Best single episode to 'hook' someone on Doctor Who?

[Ood Sigma]

I've ruminated on this question quite a lot over the last few years, and thought I'd ask it here: if you could only show someone who had never seen Doctor Who one single episode to 'hook' someone on watching the entire series, which one would it be?

This is not necessarily the best episode the series has done. In my mind it has to be an episode that

• Is not overly continuity-heavy. ("Utopia", with references to Captain Jack, the Master, fobwatches... you're out!)
• Features the Doctor prominently. (sorry "Blink", "Turn Left")
• Conveys the essence of the show, showing off what it can do. There must be a relatively strong dynamic between the Doctor and his companion, memorable guest characters, and a great story.

Clearly you'd also want to tailor it for the person who you're introducing it to (do they like action or philosophical dramas? Aliens or historical figures?) but I'm looking for the best general episode that should appeal to the widest number of people.

Personally, I'm thinking "The Girl in the Fireplace" fits the criteria the best. I also gave strong consideration to "Vincent and the Doctor", but it's such an unusually structured episode, I don't think it conveys the essence of the show as well.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Guartho]

The Unquiet Dead. Bare-shouldered Rose FTW!

 

[mimic]

I hooked three people going with the one-two punch of "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace." "Blink" may be Doctor-lite but whenever I show it to someone who's never seen the show before they're curious and ask to see more.

I think Smith & Jones and The Eleventh Hour would be pretty good hooks as well; they certainly cover some of the important exposition. And "Midnight" could work.

 

[Ood Sigma]

The Unquiet Dead. Bare-shouldered Rose FTW!

Hmmm, and if the person you're introducing the show to is female, either "Bad Wolf" or "The Lodger"?

 

[The]

Classic: City of Death

Modern: Empty Child / Doctor Dances

 

[Ood Sigma]

I hooked three people going with the one-two punch of "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace." "Blink" may be Doctor-lite but whenever I show it to someone who's never seen the show before they're curious and ask to see more.

I think Smith & Jones and The Eleventh Hour would be pretty good hooks as well; they certainly cover some of the important exposition. And "Midnight" could work.

Yeah, I love "Blink" and I think it works great as a standalone episode. But I wonder if someone else would be confused by the marginal role the Doctor plays in it.

"Smith and Jones" was OK but it's not my favorite. A little cartoony with rhinoceros men, an old lady drinking blood with a straw, and radiation being forced into a shoe. Humor is great but some things are too silly (especially the Slitheen "compression" jokes).

"Midnight" is also awesome but I think it doesn't work great as an intro because of the lack of the companion. Yeah, I'm picking nits here.

"The Eleventh Hour" is a fantastic suggestion. I initially ruled it out because I prefer Ten to Eleven (if only by a hair) but I've got to admit, it's a perfect jumping-on point (and a great episode to boot).

 

[Whofan]

I think the Impossible Planet/Satan Pit works out well in your criteria, although it's a bit darker than standard WHO. It's also not that continuity-heavy, although later shows would use the Ood.


Classic-wise, any Tom Baker from his first three seasons with a few exceptions should do well.

 

[ParticleMan]

Of modern Who, I'd vote The Eleventh Hour...mainly because I actually did use it to hook a friend...and it worked. He went straight through Series 5, then watched all of modern Who in a brief time and is now working his way through classic Who...

 

[Starkers]

Actually I think I'd be tempted to go with the 11th Hour as well. Other than that maybe Smith and Jones (if you can get past the crass family exposition at the star, sorry Moffat but not RTD at his best, and the radiation in the shoe!)

 

[Stevil2001]

I've used "Smith and Jones" in the past. One of Martha's best, Tennant's on top form, the Judoon are great, and the visual of the hospital on the moon is one of my favorite things ever.

 

[Guartho]

sort of unrelated, but I just watched both versions of "An unearthly child." That was an effective hook at least once.

 

[intrinsical]

I second the Eleventh Hour.

