With the ever-expanding Whoniverse, and a brand new season of Doctor Who starring Ncuti Gatwa on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to dive into the world of the Time Lord. Whether you’re a seasoned fan looking to revisit the classics or a newcomer eager to understand the phenomenon, knowing where to start can feel like navigating the complexities of time and space itself. Fear not! This guide will break down the best ways to watch Doctor Who in order, ensuring you experience the full, thrilling journey through time and relative dimension in space (TARDIS).
How to Watch Doctor Who in Release Date Order: A True Whoniverse Experience
For the ultimate immersive experience, watching Doctor Who and its spin-offs in release date order is the gold standard. This method allows you to witness the Whoniverse unfold as it was originally presented, capturing the cultural context and experiencing the crossovers between the main series and beloved spin-offs like Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and Class as they happened. While it’s a more comprehensive undertaking, release order provides a richer understanding of the interconnected narratives and the evolution of the Doctor Who universe.
Here’s a complete list to guide you through the Whoniverse in release date order, including Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, K-9 and Company, and Tales of the TARDIS, and even a glimpse at the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea:
- Doctor Who season 1 (1963)
- Doctor Who season 2 (1964)
- Doctor Who season 3 (1965)
- Doctor Who season 4 (1966)
- Doctor Who season 5 (1967)
- Doctor Who season 6 (1968)
- Doctor Who season 7 (1970)
- Doctor Who season 8 (1971)
- Doctor Who season 9 (1972)
- Doctor Who season 10 (1972)
- Doctor Who season 11 (1973)
- Doctor Who season 12 (1974)
- Doctor Who season 13 (1975)
- Doctor Who season 14 (1976)
- Doctor Who season 15 (1977)
- Doctor Who season 16 (1978)
- Doctor Who season 17 (1979)
- Doctor Who season 18 (1980)
- K-9 and Company (1981)
- Doctor Who season 19 (1982)
- Doctor Who season 20 (1983)
- The Five Doctors (1983)
- Doctor Who season 21 (1984)
- Doctor Who season 22 (1985)
- Doctor Who season 23 (1986)
- Doctor Who season 24 (1987)
- Doctor Who season 25 (1988)
- Doctor Who season 26 (1989)
Doctor Who took a hiatus in 1989, returning in 1996 with a TV movie:
- Doctor Who TV movie (1996)
Eighth Doctor Paul McGann holding a candle in the Tardis, Doctor Who TV Movie
After the 1996 TV movie, the series was rebooted in 2005, spearheaded by Russell T Davies, bringing with it a new era of adventures and spin-offs:
- Doctor Who season 1 (2005)
- Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 2 (2006)
- Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006 Christmas special)
- Torchwood season 1 (2006)
- Doctor Who season 3 (2006 to 2007)
- Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas special)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 1 (2007)
- Torchwood season 2 (2008)
- Doctor Who season 4 (2008)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 2 (2008)
- Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (2009 Spring special)
- Torchwood season 3: Children of Earth (2009)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 3 (2009)
- Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn special)
- Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 1 and Part 2 (2009 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 5 (2010)
- Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010 Christmas special)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 4 (2010)
- Doctor Who season 6 (2011)
- Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011 Christmas special)
- Torchwood season 4: Miracle Day (2011)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 5 (2011)
- Doctor Who season 7 part 1 (2012)
- Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 7 part 2 (2013)
- Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013 mini-episode)
- Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (2013 – 50th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (2013 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 8 (2014)
- Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 9 (2015)
- Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (2015 Christmas special)
- Class (2016)
- Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 10 (2017)
- Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time (2017 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 11 (2018)
- Doctor Who: Resolution (2019 New Year special)
- Doctor Who season 12 (2020)
- Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Year special)
- Doctor Who season 13: Flux (2021)
- Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022 New Year special)
- Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022 Spring special)
- Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022 Autumn special)
- Tales of the TARDIS (2023)
- Doctor Who: The Star Beast (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 14 (coming in May 2024)
- Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special (coming in December 2024)
- Doctor Who season 15 (coming in May 2025)
- The War Between the Land and the Sea (release date TBC)
For a deeper dive into the origins of the series, consider watching An Adventure in Space and Time, a docudrama that beautifully portrays the creation of Doctor Who, initially released for the 50th anniversary and updated for the 60th.
Watching Doctor Who by Doctor: A Journey Through Time Lord Incarnations
For a more focused approach, many fans prefer to watch Doctor Who by Doctor. This method allows you to follow the distinct eras and personalities of each Time Lord, appreciating how the character and show evolve with each regeneration. It’s a fantastic way to appreciate the nuances of each Doctor’s era and is often more digestible than tackling the entire Whoniverse at once.
