Hello all -

For fear of losing my nerd credentials, I feel it necessary to learn of Doctor Who. I have a very passing knowledge, having seen a handful of episodes from the Baker years (at or near the time of actual first airing), but always felt sufficiently lost that I couldn't "jump in".

I'd rather not receive a spoiler-laden synopsis (ala Wiki reading), but would prefer a more holistic experience. It seems unlikely that I would be able to watch the original series' (if for no other reason than so many episodes are lost), and the collection of book adaptations would be prohibitively expensive even if I could run them all down.

So, I ask...what am I to do?

Is there an engaging, authoritative source of learning that presents more as a serial, or am I stuck? Are there compendia that might present me with the working knowledge in a literary format as opposed to a historical perspective?

What might your recommendations be?

Thanks!

- M