10 Doctor Who Episodes You MUST Watch Before The 60th Anniversary

A new Doctor’s first story marks a fresh start for the show: a clean slate, where no knowledge of the previous era is required.

That said, the regeneration stories that precede them work exceptionally well as preliminary viewing – not least because they’re the closest thing fans have to new Who while they wait for the next era to begin.

Regeneration and post-regeneration stories work surprisingly well as double-bills. For instance, by bringing the Doctor’s first and most recent male incarnations together, Twice Upon A Time inadvertently (but magnificently) sets the stage for a female Doctor.

The Power of the Doctor is no exception in this regard. As a feature-length anniversary special in its own right, and with Doctor/companion cameos aplenty, it’s a perfect prologue to the actual 60th celebrations, and has tided fans over admirably these past 12 months.

There’s also some accidental synergy between eras, with Kate Stewart straddling Doctors Thirteen and Fourteen just as her father did Doctors Three and Four. And the Doctor’s temporary transition into the Master foregrounds a regeneration that was, itself, far from ordinary.

Which brings us to the final reason to rewatch Power: it marks the first appearance of the Fourteenth Doctor. It’s currently the only full scene we have of him, save for trailers. But not for much longer!