Classic Doctor Who Essentials: A Beginner’s Guide to the Must-Watch Stories

A question we always get is: Where do I start with classic Doctor Who? After recommending stories on the fly for years, we asked ourselves: why don’t we have a list of classic Who stories to send people to?

First up, I get it, classic Doctor Who can feel overwhelming with decades of adventures and almost 700 episodes. That’s the very reason you’re looking for a bit of guidance, right?

Over more than thirty years, from 1963 to 1996, the classic era reinvented itself again and again. Historical adventures with real emotional weight. Sci-fi thrillers that still stand up today. Character journeys that hit harder than you might expect.

It can feel bloody overwhelming! However, fear not, we’ll have you loving the classic era in no time. We’ve recommended a couple of big hitters from each Doctor, plus a standalone, enjoyable watch.

How to use this guide

You can read this guide in any order. Pick a Doctor you’re curious about or start at the beginning. Jump in and press play.

Some of these stories have milestone moments or important introductions. We’ve also recommended a fun, one-off story with little to no lore. Importantly, this is not a ranking; it’s a starting point for you.

At the time of this article’s publication date, classic Doctor Who can be watched in the following places:

In the UK. BBC iPlayer for free (you need a TV licence, but there’s no subscription or one-off view fee in iPlayer). All episodes are available to purchase from on-demand services like Amazon Prime, Apple TV and U, etc.

In the US and the rest of the world. The primary source is a streaming service called BritBox, which has nearly the whole library.

In general, you can often find various online streaming services offering classic Doctor Who, such as Pluto, Roku, etc. The official Doctor Who YouTube channel also has plenty of episodes there.

Lastly, don’t forget about good ol’ physical media. If you find yourself enjoying the classic era, the DVDs are cheap to pick up now. If you really want to get into it, the Special Edition Blu-ray sets are gorgeous.

Want to jump to a specific era straight away?

• First Doctor
• Second Doctor
• Third Doctor
• Fourth Doctor
• Fifth Doctor
• Sixth Doctor
• Seventh Doctor
• Eighth Doctor

Right, Who fans, let’s get going…

First Doctor – William Hartnell

Where else to start other than right at the very beginning? And what a Doctor to kick off the classic era adventures! Sometimes loved, other times seen as abrasive, grumpy, and short-tempered. Hartnell and the stories in his run certainly divide opinion. We’re in inaugural territory here with the writers and actors getting into the swing of things.

This era can be slow and paddy at times, but it has some great stories if you stick with it. Yes, Hartnell is crotchety at times, but it’s balanced out with his huge heart and a wonderful twinkle in his eye.

1. An Unearthly Child

First broadcast on November 23, 1963

This is where it all begins, and it’s never lost its magic. The opening episode introduces the Doctor as a mysterious, slightly unsettling, slightly grumpy figure rather than an instant hero. Despite the harsh exterior, there’s a beautiful twinkle to Hartnell’s eye that’ll keep you invested in this Doctor.

It’s not just our first look at the Doctor, but also our first TARDIS team! Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, carries her own mystique, especially in this first story. Ian and Barbara, school teachers at Susan’s school, get caught up in the adventure and feel like real people reacting to something impossible, which grounds the whole concept.

The famous reveal of the TARDIS interior remains one of the great moments in sci-fi television. It establishes a constant in the show that is still being used today: people reacting to the TARDIS being bigger on the inside. Classic.

This one is at times slower than later stories, but it rewards patience. You see the DNA of Doctor Who forming in real time before your eyes.

2. The Daleks

First broadcast on December 21, 1963

This is the story that really got fans into the villains of Doctor Who. It’s our introduction to the planet Skaro, the Thals and, of course, the Daleks. Created by writer Terry Nation in his debut story, they are cold, ruthless, and terrifying in a way that still works today.

Now, granted, this is a 7-parter, and there are moments in some parts (mainly episodes 5 and 6) when the pacing slows. However, stick with it; take a break if you need to (4 episodes, then 3 is a good approach).

If you want to understand why the Daleks matter and their significance to every Doctor, not just the First, start here.

Bonus rec: The Ark

First broadcast on March 5, 1966

We’re a bit further into Hartnell’s run at this point, and he feels far more relaxed in the role. There’s warmth, humour, and confidence in his performance. It’s a great example of how the First Doctor era matured over time.

The TARDIS lands on an enormous spacecraft carrying the last of humanity to a new world, ten million years in the future. What happens halfway through reframes everything that came before. This is a story that feels fun rather than foundational.

