An Unfound Door: Watching Doctor Who, Season 1A

doctor who season 1A, an unfound door
So there’s this wisdom, a spiritual light lodged in the material world, which the redeemer retrieves and gives back to God—individual redemption as restoration of the divine, or what we call world therapy: Going into the darkness for the information, putting it back where we belongs. Approaching the wholeness taken from us when we’re born.

The thing about these stories, where the Creator isn’t necessarily the same guy as regular old helpful God, is that the focus is more on information, and less on who’s better or worse off—we, you, are squozen between the dark and the light, and you deserve better.


Any story that purports to be about God is usually about this: A half-dark fellow who thinks He made the world, and is lying. Who thinks He’s doing the right thing by hurting you; who absolutely must control the Information.

Ten years ago, Queer As Folk’s Russell T. Davies brought Doctor Who back to our screens after a lengthy hiatus. What followed was a journey into the mind of one of television’s premiere storytellers, a meditation on class and spirituality, and  a work of wonder that built bridges across the Atlantic that has changed the course of our culture forever.

Television Without Pity writer Jacob Clifton was new to the show and its core concepts when he began his weekly column writing about the show for an American, and eventually global, audience. But the community and conversations that began with Doctor Who continue to this day, and the discoveries about and within the show still resonate with us all. 


AN UNFOUND DOOR presents the first half of that series’ first season: The beginning of Rose Tyler’s journey with the Ninth Doctor, and the seeds of its eventual end. For fans of the show, those classic recaps, and all the creative work we’ve had to thank for it since, AN UNFOUND DOOR is a humorous and personal account of that show’s first beginnings, an indispensable guide to its larger themes and references, and above all a tribute to its compassionate and unflinching eye for wonder.


Over fifteen years writing and creating communities at Television Without Pity, Jacob Clifton was noted by industry and fans alike for his positive analytical approach and ebullient humor. His weekly columns—on shows ranging from American Idol to The Apprentice, Battlestar Galactica to Gossip Girl, Homeland to Pretty Little Liars and more—set off a decade of conversations across the internet. Now, with the former site defunct and a Gawker editorship in the rearview, Jacob is excited to release these definitive, heavily revised editions of those classic recaps at jacobclifton.com. Please visit for more info and join the mailing list!


Download includes the full text for the Davies series’ first half-season presented for every e-reader in a ZIP, along with the option of sending the entire book straight to your Kindle.


Reviews for An Unfound Door

Love Jacob Clifton’s writing… it’s so much more than a “recap,” though it’s that. It’s a meditation on each episode that ranges from the very personal to the massively universal. Any show I’ve watched that has Jacob’s writings to accompany it becomes a much deeper and more entertaining experience. I’m so happy to be reliving these episodes of Doctor Who with him. —Amazon

Goodreads reviewsAmazon reviews

Discover more from Jacob Clifton

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading