Doctor Who is Britain's longest-running and most popular science fiction series, and has quite the following in the States and the rest of the world. So it is only natural that you would want to see what all of the hubbub is about.
But the thing is, Doctor Who has been on for more than fifty years. That's a lot of Who, not factoring in specials and spin-offs and web shorts and so on. Plus, it doesn't help that many streaming services such as Amazon Prime have the episodes/seasons grouped in a horribly counter-intuitive manner. So where/how does one get into this monster?
This guide, like my Marvel Viewing Guide, exists to help you out with that, making your "Whoniverse" viewing experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. This will mostly be organized via release order, with only a few things moved around for the sake of coherence and narrative flow.
So for starters, note that this viewing guide will focus only on the revival series that has been on air since 2005, as well as its associated media. This really is the best place for new viewers to jump on board, as the original series is difficult (and in the case of some episodes impossible) to find, expensive, and somewhat inaccessible. The revival series (or New Who, Nu Who, etc.) is of course written with new viewers in mind, and specific references to the original series are kept few and subtle. This guide will also not spend much energy on any of the novels, audio dramas, comic books, parody films, computer games, etc. as these are of a massive volume and not strictly canon anyway.
Also a note for American audiences that might not be used to binging British TV: in British television, the word "series" is often used in place of what we in the U.S. would typically call a "season," as is the case with New Who, so please do not let that be a source of confusion.
Main televised installments will be in bold. Web shorts and the like will not.
So without further ado:
New Who and Spin-Offs
Doctor Who Series One (Main Series, 2005)
Doctor Who untitled minisode (Short, 2005)
Sometimes referred to as "Pudsey Cutaway" or "Born Again." A short film produced for BBC's Children in Need charity. Functions as a brief tag to the end of the Series One finale, or alternatively as a prequel to the upcoming Christmas Special. Most of these minisodes and things can be found online via Youtube or Daily Motion.
Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (Christmas Special, 2005)
Doctor Who: Attack of the Graske (Interactive Short, 2005)
An interactive short originally made for BBC's Red Button service, but which can now be played online at their website.
Doctor Who Series Two (Main Series, 2006)
The second series of Doctor Who was released alongside a series of online "Tardisodes" which act as teasers to each episode of Series Two. However, like many of the little "prequel episodes" that will follow, they can be safely skipped.
Torchwood Series One (Spin-Off Series, 2006)
A darker and more violent spin-off starring Captain Jack Harkness.
Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (Christmas Special, 2006)
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Invasion of the Bane (Spin-Off Special, 2006)
Pilot film for the Sarah Jane Adventures spin-off children's series.
Doctor Who Series Three (Main Series, 2007)
Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest (Animated Shorts, 2007)
Takes place during Series Three.
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series One (Spin-Off Series, 2007)
Doctor Who: Time Crash (Short, 2007)
Another Children in Need minisode.
Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (Christmas Special, 2007)
Torchwood Series Two (Spin-Off Series, 2008)
Doctor Who Series Four (Main Series, 2008)
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Two (Spin-Off Series, 2008)
Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (Christmas Special, 2008)
The Sarah Jane Adventures: From Raxicoricofallapatorius With Love ( Spin-Off Short, 2009)
A short for the Comic Relief / Red Nose Day charity.
Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (Easter Special, 2009)
The first installment of the "Year of the Specials," so-called because 2009 went without a formal series and just released several specials over the course of the year.
Torchwood: Children of Earth (Spin-Off Miniseries, 2009)
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Three (Spin-Off Series, 2009)
Doctor Who: Waters of Mars (Christmas Special, 2009)
Doctor Who: Dreamland (Animated Shorts, 2009)
Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One and Part Two (Christmas Special, 2009)
Doctor Who Series Five (Main Series, 2010)
Doctor Who: Meanwhile in the TARDIS (Shorts, 2010)
A pair of shorts released after Series Five. Chronologically, Part One should be placed after the episode "The Eleventh Hour" and Part Two after "Flesh and Stone."
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Four (Spin-Off Series, 2010)
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (Christmas Special, 2010)
Doctor Who: Space and Time (Shorts, 2011)
More Red Nose Day shorts.
Doctor Who: Night and the Doctor: Bad Night and Good Night (Shorts, 2011)
The Night and the Doctor shorts were made as a special feature for the Series Six DVD. The first two (of five) take place roughly here.