What makes this a great pick is that it expands the universe without being overwhelming. It introduces a broader concept playfully, doing so through character rather than exposition.

Second Doctor – Patrick Troughton

If you’re a fan of Matt Smith’s Doctor from the modern era, then Patrick Troughton may appeal to you. They share a common quirky, clown-like nature but can be serious when needed. Troughton’s Doctor is loud, shouty, a bit fumbly and above all else, utterly likeable.

A very different Doctor from Hartnell’s, and one you’ll revisit many times after your first watch.

1. The Tomb of the Cybermen

First broadcast on September 2, 1967

One of the most-recommended stories for the Second Doctor, and for good reason. It’s a self-contained thriller that works as both a Cybermen story and a character piece for Troughton’s Doctor. He’s warmer than Hartnell, more playful, but there’s a steel beneath the clowning that this story brings out beautifully.

The Cybermen have a creepy, unsettling feel in this one. The design, the movement, the silence before they stir. A great build-up.

There’s also a quiet scene between the Doctor and companion Victoria that’s one of the most unexpectedly tender moments in the classic era. It’s worth the whole serial on its own.

All four episodes of this story were wiped by the BBC (yep, believe it or not, the BBC really did wipe the tapes back in the day!) and considered lost for over twenty years. They were recovered in 1991, and it’s now the earliest complete Second Doctor serial that survives.

2. The War Games

First broadcast on April 19, 1969

Ok, we are skipping to the end of the Second Doctor’s era here, and it’s a long one – 10 episodes! Before you run, The War Games earns every episode, and it’s the perfect culmination of Patrick Troughton’s run.

What begins as a mystery across different historical war zones slowly reveals something far bigger. By the end, the entire mythology of the show has shifted. The Time Lords appear on screen for the first time, and the Doctor’s reluctance to face them tells you everything about who he is and why he ran.

The final episode is quite affecting as Troughton’s Doctor refuses to go quietly into that good night. Along with some other moments of difficulty for the Doctor as we get to the end of his run, it’s all done wonderfully and leaves you with the impression that the writers are only just getting going where it concerns the Time Lords.

Four hours is a lot to ask, but split it across a few evenings. The payoff is worth it.

Bonus rec: The Mind Robber

First broadcast on September 14, 1968

This one is strange, inventive, and completely unlike anything else in this era. The TARDIS team find themselves in a world made entirely of fiction, where characters from literature are real, and the rules of reality don’t apply.

It shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s surreal, it’s playful, and it trusts the audience to come along for the ride. There’s also a production challenge partway through that the writers solved in such a clever, characterful way that it fits perfectly into the story’s logic.

No lore required. No prior knowledge needed. Just a weird, wonderful bit of Doctor Who television.

Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee

As you’ll note from the images from here on out, we’re now into the world of Doctor Who in colour. Pertwee’s first story is an impressive first colour outing due to it being filmed entirely on 16mm film rather than tape. Like many, you’ll instantly take to Pertwee’s charm, wit and teenager-like sulk at the Time Lords grounding him on Earth.

There’s great chemistry with his various companions Liz, Jo, Sarah Jane and the Brigadier from U.N.I.T., which is evident across many great stories.

Spearhead from Space

First broadcast on January 3, 1970

The Third Doctor’s first episode, and everything looks very different. Not only is this the first true Doctor Who story in colour, but due to industrial action at BBC Television Centre, the entire production was pushed out on location to get around union rules. Given that 16mm film was the standard for location filming at the time, the whole story looks fantastic even now.

It introduces U.N.I.T. as a permanent fixture, along with the Brigadier and scientist Liz Shaw, alongside a new Doctor finding his feet on Earth. The Autons make for a memorable debut villain, and the sequence of shop window dummies coming to life remains one of the show’s most iconic images.

It’s a strong, confident first outing for this Doctor. A great place to start the Pertwee era, and one of the best entry points in all of classic Doctor Who.

The Green Death

First broadcast on May 19, 1973

Known affectionately by fans as “the one with the maggots”, The Green Death is Doctor Who doing socially conscious science fiction with genuine heart. The environmental themes are on the nose in places, but the story earns them.

It’s also Jo Grant’s final story, and her departure is one of the most emotionally honest companion exits in the classic era. The Doctor doesn’t make a speech. He slips away from the party quietly, alone, and Pertwee’s reaction says more in silence than most stories manage with dialogue.