William Hartnell – The First Doctor (1963-1966)
William Hartnell as the First Doctor in Doctor Who rehearsals, wearing a monocle and suit
- Doctor Who season 1 (1963)
- Doctor Who season 2 (1964)
- Doctor Who season 3 (1965)
Patrick Troughton – The Second Doctor (1966-1969)
Second Doctor Patrick Troughton with companions Polly, Ben, and Jamie in the TARDIS
- Doctor Who season 4 (1966)
- Doctor Who season 5 (1967)
- Doctor Who season 6 (1968)
Jon Pertwee – The Third Doctor (1970-1974)
Third Doctor Jon Pertwee showing Jo Grant the TARDIS dematerialisation circuit in UNIT laboratory
- Doctor Who season 7 (1970)
- Doctor Who season 8 (1971)
- Doctor Who season 9 (1972)
- Doctor Who season 10 (1972)
- Doctor Who season 11 (1973)
Tom Baker – The Fourth Doctor (1974-1981)
Fourth Doctor Tom Baker staring into the camera in Doctor Who
- Doctor Who season 12 (1974)
- Doctor Who season 13 (1975)
- Doctor Who season 14 (1977)
- Doctor Who season 15 (1977)
- Doctor Who season 16 (1978)
- Doctor Who season 17 (1979)
- Doctor Who season 18 (1980)
Peter Davison – The Fifth Doctor (1982-1984)
Fifth Doctor Peter Davison throwing a cricket ball in front of the TARDIS
- Doctor Who season 19 (1982)
- Doctor Who season 20 (1983)
- The Five Doctors (1983)
- Doctor Who season 21 (1984)
Colin Baker – The Sixth Doctor (1984-1986)
Sixth Doctor Colin Baker in colourful suit with hand outstretched
- Doctor Who season 22 (1985)
- Doctor Who season 23 (1986)
Sylvester McCoy – The Seventh Doctor (1987-1989)
Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy wearing grey suit and beige hat, holding a staff
- Doctor Who season 24 (1987)
- Doctor Who season 25 (1988)
- Doctor Who season 26 (1989)
Paul McGann – The Eighth Doctor (1996)
Eighth Doctor Paul McGann standing in the doorway of the TARDIS
- Doctor Who TV movie (1996)
Christopher Eccleston – The Ninth Doctor (2005)
Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston in leather jacket, arms folded, in front of the TARDIS
- Doctor Who season 1 (2005)
David Tennant – The Tenth Doctor (2005-2010)
Tenth Doctor David Tennant standing in front of the TARDIS looking concerned
- Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 2 (2006)
- Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 3 (2006 to 2007)
- Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 4 (2008 to 2010)
- Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (2009 Spring special)
- Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn special)
- Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 1 and Part 2 (2010 Christmas special)
Matt Smith – The Eleventh Doctor (2010-2013)
Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith standing in front of the TARDIS
- Doctor Who season 5 (2010)
- Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 6 (2011)
- Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 7 part 1 (2012)
- Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 7 part 2 (2013)
- Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013 mini-episode)
- Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (2013 – 50th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (2013 Christmas special)
Peter Capaldi – The Twelfth Doctor (2014-2017)
Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi wearing a tattered suit in Doctor Who
- Doctor Who season 8 (2014)
- Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 9 (2015)
- Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (2015 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 10 (2017)
- Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time (2017 Christmas special)
Jodie Whittaker – The Thirteenth Doctor (2018-2022)
Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker with a man and the TARDIS in the background
- Doctor Who season 11 (2018)
- Doctor Who: Resolution (2019 New Year special)
- Doctor Who season 12 (2020)
- Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Year special)
- Doctor Who season 13: Flux (2021)
- Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022 New Year special)
- Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022 Spring special)
- Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022 Autumn special)
David Tennant – The Fourteenth Doctor (2023)
Fourteenth Doctor David Tennant in the TARDIS using the control panel
- Doctor Who: The Star Beast (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
- Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 – 60th anniversary special)
Ncuti Gatwa – The Fifteenth Doctor (2023-Present)
Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa smiling and clicking fingers inside the TARDIS
- Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Christmas special)
- Doctor Who season 14 (2024)
- Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special (December 2024)
- Doctor Who season 15 (coming in 2025)
Exploring Doctor Who Spin-offs: Expanding the Whoniverse
No exploration of Watching Doctor Who In Order is complete without considering its fantastic spin-offs. These series delve into different corners of the Whoniverse, often crossing over with the main show and enriching the overall narrative.
Torchwood (2006-2011)
Torchwood characters standing together looking into camera
- Torchwood season 1 (2006)
- Torchwood season 2 (2008)
- Torchwood season 3: Children of Earth (2009)
- Torchwood season 4: Miracle Day (2011)
The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2011)
The cast of The Sarah Jane Adventures gathered together looking past camera
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 1 (2007)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 2 (2008)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 3 (2009)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 4 (2010)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures season 5 (2011)
Tales of the TARDIS (2023)
Jamie and Zoe in Tales of the Tardis holding hands inside the TARDIS
- Earthshock
- The Mind Robber
- Vengeance on Varos
- The Three Doctors
- The Time Meddler
- The Curse of Fenric
Conclusion: Your Doctor Who Viewing Journey Awaits
Whether you choose to embark on a chronological adventure through release dates or prefer to explore the eras of individual Doctors, watching Doctor Who is a rewarding experience. With decades of content available, there’s a universe of stories waiting to be discovered. So, grab your sonic screwdriver, hop in your TARDIS (or settle on your couch), and get ready to explore the wonders of the Whoniverse!
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