Jonathan Appleton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Which stories would you recommend to someone who wanted to get into Doctor Who for the first time? It’s okay; you can take some time to think about it… Tricky one, eh?
The folks at BBC Store have been putting together their own list (or as they put it ‘curating a very special collection’) of episodes aimed at introducing new fans. BBC Store is the corporation’s new online service which allows users to buy and download classic shows, so buyers will be able to get started on catching up with the Doctor’s history without even waiting for the postman to arrive.
As BBC Store’s Simon Farquhar says:
“Some people might feel a bit overwhelmed by Doctor Who and not know where to start exploring it. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about the history of the Whoniverse and how it evolved, then our Beginners’ Guide is here to help audiences navigate time and space across the most imaginative world television has ever created. We’ve tried to select stories that exemplify the different eras the show has gone through, from the eerie black and white beginnings to the Gothic horror of the mid-Seventies and the fast-paced furore of today’s series . It’s been difficult with so many episodes and Doctors to choose from, but this collection is a fun way to begin exploring Doctor Who.”
That list of stories in full, then:
- Tomb of the Cybermen
- Spearhead from Space
- Genesis of the Daleks
- The Talons of Weng Chiang
- Earthshock
- Rose
- Blink
- The Day of the Doctor
- Mummy on the Orient Express
Opinions will always vary on which stories belong on this type of list, of course. At first glance, BBC Stores curators have undoubtedly picked some of the programme’s true classics from a spread of different eras. Perhaps the most glaring omission, though, is the absence of anything from the First Doctor. Not to acknowledge the man who first brought the part to the screen feels like an unfair snub. Maybe The Time Meddler, a type of story which it’s not too difficult to imagine the programme doing today? Surely An Unearthly Child, with that remarkable first episode, would have been an ideal jumping on point? But it’s not present at all on the Store. BBC Worldwide said:
“The first story is a regrettable omission but yes, it still is not cleared.”
Fans of Doctors Six, Seven and Eight will also be disappointed to see their eras unrepresented. In terms of Doctor Who’s greatest hits, its most enduring and recognisable characters and monsters, it would have been a major surprise if the Daleks and Cybermen had not featured. Some people will raise an eyebrow (in a very arch way) that there’s no place for the Master – maybe The Daemons would have been worth a place?
It’s worth remembering that the stories featured here are not so much intended to reflect the best ever but more to introduce new people to the series. With that in mind the inclusion of Spearhead From Space and Rose makes perfect sense given both were intended to relaunch the series in different eras. It’s questionable whether The Day of the Doctor, with its assumed knowledge of the series’ continuity since 2005, really qualifies as a starting point for new viewers, significant though it was for what it represented in the anniversary year.
Do you agree with BBC Store’s choices? Which ones would you have picked? Let us know!
You can find the full list and buy the stories at BBC Store.
The post BBC Store Releases A Beginner’s Guide to Doctor Who Bundle appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
