The original series of Doctor Who was designed to teach children and adolescents about history and science through stories set alternately in the past and the future. It followed the titular alien Doctor—who has the ability to “regenerate” into a new form when mortally injured—and his companions on their adventures through time and space.1 It grew into the longest continuously running science-fiction TV series of all time, airing from 1963 to 1989. Although it later deviated from its educational mission to focus more on action, it continued to grapple with sophisticated ideas in both science and morality, promoting the values of exploration, curiosity, science, and respect for life and liberty. By its conclusion, it had become an icon of both science fiction and British culture.
Following an unsuccessful pilot for a new series in 1996, Doctor Who seemed to have had its day. But that changed in 2005 when Russell T. Davies launched a new, faster-paced version of the show with a bigger budget and improved visual effects. In its early seasons, this revival explored a wealth of historical periods and futuristic ideas, from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius to the last days of the solar system, and it featured more complex character drama than the original had. It also put a new, darker spin on the Doctor’s backstory by making him the last of his kind following an intergalactic war between his people—the Time Lords—and the xenophobic half-robot Daleks.
For many years, the revival enjoyed high ratings, but lately it has deteriorated in quality. Recent seasons have swapped the show’s optimistic, adventurous tone for a shallow focus on transitory social issues with weak writing and forgettable characters, and the show’s viewership has dropped as a result. Given the poor state of Doctor Who today, recent episodes are unlikely to entice new viewers. However, you may find that some of the episodes highlighted below offer more value and serve as better places to jump in.
“The Impossible Planet”/“The Satan Pit”
Following a rough start—including the sudden departure of the lead actor after only one season—the Doctor Who revival steadily improved in quality with the casting of David Tennant. The second season wasn’t as strong as what was to come, but it nonetheless contained some interesting, suspenseful, and even heart-wrenching stories. Chief among these is the two-part “The Impossible Planet”/“The Satan Pit,” in which the Doctor and his traveling companion, Rose, land on a planet somehow orbiting closer to a black hole than is physically possible, and they find a group of explorers from Earth trapped there. While the Doctor works to find out how this “impossible planet” exists and help the explorers escape, a powerful evil entity lurking deep within the planet’s interior begins to invade the minds of the people trapped on the surface. . . .
