10 Best Doctor Who Episodes For New Fans

Want to get your friends and family into Doctor Who? Try these out for size.

By Baz Greenland /

Doctor Who can seem pretty daunting for new viewers. There's fifty one years of mythology and countless "jumping on" points. What they don't realise, though is that, once you understand the basic concept, it's pretty easy to get into. The Doctor and his companion(s) land in a particular place, discover an alien threat and help save the day. That being said, it's a show that can reinvent itself each week. Outer-space adventure one week, a modern day comedy the next, and then a historical horror the week after. There are few shows as eclectic as Doctor Who on television. The majority of Doctor Who is less arc heavy and focused on self-contained stories, particularly in the Classic era of 1963-1989. But even 'Nu Who' has plenty of stories that you can drop into without needing to know everything that happened last week. You can join the show mid-series and be all caught up by the finale. So, which story to pick? Which tale of adventure will best entice your friends or family into becoming a fellow Whovian? An episode which introduces a new Doctor post regeneration? Quite possibly. Epic tales like Day Of The Doctor or Genesis Of The Daleks? Again, both are great but they contain a lot to take in for new viewers. Maybe an episode that encapsulates all the best bits of Doctor Who - comedy, action, drama and time travel? After scouring 51 years of Doctor Who, here's a list of the ten best stories for new fans - the perfect introduction to the world of Doctor Who. Are you sitting comfortably? Good, then let's begin.