I am a fan of British television, but I have never watched an episode of Dr. Who. I understand it is turning fifty years old.

I would like to watch some of the series, but I do not want to watch all fifty years.

Where would be a good place to start to get a good "feel" for the show?

I would love to tell you to go back 50 years or so and start at the beginning. If you have the time to do it, I would stand by that.. Most people don't have that much time so I would suggest going back to 2005 when the show re-started.

First you have to take a drink. Some won't get this response.

The BBC/BBC America has been running specials for the last few months on all the doctors. They show a half hour about each doctor, then show two episodes featuring that doctor. I've never really watched Doctor Who before, but those have made me into a fan. Looking forward to 11/23 now

Check out the Adventure in Space and Time for a good introduction.

I really liked Ten and Eleven best for "New Who" Doctors. Lots of "New Who 'Purists'" say that's it's criminal not to start with Nine. Nine's alright, pretty underrated, but I never thought he was the best introduction to The Doctor. Just my opinion. I really liked the very first episode with the first Doctor and then the second series where the Daleks are first introduced.
If you can find it, what Redshirt was talking about is "The Doctors Revisited." It's a collection of "Doctor-umentaries" about each Doctor which are all followed by what the makers considered the vital episodes for that Doctor.
One and Eleven are tied for my favorite Doctor, followed by a tie from everyone except Colin Baker.
Also, IMO, Eight was a good Doctor cast in a crap movie.

Now, there's also the non-canon Doctor, Peter Cushing. He starred in two Doctor Who movies but is not an official Doctor as far as canon goes.

Start with Google's Dr. Whoogle today

I would recommend finding a Doctor/companion you like and start there. Sample as many as possible. Each is unique in their own way. Most don't go much further back than Baker and that iconic scarf.

Take small samples and go from there.

Right you are Danny! Tom Baker was the man... I mean the Doctor.

Doctor Who used to be my neighbour. Jon Pertwee, he was cool friendly fellow. He dressed and spoke the same like and it was magical seeing him walking about the town. I thought the show was silly.

BBC America's showing Doctor Who episodes and specials pretty from now through the whole weekend, because of the Day of the Doctor special. Guess you can watch the channel to get your fill.

Last night I began with "Season 1" which, obviously, is not really Season 1. It was the episode about the plastic people, and was very interesting. I may not be "hooked" yet, but I will continue watching.

I'd start with Tom Baker unless you have access to some of the newly found Patrick Troughton episodes (I do not but the little I've seen of him tells me they would be a hoot).

Sometimes the Dr. Character is more fun than the writing (Like the Sylvester McCoy episodes) and just expect to hate what they put the companions through as far as tripping and needing help and such.

Still, great fun and I'm a big fan.

Once you've seen a few you'll relax and enjoy them or quit them entirely.

There are some I don't like so much like Colin Baker and any episode with Perry as the companion (because of her whiny "American" accent).

David Tennant is one of the best.

I have not seen all of the Dr.s.

Have Fun, I wish I could see them all for the first time again.

-Mary Mowder

Watch "An Adventure in Space and Time"
It's a great movie about the Dr Who series, and the
people who made it happen.

They say your first Doctor is always the best one. But I actually think you might want to start with Tom Baker. All of his episodes are available. I've seen "An Unearthly Child" which is a struggle to get through (although I did like the "trial" where the Doctor proves what happened to the old lady.) All I've seen of Patrick Troughton is "The Two Doctors" where he played off of Colin Baker's more caustic, know-it-all Doctor. I haven't seen any of Jon Pertwee, I understand he's very good.

But start with 4 (Tom Baker) and see if you're intrigued enough to go back and look at some of the earlier stories.

Mary, Peri would have been "whiny" no matter what her accent, the Doctor she had to deal with was rather overbearing. Oddly enough, the producers didn't know she wasn't American when she auditioned.

The only Doctor whose stories I have trouble getting through is 5 (Peter Davidson). I don't know why, I just couldn't get into his stories or his take on the character.

Just got to David Tennant.

Oh you are in for a ride!

I've just seen; "An Adventure in Time and Space" which is a fictionalized rendition of the creation of "Dr. Who."
The producer was the first woman producer at the BBC and the director was the first East Indian director at the BBC, both of them were expected to fail, the BBC at one point put the "kill order" for the series; finish the four episodes we contracted for and you're done. Then they did the Daleks episode. The producer and director had to move on to other things and William Hartnell, his health failing, was on the show with strangers. Finally, it became clear that the show would have to go on without him and the last scene is him meeting Patrick Trouton. There's a heart breaking (heart warming?) moment at the end as "Hartnell" is preparing to shoot his last scene in the TARDIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFSO0OCX-Xk

On a funnier note; Peter Davison (Doctor #5) has done a half hour skit about him, Colin Baker (#6) and Sylvester McCoy (#7) conspiring to figure out some way to sneak into the 50th Anniversary shooting when it becomes obvious no one is going to return their calls to appear officially.

This is just the trailer;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI5Py96KJ54

The Library episode has one of my favorite lines from him.