Beginner's Guide to Doctor Who

So you have heard the hype and want to begin watching Doctor Who. Great!

Things that you need to know before going in:

• The series has been on for nearly 50 years. You DO NOT NEED to start at the very beginning.
• You can start at what they call Season 1 which began airing in 2005.
• As of right at this moment, there are 6 seasons.
• A season is 13 episodes.
• Season 1-5 are streaming on Netflix Instant.
• Season 6 is on DVD.
• You need to watch them in order. Skipping around will confuse the hell out of you.
• There are some episodes that are not that great. Suffering through them will be worth it in the long run.
• The series is meant to be watched by the whole family so some stuff may seem a bit dumb and goofy.
• The Doctor is NOT Sherlock Holmes. He is more like a mixture of Batman and Captain Picard.
  
• Torchwood is a spin-off of Doctor Who and it is meant just for adults. There are two seasons of that and two mini-series movies. They don't interlock well with Doctor Who like Angel and Buffy did.
• The Sarah Jane Adventures is also a spin-off of Doctor Who and it is meant for tweens. Sarah Jane traveled with the Doctor back in the 60s and has appeared in Season 2 & 4 since.
• The Doctor doesn't die. He regenerates. There have been 11 actors who have played him. 3 since 2005. You will be upset when the Doctor goes and you will be leery of the new one. This is normal. It takes a few episodes, but you will come to realize that he is still the Doctor.
• The show will make you cry. Some episodes more than others. If you can make it through "Vincent and the Doctor" without being a weepy mess, you have no soul.
• The show will make you laugh. Some episodes more than others.
  

The show was aptly summed up by Craig Ferguson in this cold open sketch:

(In case the embedding doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4)

These are all the things you really need to know to get going. Enjoy!