I had a friend who adored Lost and professed to be keen on dipping his toes deeper into the science fiction genre. So last year, I showed him Blink but he did not catch on to Doctor Who. He said the episode was interesting and scary, but it did not excite him or make him want to watch more of Doctor Who.

This year, I showed him the Eleventh Hour as well as the first act of The Time of Angels (up to the point River pops out of the airlock and lands in the TARDIS). It got him really puzzled, curious and now he wants to see more of the Doctor.

 

[Skywalker]

Since I can only cite modern episodes, I'll have to go with The Eleventh Hour.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Five Doctors

 

[Samurai8472]

"Rose" or "The Eleventh Hour" with some minor explanations

 

[CmdrAJD]

I've used "The Girl In The Fireplace" a couple of times to mixed results (it's my all-time favorite episode). I think "11th Hour" may be a better option in the future.

 

[Bones2]

If you only mean new Who, then I'd actually probably go for The Beast Below. Can't really think of anything better. As for old Who, that's trickier. Carnival of Monsters or City of Death I guess. Maybe Curse of Fenric.

 

[Whettestone]

"BLINK". It's self contained. Everything's wrapped up. It teases new viewers into it, as all the wild stuff is introduced slowly to the viewers through Sally Sparrow. For example, the viewers see the TARDIS when SHE sees the TARDIS. Viewers learn what a Police Box is when SHE learns what a Police Box is. Viewers learn the Doctor travels through time when SHE learns the Doctor travels through time. It's a good episode that also is a good introductory. All other episodes (with maybe exception of Unearthly Child and Rose) assume viewers already know this stuff.

Otherwise, I believe the list would usually be the top voted episodes (the usual picks) City Of Death, Curse Of Fenric, etc. I haven't seen Matt Smith yet, don't get BBCAmerica.

 

[The]

"BLINK". It's self contained. Everything's wrapped up. It teases new viewers into it, as all the wild stuff is introduced slowly to the viewers through Sally Sparrow. For example, the viewers see the TARDIS when SHE sees the TARDIS. Viewers learn what a Police Box is when SHE learns what a Police Box is. Viewers learn the Doctor travels through time when SHE learns the Doctor travels through time. It's a good episode that also is a good introductory. All other episodes (with maybe exception of Unearthly Child and Rose) assume viewers already know this stuff.

I see your logic, and I understand why you would choose Blink for that reason. But, for me, Doctor Who is a bowl of ice cream, with whipped topping and a cherry on top. An episode like Blink is the cherry, in my opinion. Eating that alone is not the same as eating the whole dish. It's sweet, doesn't really taste like anything else in the ice cream or topping, and contains only barest smears of either.

For me, if I'm going to try and introduce someone to an ice cream sundae, I'm going to want them to try the ice cream first. If I want to introduce someone to Doctor Who, I'd show them a regular Doctor Who episode. The kind they're going to see every week, versus the rare special treat they get like Blink.

But, that's just me...

 

[Whettestone]

Well ignoring the ice cream crap, why not just show them the first episode YOU saw.

First episode I ever saw was "Terror of the Zygons". Tom Baker wore a kilt. They were in Scotland. Brigadier's LAST episode, Harry Sullivan's second-to-last episode. You don't see the TARDIS until the last 1 minute, only see it dematerialise - never materialise, and you never see the inside of it at all. Then the Loch Ness Monster shows up.

Didn't see the inside of the TARDIS until the next week, he ditched Sarah Jane in 2 months, then the Master showed up as a glassy skull creature, didn't see the Daleks for 4 months, and although Romana changed, didn't know about regenerations and the end of Logopolis freaked me out. I was hooked. Then the next week a blonde guy showed up scootin around in a wheelchair trying to find the zero room while unraveling his scarf.

I also suggest Troughton's "Tomb of the Cybermen", assuming the person you're showing it to can handle Black and White. Many young people can't.