This one will stick with you for a while.

Bonus rec: The Dæmons

First broadcast on May 22, 1971

Set in the English village of Devil’s End, where a local archaeologist is about to open a nearby burial mound against all advice. Strange things are already happening: a weather anomaly, a local white witch, gargoyles that move in the dark. The Doctor races to stop the dig, knowing something dangerous is buried there.

The Dæmons is one of the most enjoyable Pertwee stories. It has a great setting, a strong sense of atmosphere, and the U.N.I.T. regulars are all on fine form (with a very quotable line from the Brigadier). The Master is in it, working his usual schemes, but you don’t need any history with the character to follow what he’s up to here.

It’s also one of the era’s best examples of the show doing folk horror before folk horror was a recognised genre. Warm, creepy, and very rewatchable.

Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker

The longest-serving actor to play the Doctor, Tom Baker, is often regarded as THE Doctor (the definite article, you might say). A huge portion of fandom loves Tom and says he’s the reason they’re Doctor Who fans. He’s electric in most of his stories, and that voice will stay with you.

Across seven seasons and some change, his run gave us plenty of crackers. The recommendations we give you below are a few of the best, but it doesn’t stop there. I’m sure once you start watching Tom’s era, you’ll get lost in the quality of storytelling and the performances.

Genesis of the Daleks

First broadcast on March 8, 1975

Widely regarded as one of the finest stories the show ever produced. The Doctor is sent back to the moment of the Daleks’ creation and must decide whether to destroy them before they begin. That ethical question drives the whole story, and Tom Baker carries it brilliantly.

Davros appears here for the first time, played by Michael Wisher in a performance that set the template for every actor who followed. The scene where the Doctor stands with two wires in his hands and asks himself whether he has the right to commit genocide is extraordinary television by any standard.

This is the story that showed Doctor Who could be dark and, at times, uncomfortably serious.

Pyramids of Mars

First broadcast on October 25, 1975

Set in 1911 England, where an Edwardian manor is hiding something far older than anyone realises. An Egyptian archaeologist has disturbed the prison of Sutekh, last of the Osirians, a being of such destructive power that his own people sealed him away beneath a pyramid thousands of years ago. He has been waiting ever since.

Pyramids of Mars is Doctor Who doing Gothic horror, resulting in one of the best-written classic stories. The mummy servant designs are iconic yet unsettling, the sense of dread builds steadily, and Sutekh himself is one of the most effectively realised villains the classic era produced. Gabriel Woolf’s voice performance is extraordinary.

No prior knowledge needed. It’s a mostly self-contained story that happens to be one of the best things from Tom Baker’s era.

Bonus rec: City of Death

First broadcast on September 29, 1979

Co-written by Douglas Adams (uncredited at the time), City of Death is Doctor Who at its most effortlessly charming. It’s set in Paris, it involves a fractured alien, the Mona Lisa, and one of the show’s best performances from Julian Glover as the villain.

It’s funny, it’s clever, and it never takes itself too seriously. It requires no prior knowledge of anything. The Doctor and Romana’s chemistry is electric throughout.

This is probably the single best story to recommend to someone who has never seen an episode of classic Doctor Who.

Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison

It’s January 1982, and the world is introduced to the Fifth Doctor in his first full outing after his few seconds of screen time when regenerating, stepping into the shoes of the beloved Tom Baker, so no pressure!

Peter Davison was an interesting casting choice; the producers were charmed by his good looks and offered a more human performance versus the loud, brash quirkiness of Tom Baker.

Some fans critique this Doctor for being “too human”, while others love his more down-to-earth approach and the resulting dynamics between the whole TARDIS team.

Speaking of which, that team grows to four during Davison’s run, welcoming Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan to the fray. The dynamic between them all gives us enjoyable moments across some great stories.

Earthshock

First broadcast on March 8, 1982

By 1982, the Fifth Doctor’s TARDIS was a busy place. Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan made for an unusually large group of companions, and the dynamic between them gives this story some of its best early scenes.

What starts as a tense mystery in a cave system on a future Earth quickly escalates into something much bigger. The Cybermen are back, redesigned and threatening in a way they hadn’t been for years, and the story moves at a pace the era didn’t always manage.

We’ll leave it there, because saying much more would spoil it. Earthshock ends with something the show had never done before and rarely did again. It landed as a surprisingly heart-string-tugging shock in 1982. It still has an impact now.

Watch it without looking anything up first.

