There actually used to be more missing, but, some have been recovered. Copies of the episodes take up room, and back then, they had no idea anyone would be interested in watching a repeat of a television show, so many were wiped and the film/tape reused. Pertwee's era is now complete, but it too had missing episodes and some of the episodes were found in black and white. Now the b/w episodes of Pertwee's episodes have all been recolored and it's complete all in color. Sadly, the first two Doctors they have many still missing, some of the episodes have been animated to make complete stories
http://sfdebris.com/videos/doctorwho/dwwiped.asp Believe me, this is as extensive as it can be. Check out his Cancelled! vid that he put out recently, that explains why the show was cancelled, TWICE, in the late '80's.
I just watched "Father's Day" this weekend from Series 1 and I almost came close to losing it. My eyes were tearing up by the end. While I understood the Doctor's frustration with Rose in this episode, Rose's actions were also understandable. I don't know what it's like to lose a parent at a young age, but I can imagine that the idea of saving them if you have a chance to would be strong. This episode reminded me how much I loved the character of Rose Tyler. She knows that her mom isn't perfect and she finds out in this episode that her dad isn't this great man that Jackie made him out to be, but that doesn't matter to her. She loves both of them despite their flaws. And in the end she was closer to her dad than ever before.
I always findthe reaction Father's Day to be rather polarizing. Some really like it, while others really don't. I like it, of course, simply because its a human story, and surprisingly small on scale - despite the whole of time getting destroyed by the paradox, of course. I love it, and one of my favorite scenes has the Doctor explain to the married people why he will save them. That, to me, is the essence of the Doctor, right there.
Some love, some hate it, and some just think it's ok I'm glad you're watching through it again. I would focus on catching up with the new series while sampling the old show. While there's a lot to see that's good, you don't have unlimited time. I think you can get by with the netflix collection for the most part. As long as you watch an entire serial, you can pretty much watch them in any order. I'd probably start with a Tom Baker one because he's probably the most famous. Pyramids of Mars, Robots of Death, Genesis of the Daleks, The Face of Evil, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The City of Death, and The Deadly Assassin are probably the ones I'd recommend from him. For better understanding New Who continuity, I'd definitely suggest watching Genesis of the Daleks, certainly before Series 4, but probably before the first series with Tennant just so you can be introduced to Sarah Jane Smith. It's about three hours (six episodes), so it's a bit slower. BBC America did The Doctor Revisited episodes and they're probably good for an intro to each Doctor: The Aztecs, The Tomb of the Cybermen, Spearhead from Space, Pyramids of Mars, The Caves of Androzani, Vengeance on Varos, Remembrance of the Daleks, and the Doctor Who Movie. There are certainly other suggestions, but that's a good list. Maybe one episode with Time Lords would be appropriate (perhaps War Games), but that's about it.
Been a while since I started this thread! I'm still watching the show. I'm now up to the last three episodes of series 4. I'm going to my brother's house to watch them this weekend. He and his wife are huge into Doctor Who and my sister-in-law insists on watching specific episodes with me. I don't mind at all. I love being able to watch the show with other fans and discuss it afterwards. The waiting between episodes, however, is killing me! If I was going at my own pace I'd probably be caught up by this point. Because I absolutely LOVE this show! It feels exactly the same as when I was getting into Star Trek for the first time almost 20 years ago. I'm glad that the show is very episodic, with the exception of 2-parters and the small little bits that are built up throughout the season (i.e. Bad Wolf, Torchwood) because I never know where the Doctor and his companion will end up next. Just like Star Trek, there is a new adventure every week. I loved Christopher Eccleston's portrayal and I wish he had done at least one more season. It's hard to compare him and David Tennant, as Tennant was on the show for much longer, but they both have their strengths. Eccleston did an awesome job portraying the Doctor's serious side, while Tennant is always good for a laugh. I'll be getting my first taste of Matt Smith very soon. I don't know what to expect from him at this point. I was very sad to see Rose leave the show, but I was satisfied with where they left her, being with both of her parents (even though it wasn't technically her dad) and Mickey. Rose has shown up in brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments in season four, so I'm assuming that it's leading up to something. Martha Jones had very big shoes to fill, but I ended up liking her. But for me, Donna Noble is second after Rose. Catherine Tate is so funny! I knew her from the office and had no idea she was on Doctor Who! The episode that reintroduces her, "Partners In Crime" had me in stitches when the Doctor and Donna see each other from across the room. They're both mouthing words to each other and Donna is using facial and hand gestures throughout the whole thing while the people that they're spying on are just staring at them! Standout episodes from each season for me include: Series 1: "Father's Day" "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" Series 2: "School Reunion" "The Girl in the Fireplace" "The Impossible Planet"/"The Satan Pit" "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday" Series 3: "The Shakespeare Code" "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood" "Blink" I'm hoping to keep this thread going so I can discuss some of these episodes some more.