You can skip 4 of the 21 titles in the Doctor Who franchise and still follow the main story: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, and The War Between the Land and the Sea. The essentials (17 titles) take about 429 hours instead of 501 hours.
- Skippable
- 4
- Essentials
- 17
- Time saved
- 71 hours
Safe to skip
- Torchwood2006 · Series · 35h 26m · optionalCaptain Jack Harkness runs a Cardiff alien-hunting team; adult spin-off, Children of Earth is the peak.
- The Sarah Jane Adventures2007 · Series · 26h · optionalClassic companion Sarah Jane Smith investigates aliens with a team of teenagers; made for kids.
- Class2016 · Series · 6h 3m · optionalA one-season spin-off set at Coal Hill Academy; optional.
- The War Between the Land and the Sea2025 · Series · 3h 57m · optionalA five-part spin-off: UNIT's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart against the Sea Devils.
Why each one is optional
What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.
No. 01 · 2006 · Series · 35h 26m · optional
Torchwood
The exploits of a team of people whose job is to investigate the unusual, the strange and the extraterrestrial.
Why it matters: Captain Jack Harkness runs a Cardiff alien-hunting team; adult spin-off, Children of Earth is the peak.
- Starring
- John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Kai Owen
- Creator
- Russell T Davies
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 98%
- Episodes
- 41 across 4 seasons
No. 02 · 2007 · Series · 26h · optional
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Sarah Jane Smith is a truly remarkable woman who inhabits a world of mystery, danger and wonder; a world where aliens are commonplace and the Earth is under constant threat. A world that Maria Jackson, a seemingly ordinary girl, can only dream of – until she moves in next door. Nothing will ever be ordinary again.
Why it matters: Classic companion Sarah Jane Smith investigates aliens with a team of teenagers; made for kids.
- Starring
- Elisabeth Sladen, Daniel Anthony, and Alexander Armstrong
- Creator
- Russell T Davies
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5
- Episodes
- 52 across 5 seasons
No. 03 · 2016 · Series · 6h 3m · optional
Class
Coal Hill School has been a feature of Doctor Who since the first episode, but now we get to see the day-to-day adventures of the students coping with intrusions from space and time.
Why it matters: A one-season spin-off set at Coal Hill Academy; optional.
- Starring
- Greg Austin, Katherine Kelly, and Sophie Hopkins
- Creator
- Patrick Ness
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 84%
- Episodes
- 8
No. 04 · 2025 · Series · 3h 57m · optional
The War Between the Land and the Sea
When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.
Why it matters: A five-part spin-off: UNIT's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart against the Sea Devils.
- Starring
- Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jemma Redgrave
- Creator
- Russell T Davies
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%
- Episodes
- 5
The essentials, in release order
- Doctor Who (1963)1963 · Series · 292h 15m26 seasons and seven Doctors, 1963 to 1989; many early episodes are lost, so pick serials rather than watching it all.
- Doctor Who: The Movie1996 · Film · 1h 26mPaul McGann's only TV story as the Eighth Doctor; the bridge between the classic and modern shows.
- Doctor Who: Series 12005 · Series · 9h 44mThe 2005 revival and the best place to start: Christopher Eccleston's Doctor meets Rose Tyler.
- Doctor Who: Series 22006 · Series · 10h 22mDavid Tennant takes over; Rose's last series, ending at Canary Wharf.
- Doctor Who: Series 32007 · Series · 10h 26mMartha Jones joins; includes Blink and the return of the Master.
- Doctor Who: Series 42008 · Series · 10h 42mDonna Noble's series, ending with the Daleks stealing the Earth.
- Doctor Who: Series 52010 · Series · 10h 11mMatt Smith and showrunner Steven Moffat begin; Amy Pond and the cracks in time.
- Doctor Who: Series 62011 · Series · 10h 4mThe Silence, River Song's identity and the Doctor's apparent death at Lake Silencio.
- Doctor Who: Series 72012 · Series · 9h 45mThe Ponds' farewell, Clara Oswald's arrival, and the road to The Day of the Doctor.
- Doctor Who: Series 82014 · Series · 9h 52mPeter Capaldi's darker Doctor; Missy is revealed.
- Doctor Who: Series 92015 · Series · 9h 36mClara's last series; Heaven Sent is one of the show's best episodes.
- Doctor Who: Series 102017 · Series · 9h 24mBill Potts joins; ends with two Masters and the Cybermen's origin.
- Doctor Who: Series 112018 · Series · 8h 30mJodie Whittaker's first series with the "fam": Graham, Ryan and Yaz.
- Doctor Who: Series 122020 · Series · 8h 55mThe Timeless Child reveal rewrites the Doctor's origin.
- Doctor Who: Flux2021 · Series · 5h 29mOne six-part story across the universe, then three specials to the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration.
- Doctor Who: Season 1 (2024)2024 · Series · 6h 14mNcuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday; watch the three 60th-anniversary specials (2023) first.
- Doctor Who: Season 2 (2025)2025 · Series · 6h 25mBelinda Chandra joins; ends with the Fifteenth Doctor's regeneration.
Common questions
Do I need to watch every Doctor Who title?
No. You can skip 4 of the 21 titles in the Doctor Who franchise and still follow the main story: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, and The War Between the Land and the Sea. The essentials (17 titles) take about 429 hours instead of 501 hours.
How long are the Doctor Who essentials?
About 429 hours for 17 titles, in release order starting with Doctor Who (1963).
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