The Fast Track

For when you want a guided tour that covers a smaller amount of stuff.

This is Incomplete! Work In Progress!

The Monthly Adventures is a series of standalone Doctor Who stories. Each story consists of four half-hour parts, and features one of the classic doctors. In general, you can choose any story and just listen to it – only a few of them are designed to lead into each other.

The very first one is far from the best thing they’ve done, but it’s a fun starting point:

Here are some of the first few, that I consider worth listening to:

Whispers of Terror
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Peri

Standalone: Yes

The Fearmonger
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Ace

Standalone: Yes

The next audio drama introduces a unique-to-audio companion, Evelyn:

The Marian Conspiracy
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: Evelyn)

And then some assorted episodes:

The Genocide Machine
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Ace, Bev, Daleks

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: Dalek Empire)

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn, Brigadier

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting scenes of heavy violence.

The Apocalypse Element
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn, Romana, Time Lords, Daleks

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotlines: Dalek Empire, Gallifrey)

The Holy Terror
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Frobisher

Standalone: Yes

The Mutant Phase
Featuring: the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Thals, Daleks

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: Dalek Empire)

Bonus

Some segments will have a bonus section. These are audio dramas that belong in this segment, but can be skipped if you’re trying to go super fast.

The Eighth Doctor joins the audio adventures, with new companion Charlotte Pollard (Charley)!

Unfortunately, the first “season” of adventures is a bit hit and miss. The first episode is good:

But the episodes after that get mixed reviews.

Bonus

I enjoyed the second episode, but not the third. Other people have the opposite opinion. Feel free to either listen to these or skip them:

The fourth episode, Minuet in Hell is generally considered to be not good at all.

Here’s some more adventures with doctors 5-7.

Dust Breeding
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Ace, Bev, the Master

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: the Master)

Project: Twilight
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn, Nimrod, the Forge

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotlines: Evelyn, Forge)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of heavy violence

The Eye of the Scorpion
Featuring: the 5th Doctor, Peri, Erimem

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: Erimem)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of torture

Colditz
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Ace, Klein

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotlines: Ace, Klein)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of heavy violence, in addition to implications of sexual assault

Bonus

The Dalek Empire series asks the question “What if the Daleks invaded, and the Doctor wasn’t there to stop them?”.

The Dalek Empire stories were set up in a thread through 4 Monthly Adventures (The Genocide Machine, The Apocalypse Element, The Mutant Phase, and The Time of the Daleks), but the series itself can be listened to without that prior context.

Warning: These stories feature a lot of death. Also, since they form a continuous story (unlike most other releases, which are standalone) you need to listen to them in order.

Invasion of the Daleks

Standalone: Yes

Essential

The Human Factor

Standalone: No

Essential

"Death to the Daleks!"

Standalone: No

Essential

Project Infinity

Standalone: No

Essential

Some more stories, featuring the 8th Doctor and Charley:

The Chimes of Midnight
Featuring: the 8th Doctor, Charley

Standalone: No
(first listen to: Storm Warning)

Essential
(plotline: Anti-time)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of death, suicide, and self-harm

Seasons of Fear
Featuring: the 8th Doctor, Charley

Standalone: No
(listen to the Anti-time plotline in order)

Essential
(plotline: Anti-time)

Embrace the Darkness
Featuring: the 8th Doctor, Charley

Standalone: Yes

Essential
(plotline: Anti-time)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting body horror involving eyes

The Time of the Daleks
Featuring: the 8th Doctor, Charley, Daleks

Standalone: No
(listen to the Anti-time plotline in order)

Essential
(plotlines: Anti-time, Dalek Empire)

Neverland
Featuring: the 8th Doctor, Charley, Romana, Time Lords

Standalone: No
(listen to the Anti-time plotline in order)

Essential
(plotline: Anti-time)

Bonus

Some more monthlies:

Spare Parts
Featuring: the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Cybermen

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama (like most cybermen stories) includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of body horror

...ish
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Peri

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama contains a graphic and potentially upsetting depiction of suicide

The Rapture
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Ace

Standalone: No
(first listen to: Colditz)

The Sandman
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn, the Galyari

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama contains a potentially upsetting use of a slur against Romani people

The Church and the Crown
Featuring: the 5th Doctor, Peri, Erimem

Standalone: Yes

Note: While it is standalone, it is better to listen to "The Eye of the Scorpion" first. This drama includes a graphic and potentially upsetting depiction of torture

Jubilee
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn, Daleks

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of sexism, abusive relationships, heavy violence, and body horror

Doctor Who and the Pirates
Featuring: the 6th Doctor, Evelyn

Standalone: Yes

Note: This drama seriously discusses mental health, depression, self-harm and suicide.

Project: Lazarus
Featuring: the 6th and 7th Doctors, Evelyn, Nimrod, the Forge

Standalone: No
(first listen to: Project: Twilight)

Essential
(plotlines: Evelyn, Forge)

Note: This drama includes graphic and potentially upsetting depictions of heavy violence and torture

Flip-Flop
Featuring: the 7th Doctor, Mel

Standalone: Yes

Note: While this is one of my favourite time travel/paradox stories, be aware that this story includes antisemitism

Bonus

The Dalek Empire series continues.

Dalek War: Chapter One

Standalone: No

Essential

Dalek War: Chapter Two

Standalone: No

Essential

Note: This drama contains potentially upsetting depictions of torture and suicide

Dalek War: Chapter Three

Standalone: No

Essential

Dalek War: Chapter Four

Standalone: No

Essential

Note: This drama contains potentially upsetting depictions of suicide

Some episodes focusing on villains:

Everything from this point on is guesswork.