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Doctor Who: Series 1

Series, 2005, Ninth Doctor, Set in After the Time War

Doctor Who: Series 1 is #3 of 21 in release order and #3 of 21 in chronological order in the Doctor Who.

The story

The first series features Christopher Eccleston as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor, his only series in the role, accompanied by Billie Piper, as his first and main companion Rose Tyler, whom he plucks from obscurity on planet Earth, and to whom he grows increasingly attached. He also travels briefly with unruly boy-genius Adam Mitchell, played by Bruno Langley, and with 51st-century con man and former "Time Agent" Captain Jack Harkness, portrayed by John Barrowman. Episodes in the series form a loose story arc, based upon the recurring phrase "Bad Wolf".

Doctor Who: Series 1 recap

Rose Tyler, a nineteen-year-old shop worker in London, is saved from living shop dummies by a stranger called the Doctor, who turns out to be the last of the Time Lords after a war that wiped out his people and the Daleks. She leaves her mother Jackie and boyfriend Mickey to travel with him to the end of the world, Victorian Cardiff and a 2006 Downing Street invaded by the Slitheen. The Doctor meets a lone surviving Dalek, Rose tries to save her father Pete on the day he died and nearly breaks time, and in wartime London they pick up Captain Jack Harkness, a con man from the future. The words Bad Wolf keep appearing wherever they go.

Doctor Who: Series 1 ending explained

On a space station in the year 200,100, the Doctor finds that the Dalek Emperor survived the war and has built a new army. He sends Rose home, but she opens the heart of the TARDIS, absorbs the time vortex and returns as the Bad Wolf, wiping out the Daleks and bringing Jack back to life. The Doctor draws the energy out of her to save her life, which kills him, and he regenerates into the Tenth Doctor in front of her. Jack is left behind on the station.

Where to watch Doctor Who: Series 1

Doctor Who: Series 1 is streaming on Philo, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Spectrum On Demand in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Google Play, and Fandango At Home.

Ratings

IMDb 8.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 85%

Where it fits

What to watch before Doctor Who: Series 1

In release order, the essentials before Doctor Who: Series 1 (2005) are Doctor Who (1963) (1963) and Doctor Who: The Movie (1996).

Cast