The Doctor Who ‘Whoniverse’ is perhaps one of the oldest sci-fi tales that to this day is relevant. The only other show that is so old and has similar vibes is Battlestar Galactics. I know the Whovians will not appreciate the comparison, but that’s a debate for another day.
Doctor Who is one of those shows that has a mind-bending plot blended with some solid character work. In fact, the different Doctors that appear one after another at the beginning are not that likable since you’re still hung over the previous one.
Yet somehow, they all manage to suck you into their worldview and perspectives to the point that you’re utterly and entirely swooned by their charm. See, I knew I could win you Whovians over with this.
So as a present to the fandom, here’s a complete watch order of the sci-fi series. If you’re new to this fandom and haven’t watched a single episode, this order will help you too. But before I jump into it, there are a few boring but important disclaimers. Read them carefully because, as Ryan Reynolds once said, “Boring is best.” T&C apply.
The Doctor Who franchise should be watched in the chronological order since it has a mind-boggling timeline that involves spin-off series such as Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures, and Class, along with a few specials.
1. Things To Know Before Starting Doctor Who
- There are 12 seasons that began in 2005. However, the OG series aired back in 1963. This list doesn’t include the OG for two reasons:
- The OG series had 26 seasons till 1989, but you can’t find it over the internet. It was partly because it was the time for analog devices such as CD or VHS players and partly because the BBC didn’t do a great job maintaining them.
- The second reason comes out of practicality. The current series itself has 12 seasons, with the 13th season coming soon. Following this itself is a task that not many can accomplish. So adding another 26 seasons, which one has to first find from the deepest parts of our planet and then watch, seems like an impractical task.
- Along with the 12 seasons, some special episodes and spin-offs will be a part of the timeline. The Christmas and New Year’s specials are a part of the narrative, so don’t skip those.
- Do not try to absorb this entire watch order in one go. You most definitely will not be able to retain it whatsoever. So just skim through the overall details, and take it one season at a time along with its specials and spin-offs.
I can’t believe I’m spoonfeeding you how to watch this cause the Whoniverse doesn’t indulge in spoonfeeding the plot and its meaning. But that’s alright. I’m preparing you for it. - For this show alone, I’m going to jump straight into the chronological watch order since that is by far the best order to go by and that in itself is long enough.
- Now that I’ve intimidated you quite a bit, here’s me telling you don’t worry. I’ve got your back and this watch order is going to make your watching experience as smooth as Doctors’ one-liners.
2. List Of Series In Doctor Who Franchise
- Doctor Who
- Torchwood
- The Sarah Jane Adventures
- Class
3. Chronological Watch Order
- Doctor Who – Season 1
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Born Again”
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 2.00 – The Christmas Invasion
- Doctor Who – Season 2
- Torchwood – Season 1 (Episodes 1 to 9)
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 3.00 – The Runaway Bride
- Torchwood – Season 1 (Episode 10 – Out of Time)
- Doctor Who – Season 3 (Episode 1 to 3)
- Torchwood – Season 1 (Episode 11 – Combat)
- Doctor Who – Season 3 (Episode 4 to 7)
- Torchwood – Season 1 (Episode 12 – Captain Jack Harkness)
- Doctor Who – Season 3 (Episode 8 to 10)
- Doctor Who – Animated Story – The Infinite Quest
- Torchwood – Season 1 – (Episode 13 – End of Days)
- Doctor Who – Season 3 (Episode 11 to 13)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – 1.00 – Invasion of the Bane
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 1
- Doctor Who – Minisode – Time Crash
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 4.00 – Voyage of the Damned
- Torchwood – Season 2 (Episode 1 to 5)
- Doctor Who – Season 4 (Episode 1 to 3)
- Torchwood – Season 2 (Episode 6 to 8)
- Doctor Who – Season 4 (Episode 4 to 7)
- Torchwood – Season 2 (Episode 9 to 13)
- Doctor Who – Season 4 (Episode 8 to 13)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 2
- Doctor Who – Special – The Next Doctor
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Minisode – “From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love”
- Doctor Who – Special – Planet of the Dead
- Torchwood – Season 3
- Doctor Who – **Animated Story** – Dreamland
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 3
- Doctor Who – Special – The Waters of Mars
- Doctor Who – Special – The End of Time Part 1
- Doctor Who – Special – The End of Time Part 2
- Doctor Who – Season 5 (Episode 1 – The Eleventh Hour)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Meanwhile in the TARDIS #1”
- Doctor Who – Season 5 (Episode 2 to 5)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Meanwhile in the TARDIS #2”
- Doctor Who – Season 5 (Episode 6 to 13)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 4
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 6.00 – A Christmas Carol
- Torchwood – Season 4
