How to turn New Who into The 11th Doctor Show

[hmpf]

I think I've found a workable arrangement of episodes to get a new viewer (with some patience and some geek cred) into 11th Doc Who, while allowing them to catch all or most of the most important thematic and emotional resonances. Essentially, this means treating eps from earlier series like flashbacks (with the fifth series as the present from which to flash back):

Preface/Introduction:

Human Nature
The Family of Blood
(These first two are decidedly optional, and may not be advised for every new viewer. The Eleventh Hour will be a bit jarring after them, so, depending on the viewer, you may want to watch them as part of the encore instead. On the other hand, viewers who may need convincing that DW "can be serious, too", may benefit from putting these eps at or near the beginning. In my particular case, the potential new viewer is a history nut and a romantic who loves angsty drama, so I think these eps might work to lure her in. - You may also substitute or add The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.)

Main series:

The Eleventh Hour
The Beast Below
Dalek (9th Doctor)
Victory of the Daleks
The Empty Child (9th Doctor; may be added to intro section)
The Doctor Dances (9th Doctor; may be added to intro section)
Silence in the Library (10th Doctor)
Forest of the Dead (10th Doctor)
Blink (10th Doctor)
Time of the Angels
Flesh and Stone
The End of the World (9th Doctor; optional)
The Vampires of Venice
Amy's Choice
The Hungry Earth
Cold Blood
Vincent and the Doctor
The Lodger
The Pandorica Opens
The Big Bang

And, for an encore:

The Girl in the Fireplace (10th Doctor)
A Christmas Carol
The Runaway Bride (10th Doctor; adding this here not because it's particularly awesome in itself, but because I really like Donna, especially in this)

Comments

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Pound for pound "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" are still my favorite episodes of New Who. The only other story that is close is "Vincent and the Doctor," and it's an hour rather than two.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Hmm, interesting idea. I think you mostly hit the right notes there. Personally I honestly believe that the Eleventh Doctor's run is really quite self-contained emotionally and all you need need is the Silence in the Library episodes and maybe Dalek and/or the End of the World for the Time War.

But since you list a lot of episodes I just really like, I enjoy the idea of framing them as flashbacks while still tying into the current series.

Also, your comments on how you dislike the Tenth Doctor yet find two of your favourite stories are his is kind of apt for me too. I mean, I'd probably throw the Curse of Fenric into that threesome, and maybe S5 two-part finale (but also, that's probably my favourite, but because of context whereas I think the others stand much better alone). But still, I'd go so far as to say that Tennant is one of my least favourite doctors. Not so much because of what he could have been, but because of the general tenor of his run and how much bits of it pissed me off. But you already know that rant. ;)

The point is, if you haven't seen it, behold this amazing vid which largely focuses on the Human Nature/Family of Blood arc:

Marble House