Doctor Who Series Six Part One (Main Series, 2011)
Starting with Series Six, we get short prequel episodes which serve as teasers to certain episodes. The episodes "The Impossible Astronaut," "Curse of the Black Spot," and "A Good Man Goes to War" all have prequel episodes.
Doctor Who: The Battle of Demon's Run: Two Days Later (Short, 2012)
Released later, but obviously an epilogue to "A Good Man Goes to War."
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Spin-Off Miniseries, 2011)
As of now the last season of Torchwood. See also Web of Lies, a series of animated shorts released alongside Miracle Day.
Doctor Who Series Six, Part Two (Main Series, 2011)
"Let's Kill Hitler" and "The Wedding of River Song" have prequel episodes. Also, the Night and the Doctor short Up All Night likely takes place some time after "The God Complex" but before "The Wedding of River Song."
Doctor Who: Death is the Only Answer (Short, 2011)
A silly short minisode produced as part of a competition wherein children would submit scripts for a Doctor Who short and the winning script would be produced.
Doctor Who: Night and the Doctor: First Night and Last Night (Shorts, 2011)
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Five (Spin-Off Series, 2011)
Cut short by star Elizabeth Sladen's untimely passing.
Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe (Christmas Special, 2011)
Doctor Who: Good as Gold (Short, 2012)
Another children's competition minisode and tie-in to the London 2012 Olympics.
Doctor Who: Pond Life (Shorts, 2012)
A series of web shorts leading up to Series Seven.
Doctor Who Series Seven, Part One (Main Series, 2012)
The episodes "Asylum of the Daleks" and "A Town Called Mercy" have prequel shorts.
Doctor Who: P.S. (Animated Short, 2012)
An animation based on an unfilmed scene from the script for the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan."
Doctor Who: The Inforarium (Short, 2013)
Released after Series Seven, but clearly set earlier. Here is as good a place as any.
Doctor Who: The Great Detective and Vastra Investigates (Shorts, 2012)
Prequels to the upcoming Christmas Special.
Doctor Who: The Snowmen (Christmas Special, 2012)
Doctor Who: Rain Gods (Short, 2013)
Doctor Who Series Seven, Part Two (Main Series, 2013)
The episode "The Bells of Saint John" has a prequel, as does "The Name of the Doctor" in the form of the short She Said, He Said.
Doctor Who: Clara and the TARDIS (Short, 2013)
Takes place some time during Series Seven, Part Two.
Doctor Who: Clarence and the Whispermen (Short, 2013)
Takes place before "The Name of the Doctor." A deleted scene from said episode.
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor and The Last Day (Shorts, 2013)
Lead-ups to the 50th Anniversary Special.
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (Anniversary Special, 2013)
Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (Christmas Special, 2013)
Doctor Who Series Eight (Main Series, 2014)
Doctor Who: Last Christmas (Christmas Special, 2014)
Doctor Who: Series Nine Prologue and The Doctor's Meditation (Shorts, 2015)
Doctor Who Series Nine (Main Series, 2015)
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (Christmas Special, 2015)
Class Series One (Spin-Off Series, 2016)
Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (Christmas Special, 2016)
Doctor Who Series Ten (Main Series, 2017)
Other Who
Classic Doctor Who Seasons One through 26 (Main Series, 1963-1989)
The original series. As stated above, many episodes from the first several seasons are permanently lost. During this time we also have the spin-off pilot K-9 and Company (a sort-of prototype for the later show The Sarah Jane Adventures), the special The Five Doctors (between Seasons 20 and 21) and the initially unreleased episode "Shada" (between Seasons 17 and 18).
Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (Special, 1993)
A Children in Need charity special of dubious canonicity.
Doctor Who (Television Movie, 1996)
the first effort to revive Doctor Who during the 16 year hiatus. Failed to launch a follow-up series. Considered broadly canonical.
Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death (Parody Special, 1999)
A comedic and certainly non-canonical Red Nose Day special.
Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka (Animated Shorts, 2003)
Another early attempt to revive the series. Ultimately replaced by New Who and thus rendered non-canon.
There are also a massive quantity of pseudo-canonical comics and novels, as well as the beloved audio dramas produced by Big Finish. On the other hand, the two 1960s films starring Peter Cushing are firmly non-canon.
