Introduction

The New Doctor Who series hit BBC-America a few years ago and all my Sci-Fi buddies were frothing at the mouth. Fans of the old BBC series, they were ecstatic their old friend, The Doctor, was back on the airwaves cruising the fourth dimension. A new series starting fresh with the tried and true Doctor formula sounds like a great time to step in and catch up. One glaring issue: I know nothing of Doctor Who and I can't stand starting something in the middle...


It may border on the obsessive. If I arrive at the movie theater 5 minutes into the show, my disappointment is tangible. When I pick up a new series of books, I make certain to get the very first instance of the author's world. With Raymond Feist and Terry Pratchet, I didn't start just anywhere, I went to the first Midkemia book and the first Discworld book. I refuse to watch the show 24 because I haven't seen the first season. I like to be in the know, to have all the background information, to watch a series from its genesis.

I couldn't just jump into the thick of Doctor Who, a show that even in my ignorance I knew had a deep mythology and back story. I'm certain the new series is kind to newcomers, but that's just not good enough for me. Where did the Doctor come from? What has he done so far? When he faces his enemies, do they have a long history or is this some new foe? These are questions important to me, if not to the new series. I had to start from the beginning.

26 seasons!? Well, that's a bit daunting, but not impossible.

So I embarked upon my journey: Doctor Who from the beginning. It was shortly after finishing Season 1 that I realized I was in a unique position. I was literally untainted by prior Doctor Who knowledge. I was in the enviable position of being able to experience the show with the eyes of an innocent. Would the show hold up to a modern viewing? Would my fresh viewing in the 21st century hold up to the conventions of the past? Would I give high marks to the old favorites and low marks to the traditional scoundrels?

I once read a piece by someone who watched all of the Star Wars movies, in story order, for the first time ever as an adult. So I will attempt to do the same and perhaps the Who fans in Whoville will find something interesting to read.

The blog begins. Doctor Who, from beginning to end, from someone who knows nothing of show and its mythology.