Doctor Who on Disney+: What to know when watching the series for the first time

If you’re a subscriber to Disney+, you’ve probably noticed that Doctor Who is now one of the many shows that you can watch. If you’ve never seen the series before, you might also be curious about watching it for the first time, especially if you’re also a fan of the many Star Wars and Marvel Studios series that are exclusive to the service.

But you also might have questions before starting the show. What should you expect? Is there anything you should know? And can you start watching from the only season currently available on Disney+? These are questions we’re going to answer in this article.

Season One - A fresh jumping on point

The most important thing to know about Doctor Who on Disney+ is that, even as a completely new viewer, you can easily begin watching the series from the new season. Starting with The Church on Ruby Road, the first few episodes work extremely well as an introduction to the series, especially as we get to see the Doctor through the eyes of new companion Ruby Sunday.

Season One presents Doctor Who almost as brand-new, and everything is clearly explained about the characters and the core premise of the series. Yes, you get a sense of history, but everything new viewers need to know is fully explained. So if you’ve never seen the series before, then Season One is an excellent introduction.

The specials - what not to watch

You may have noticed that Disney+ also keeps a collection of specials, separately listed from Season One. These three stories, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, were the first Doctor Who episodes released on Disney+. So should you watch these episodes first?

If you’re a new viewer, then definitely not. Don’t get me wrong, David Tennant is fantastic to watch as the Doctor, and the three episodes work well as a kind of mini-season for the series.

But they’re also meant to celebrate Doctor Who's 60th anniversary and reunite characters that hadn’t appeared in the show in years. In fact, the episodes mainly act as a kind of ending to the previous era, which began in 2005 and ran for 13 seasons. The specials do partially set up the new era, but honestly, it’s best to skip these episodes - at least for now - and start with Season One if you've never seen it before. (It's also worth noting that the fourth listed special, The Church on Ruby Road, is also listed as the first episode of Season One, so you really can just start from the very beginning of the season.)

Family viewing

Another thing you might wish to know is the tone of the show. Doctor Who presents a wide variety of storytelling, with some episodes darker than others. Season One begins with episodes that are light and even a little silly, but quite a few of the later episodes in the season are darker, even horrifying. Honestly, when watching the series, you should never expect the same story twice.

But the most important thing to know about Doctor Who is that, at its core, it’s a family show. It’s an adventure series that can be watched and enjoyed by adults and children alike. It has the same kind of audience that films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park were made for - yes, there are definitely moments that could scare the kids, but those are generally the moments that kids love the most.

The episodes may have their moments of violence and horror, but nothing that would scar children for life. The fact that Doctor Who is still a series that whole families can watch together - even after more than sixty years of adventures - is perhaps one of its best and most unique aspects.

What to watch next (and where)

If you finish the season and want to watch even more of the series, the next best place would be Series One (2005) with Christopher Eccleston. The first season of the show in 16 years, it’s presented as another accessible point for the series. It’s full of excellent stories and does a great job of reintroducing one of the show’s biggest monsters, the Daleks.

You can watch this season in the US either on streaming service Max or by purchasing the recently released Blu-ray set collecting Series 1 to 4. Featuring all episodes of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors as well as a large number of special features, it’s a great box set that collects a vital era of the series.

On top of that, Series 4 is also central to the story of last year’s specials on Disney+. Not that the following seasons should be skipped, but out of all the thirteen seasons of the previous era, Series 4 is the most crucial to the story of the specials. So if you want to watch the earliest episodes on Disney+ - and watch the origins of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor - then Series 4 is the best season to watch beforehand.

And if you want to see more of the current Doctor, you won’t have too long to wait. On Dec. 25, the Christmas special Joy to the World will be released. Not many details have been revealed, but we know that it’s been written by Steven Moffat, arguably one of the show’s best writers, and stars Nicola Coughlan from Bridgerton and Derry Girls. Afterward, we'll have to wait a little longer for Season Two itself, but it will be released next year, quite possibly around spring.

If you are new to Doctor Who, I hope that this has been a useful guide. More importantly, if you are watching for the first time, I hope you enjoy one of the best and unique sci-fi series ever.