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Bad Night”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Space/Time”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Good Night”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Impossible Astronaut” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 6 (Episode 1 to 6)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “A Good Man Goes To War” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 6 – (Episode 7 – A Good Man Goes To War)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Battle of Demon’s Run, Two Days Later”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Let’s Kill Hitler” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 6 (Episode 8) Let’s Kill Hitler
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “First Night”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Last Night”
- Doctor Who – Season 6 (Episode 9 to 11)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Up All Night”
- Doctor Who – Season 6 (Episode 12 – Closing Time)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Wedding of River Song” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 6 (Episode 13 – The Wedding of River Song)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 5
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 7.00 – The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “A Pond Life”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Asylum of the Daleks” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 7 – (Episode 1 – Asylum of the Daleks)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Inforarium”
- Doctor Who – Season 7 (Episode 2 to 5)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “PS”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Great Detective”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Vastra Investigates”
- Doctor Who – Christmas – 7.06 – The Snowmen
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Bells of St. John” Prequel
- Doctor Who – Season 7 – (Episode 7 to 11)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Clara and the TARDIS”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Rain Gods”
- Doctor Who – Season 7 – (Episode 12 to 13)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “He Said, She Said”
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “Clarence and the Whispermen”
- Doctor Who – Season 7 – (Episode 14 – The Name of the Doctor)
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Night of the Doctor”
- Doctor Who – 50th Anniversary Special – The Day of the Doctor
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 8.00 – The Time of the Doctor
- Doctor Who – Season 8
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 9.00 – Last Christmas
- Doctor Who – Minisode – Season 9 Prologue
- Doctor Who – Minisode – “The Doctor’s Meditation”
- Doctor Who – Season 9
- Doctor Who – 2015 Christmas Special – The Husbands of River Song
- Class – Season 1
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 10.00 – The Return of Doctor Mysterio
- Doctor Who – Season 10
- Doctor Who – Christmas Special – 11.00 – Twice Upon a Time
- Doctor Who – Season 11
- Doctor Who – New Year’s Day Special 2019 – 12.00 – Resolution
- Doctor Who – Season 12
- The Sarah Jane Adventures – Minisode – “Farewell Sarah Jane”
- Daleks! – *Animated Story* – Season 1
- Doctor Who – New Year’s Day Special 2021 – 13.00 – Revolution of the Daleks
This watch order includes all the specials, spin-off shows, and the main show according to their timelines in the franchise. There’s a documentary around Doctor Who called Doctor Who Extra that I haven’t mentioned in this list since it’s not related to the timeline.
However, you can catch that once you’re done with the complete show or somewhere in the middle so that you can take a breather.
4. Where To Stream Doctor Who?
While Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood are available on HBOMax for you to stream, Class is available on Amazon Prime Video.
As I said earlier, this is for the modern-day Doctor Who franchise and not for the OG series that aired from 1963 to 1989.
5. Run-Time And Binge Duration
- Doctor Who has 12 seasons with 166 episodes, including the specials, and each episode is about 45 minutes long on average.
- Torchwood has 4 seasons with 41 episodes, and each episode runs for an average of 55 minutes.
- Class aired for just 1 season with 8 episodes, and each episode runs for about 46 minutes.
- The Sarah Jane Adventures has 5 seasons with 55 episodes, and each episode runs for about 25 minutes, with the special being 60 minutes long.
Thus, the entire franchise has a duration of approximately 192 hours, and that’s 8 days. I know right, it’s a vast vast Whoniverse. But don’t lose your sleep over it. Instead, take one season at a time and you’ll fall in love with all the Doctors and their stories.
6. About Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British sci-fi TV program produced by the BBC since 1963. The series aired from 1963-89 and was then again revived in 2005.
The program depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called “The Doctor,” an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-traveling spaceship called the TARDIS. With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, saves civilizations, and helps people in need.
Over the years, many actors like Jodie Whittaker, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Peter Davidson have played the Doctor. Hartnell was the first actor to be cast as Doctor Who.
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