Doctor Who: Why Gallifrey: Time War is the best jumping-on point for the spin-off

With the upcoming release of the second volume, we look at why the first volume of Time War is the best jumping-on point for the Doctor Who spin-off series, Gallifrey.

Out of the many Doctor Who spin-offs out there, Gallifrey has to be one of the very best. The serialized stories, the political scheming and the complex characters all help to make a strong series.

However, with the spin-off reaching its tenth series this month with Gallifrey: Time War: Volume Two, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

It’s easiest to suggest that Weapon of Choice, the first ever episode, would be the best place to start. However, while I do enjoy listening and re-listening to the series from the very beginning, there are a few key points that make it a little difficult for newcomers.

For one thing, the first series deals very heavily with the consequences of a couple of the Eighth Doctor’s audios. This isn’t surprising, as they were popular at the time and major storylines were still very fresh when they were heavily referenced in Gallifrey.

However, this does make it potentially difficult for new listeners to dive into. Especially in A Blind Eye, the final episode of series one. While it’s a great story and features a brilliant twist, it’s also heavily dependent on the listener being familiar with the events of Neverland and Zagreus, at least. Which in turn were dependent on events from the Eighth Doctor’s first two seasons with Charley, starting with Storm Warning. This makes the story – and the first series, as a result – a little more difficult to simply dive into.

Other fresh starts

Because of this, it’s also difficult to listen to the following five series, too. Series two and three are two of my favorites in the entire series, don’t get me wrong. But with series one being a little difficult to jump-on board with, and yet at the same time, being so key to the following five series, it makes the rest of the original era difficult to dive into as a result.

Fortunately, we have had several jumping-on points since then. In fact, the past three series have all been highly accessible in different ways.

Intervention Earth jumps far ahead, and features both a new Romana and a fresh storyline, one without any major connections to the first six series. It’s an easy story to pick up and listen to without knowing anything about the series.

The following series, Enemy Lines, continues directly from the ending of Intervention Earth. But even this is an easy jumping-on point. Because not only is the story set before the previous series, it even features a huge reset, while telling a great time-travel story in its own right. It’s definitely more rewarding to listen to Intervention Earth first, but it’s not essential. It’s also a very strong serial in its own right.

Gallifrey: Time War not only pushed the Doctor Who spin-off in a new direction. It also makes for a great jumping-on point.

(Image credit: Gallifrey/Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Time War

However, I think the best jumping-on point for the series is Gallifrey: Time War. The first four episodes made a strong introduction to all of the characters, and you didn’t need to know too much about the Classic Series to enjoy it. The relationships have been built up considerably, and you’re aware that all of these characters are old friends by this point.

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But there are very few major references to previous series. There are little nods here and there, but none made that it feel like the listener will be missing out if they hadn’t heard those stories. In many ways, the first volume really is a fresh start to the series.

Keep in mind, I’m not saying that previous series should be ignored completely. After all, you get so many amazing stories that show how brilliant the Doctor Who spin-off really is. Especially in series two and three.

But I also know that sometimes, you need to be practical, and later starting points can work better than earlier ones. For example, while I’m a huge fan of the first ever episode, I’ve seen far more fans recommend Rose or The Eleventh Hour as a starting point compared to An Unearthly Child, and it’s really not hard to see why.

So while checking out the earlier series is certainly recommended at some point, checking out Time War right now isn’t a bad way of checking out Gallifrey. Especially with volume two out later this month. With new beginnings, fantastic stories and epic cliffhangers, Time War really is the best accessible point for the series.

Are you a fan of Gallifrey? Do you think Time War is the best jumping-on point for the series? Which is your favorite episode? Let us know in the comments below.