10 Gateway Episodes Of Great TV Shows

9. Doctor Who, "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" (Series 1, Ep. 9 & 10)

The-Empty-Child (1)When asked to pinpoint a great introductory episode of NuWho, most will point to Blink or Girl In the Fireplace. My own first introduction to Doctor Who, as a matter of fact, came from Blink. But while both of the aforementioned stories are great individual episodes, they are not necessarily emblematic of the show as a whole, and thus aren't the best choices for introductory episodes. Blink in particular is a Doctor-lite episode, focusing largely on characters we'll (regrettably) never see again. And while Girl In the Fireplace is a more standard-format story, it does rely fairly heavily on foreknowledge of the main characters. So why The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances? To bottom-line it, these two episodes encapsulate the spirit of the rebooted Doctor Who in every way imaginable. The story opens with the Doctor and his companion Rose in the TARDIS barreling through space, following a dangerous object headed for the center of London. What more of an introduction to the way the series works do you need? The episodes are dark, sometimes scary, but tinged with an undercurrent of the hope that gives Doctor Who its heart. If you don't grin from ear to ear when the Doctor shouts, "Everybody lives!", you probably missed the point. Not to mention we meet Captain Jack Harkness, the Doctor's friend and foil, discover the importance of bananas, and see Christopher Eccleston's Doctor at his peak (there'll be no foolish skipping of Nine in this article)!
Contributor
Contributor

Matt is a freelance writer and aspiring TV and film scriptwriter. He has a bizarrely eclectic skillset, and the interests to match. Find more of his work and ramblings over at the Breakwater Industries page on Facebook. He is a regular contributor to WhatCulture.com, and his work has also appeared in the essay collection "Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion", published by Titan Books.