D.I.S.

Nightmare In Silver

The Name Of The Doctor

A new upgrade for the Cybermen, a trip into the Doctor’s past and the return of the Ice Warriors are on the menu in season 6. That’s as well as the return of the Weeping Angels, the Doctor accepting a mission from the Daleks and a journey deeper into the T.A.R.D.I.S. than Nu-Who had previously dared to go.

2013 specials:

The Night Of The Doctor [online special]

The Day Of The Doctor

The Time Of The Doctor

Arguably, these ones are vital viewing in order to understand post-2013 Doctor Who. The Night Of The Doctor and the last ten minutes of The Day Of The Doctor as most relevant to classic fans, though. Also, seek out The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot if you have time.

Series 8:

Deep Breath

Into The Dalek

Kill The Moon

Mummy On The Orient Express

Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Last Christmas

Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is a dream come true for many classic fans, dressing more like the original Doctors than his recent predecessors and even doling out Jelly Babies at one stage. Deep Breath sees him in Victorian London, while Into The Dalek plunges him, well, into a Dalek. The Cybermen and The Master team up for an exciting series finale, too, and there’s more base-under-siege fun in Kill The Moon and Last Christmas.

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