The Caves of Androzani

First broadcast on March 8, 1984

I’ve done it again, skipped to a Doctor’s final story. This is for good reason, though, as The Caves of Androzani is, in my opinion, not just one of the best stories from this era but in all of classic Doctor Who.

The Doctor and Peri land on Androzani Minor and immediately find themselves caught between a gun-running conspiracy, a masked mercenary, a corrupt military operation, and a dying planet. Nobody is trustworthy. Nobody is safe. The plot doesn’t slow down long enough for anyone to catch their breath.

What makes it remarkable is how relentlessly it focuses on the Doctor simply trying to save one person. No grand speeches, no clever plan that saves the day. Just a man pushing himself to the breaking point for someone he’s just met. Davison’s final performance is fantastic.

Widely regarded as the best regeneration story the show has ever produced, and a strong argument for Davison being a far better Doctor than he’s sometimes given credit for.

Bonus rec: The Visitation

First broadcast on February 15, 1982

The TARDIS crew attempts to return Tegan home to Heathrow Airport and land instead in 17th-century England, where something has already beaten them to it. A group of Terileptils, escaped alien prisoners, have taken refuge in the English countryside and have plans that involve the local population and a rather large amount of rats.

It’s a fun, uncomplicated runaround with a strong setting and a good guest villain. The period detail gives it atmosphere, and the story moves briskly without overstaying its welcome. One small piece of trivia the story hangs a hat on: it explains a famous historical event that Doctor Who fans tend to enjoy.

Again, no prior knowledge is needed. A good example of the Davison era is at its most straightforwardly enjoyable.

Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker

The Sixth Doctor era is… complicated. Colin Baker’s Doctor, affectionately known as Ol’ Sixie, is deliberately abrasive; the scripts are, at times, uneven. The production was under enormous pressure during this period, resulting in a certain BBC boss effectively firing Colin and ordering he be recast. Sad times.

There are some fantastic stories here and over the years (largely due to Colin Baker giving some brilliant performances across various audio dramas from Big Finish), fans have warmed to Colin’s hard exterior. Look further, though, and you’ll see warmth and compassion.

The writers took an interesting approach to Colin’s final series, too, having one large story arc split across various stories.

Overall, they tried a few things with this era: a very different approach to the Doctor, a darker tone in some stories, a couple of shocking moments (at the time) and a sweeping arc to close out Colin’s run.

Vengeance on Varos

First broadcast on January 19, 1985

It’s a story about a society that watches violence for entertainment and votes on the fate of those being tortured. In 1985. The satirical intent is clear, and it lands harder now than it probably did then. The parallel to reality television was unintentional at the time and is difficult to ignore now.

Worth your time to see Colin early on in his era, as he finds his feet. Oh, and features a great performance from a slightly unsettling yet humorous supporting character.

Revelation of the Daleks

First broadcast on March 23, 1985

Directed by Graeme Harper, who brought a pace and visual confidence to the show that stood out sharply in this era. Set almost entirely in a high-tech funeral home, it’s sometimes dark and more interested in its gallery of side characters than you might expect.

Terry Molloy’s Davros (a prominent character, also seen in our Fourth Doctor recommendation Genesis of the Daleks) is one of the best portrayals of the character across the show’s history, and Harper’s direction makes it look like a different programme entirely.

It’s the strongest story of the Sixth Doctor’s television run, and a good place to see what the era could be at its best. A nice, short two-parter that’s packed with Sixth Doctor goodness, and you get to see the character progression between Colin and companion Peri, played by Nicola Bryant.

Bonus rec: The Mark of the Rani

First broadcast on February 2, 1985

Set in 19th-century England during the Industrial Revolution, where the Doctor and Peri arrive in a mining village and find something is very wrong with the local workers. The culprit turns out to be The Rani, a renegade Time Lord with her own agenda and no patience for either the Doctor or The Master, who is also lurking about.

The period setting gives it a grounded atmosphere that suits the story well, and The Rani makes for an interesting presence. Kate O’Mara plays her with a cool, clinical menace that stands apart from the era’s usual villains. You don’t need any history with the character to appreciate her here.

The Master features here, who has more history and weight within the show’s overall lore and connection to the Doctor. However, this story doesn’t go too heavy with it, and the focus is primarily on The Rani.

Not a classic, but a solid watch that shows the era at a more comfortable register than some of its more troubled stories. Prior knowledge of The Rani isn’t totally necessary, unlike The Master in some cases. Just know that The Rani is a renegade Time Lord and nemesis of the Doctor.

Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy

The Seventh Doctor, McCoy, my favourite Doctor from the classic era. Anyone who’s listened to the podcast over the years will know that my journey with this Doctor wasn’t plain sailing.

Straight up, I didn’t like this Doctor or this era much at all when I first started watching it. How did McCoy go from less than mediocre to my favourite, I hear you ask? Well… a forced rewatch. As simple as that. I had a day to kill, wanted to watch some classic Who and a voice in my head said: “Did you really give Remembrance a fair shot?” I watched it, fell in love with it and McCoy, the rest is history.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it’s a good lesson in perseverance. Not the song Perseverance by Terrovision from 1996 (although it is catchy), but sticking with some areas of classic Who if you aren’t taken with it at first.

We only got three seasons with McCoy, which sounds like a lot, but there are only four stories per season. More frustrating is what could have been. Behind the scenes, both McCoy and script editor at the time, Andrew Cartmel, were cooking up a darker and more alien version of the Doctor with stories to match that tone.

The TV Movie aside, this is the end of classic Doctor Who in true serialised form. If you’ve been watching these recommendations in chronological order, then this is the home straight. If you’ve enjoyed these Seventh Doctor adventures, then come back and watch the lot, up to the last story, Survival, and witness classic Who end with a beautiful little speech and a walk off into the sun.

Sylvester McCoy’s run is the end of the road. Enjoy.

Remembrance of the Daleks

First broadcast on October 5, 1988

The late McCoy era is where classic Doctor Who started getting ambitious again. Remembrance of the Daleks opens in 1963 Shoreditch, a deliberate callback to the show’s very beginning, and sets out to do something very different with the Daleks.

The Seventh Doctor is revealed here to be something more than he’s always appeared: a planner, a manipulator, someone playing a longer game than anyone around him realises. That shift in the character’s nature divides fans to this day, but the story that introduces it is excellent.

Ace gets some of the best material she’d have across her run, and the Daleks are menacing and plentiful. There’s also a scene involving a staircase that settled a long-running joke about Dalek limitations once and for all.

The Curse of Fenric

First broadcast on October 25, 1989

A complex, layered story set against the backdrop of a WWII naval base on the Northumberland coast. On the surface, it’s a wartime thriller with ancient Viking mythology and something monstrous in the sea. Beneath that, it’s pulling on threads that go back to the very beginning of Ace’s time with the Doctor.

It’s a story that trusts its audience. The wartime setting and the horror elements pull you through, and the emotional beats land clearly even on a first watch. Ace’s arc here is the emotional core, and Sophie Aldred nails it.

One practical note: the DVD release includes around twenty minutes of restored footage cut from the original broadcast. Watch that version if you can. It’s a significantly better experience.

Bonus rec: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

First broadcast on December 14, 1988

The Doctor and Ace answer a junk mail invitation to the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax. What presents itself as a travelling circus turns out to be something far stranger and considerably more sinister, and the audience watching the acts has very particular expectations of the performers.

It’s creepy, inventive, and carries a satirical edge that wears its targets lightly enough not to get in the way. The circus setting gives the production designers room to be imaginative, and the story builds its unease steadily without ever quite tipping into outright horror.

This is a good entry point for the McCoy era’s stranger, more confident side.

Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann

We’ve reached the final Doctor in this guide, but what a fantastic Doctor to go out on.

Across all the actors to ever play the Doctor, modern Who included, Paul McGann has pulled off something incredible. In less than two hours of screen time, he’s managed to gain a huge following of fans who warmed to his energy and charm.

He continues his journey as the Eighth Doctor to this day via his extensive library of audio adventures from Big Finish (more on those below).

His performance in the TV Movie is superb. Had it attracted slightly more ratings when up against other pilots, it would have paved the way for numerous seasons. Alas, although the stars didn’t align for Paul on-screen, he’s still loved in fandom. And rightly so.

The TV Movie

First broadcast on May 12, 1996

Ah, the TV Movie. An interesting one this. After a nice return from Sylvester McCoy in the opening 15 mins, we’re treated to arguably one of the most underrated Doctors. Warm, romantic, and bursting with energy, he makes a compelling case for the Doctor in about ninety minutes flat. It’s a massive shame that a full series with this Doctor never followed.

Now, to be honest, this has a very different feel from any other Doctor Who story. It has an American (actually mostly Canadian) co-production look and feel to it, and it takes a few liberties with established lore that fandom has debated ever since.

Don’t let that put you off, though. The TARDIS interior is gorgeous, McGann is magnetic, the soundtrack is amazing, and the regeneration sequence that opens the film is one of the more memorable in the show’s history.

I would say the TV Movie is somewhat of an acquired taste. On one hand, it doesn’t feel very Doctor Who when compared to everything that came before or since. On the other hand, it has a charm and boldness to it. If you’ve got this far into classic Doctor Who, why not finish it off with something different? Please don’t skip this.

Wait, there’s more Eighth Doctor adventures?

Here’s the thing: the Eighth Doctor technically only appeared in one televised story (not counting the small short for the 50th anniversary), but that was just the beginning. Since 1999, Paul McGann has been bringing this Doctor to life in audio dramas produced by Big Finish, and the range has grown into one of the richest bodies of work in all of Doctor Who. If the TV Movie leaves you wanting more of this Doctor, there is a lot more.

I could recommend loads of great Eighth Doctor stories, but for the sake of not wanting to overwhelm potential newcomers to Big Finish or audio dramas, here are a few excellent places to start:

Storm Warning (2001), by Alan Barnes

A great natural entry point. It introduces Charley Pollard, the Eighth Doctor’s first major Big Finish companion, and sets the tone for what the range would become.

The Chimes of Midnight (2002), by Robert Shearman

This one is consistently voted the fan favourite Eighth Doctor audio. A ghost story set in an Edwardian country house on Christmas Eve. It’s unsettling, clever, and emotionally affecting. Widely regarded as one of Big Finish’s best.

Blood of the Daleks (2007), by Steve Lyons

Another good entry point if you’d rather not start at the very beginning of the range. It kicks off a new series with a new companion, Lucie Miller, played by Sheridan Smith, and was designed specifically with newcomers in mind.

The Big Finish Eighth Doctor range is not a footnote to a single TV appearance. For many fans, it’s the definitive version of Paul McGann’s Doctor. We’re huge fans of Big Finish’s work here at The Big Blue Box, and for good reason: it’s a treasure trove of some amazing Doctor Who stories.

The Eighth Doctor’s range is up there with some of the best and is 100% worth your time if you liked Paul McGann’s portrayal of the Doctor. Big Finish is always running sales and offers, so keep an eye out on their website and socials.

Thoughts from the team

Harry

Generally speaking, I’d say with any TV show you’re best starting at episode 1 and continuing from there to get into it. But Doctor Who is a little different – if you watch it all in order from the start, with all them telesnaps and multipart serials, it is easy to burnout.

So the best gateway episodes? Here are three off the top of my head…

City of Death – right off the bat, this is written by Douglas Adams (under a fake name, but trust me, Adams wrote this one!), so if you love Sci-Fi, you gotta love this. Not too lore heavy, but a hell of a lot of fun. There are great settings (mainly Paris!) and great characters (mainly Duggan), and an introduction to not one, but two Time Lords! This timey-wimey adventure is an entertaining way to enter the Classic Who realm…

The Three Doctors – Not too intimidating with the amount of fan service (I’m looking at you, The Five Doctors), this multi-Doctor story has just enough to intrigue a new viewer to watch any of the earliest years of Doctor Who to find out more about the characters you see here. But still forms a coherent, nicely paced story, with a bizarre exploration of anti-matter and funny lumbering gel-guards. Clever and silly – if you like that vibe, this is a fab story to get into 20th century Who.

An Unearthly Child (but you must be in the mood for it). I’d say a great place to start is simply at, well, the start. But I will caveat this with The Daleks, which follows this serial, is my preferred choice – an absolutely joyous, adventurous story. But An Unearthly Child provides context which makes that story better. Of course, many people love the first episode and aren’t too keen on the latter three with the cave people. But I reckon if you can go in accepting that there will be some hammy acting and the story will take place in the same two caves and patch of fake forest, you can appreciate how excellent a story it is.

So there you go, with An Unearthly Child AND The Daleks, you have four recommendations from me!

There you have it, all eight Doctors from the classic era and some incredible stories from each one. Over time, except for a few immovables (e.g. Remembrance…), my view changes on favourite stories and ones to recommend.

I’d love to know if you dived in and checked out any of the above stories as a newcomer to classic Doctor Who. Let me know in the comments your thoughts and, if you’re a seasoned classic fan, your own recommendations.

Happy watching!