I has a phone!

I got a new VoIP phone at work while I was out. I knew it was coming, so it's not a surprise. I am highly amused, though, to find out that the brand name of it is "Polycom". :) Also, my first VM on it was a wrong number.

A geek question

I was reminded today that I want to start getting into Doctor Who. Granted, it was the intriguing suggestion of Jack Harkness/Doctor slash fic that reminded me of that fact, but that's beside the point. Ahem.

My entire experience of Doctor Who includes the following:

1. Watching one episode from last season
2. Seeing the Dalek Song video
3. Seeing various Doctor scarves and knit daleks
4. Hearing the KLF song, "Doctorin' the TARDIS"

Now, there is a LOT of Doctor Who out there. I'm unsure how the series works. Do I have to start at the beginning to appreciate it? That is, are the episodes typically part of a larger story arc (as with Babylon 5), or do they typically stand alone (as with Law and Order), or is it a mixture of both, where there are some episodes that stand alone but there is also an important story arc that you can't get by watching random episodes (as with The X-Files)?

The practical upshot of that question is, if I want to get into the show, should I go to the library and see about renting the first season (or borrow it from someone), or should I just watch the next episode that's on TV and pick up reruns or whatever as I go along? Are there movies I need to watch? Are there swaths of the show that I should just ignore as sucky or irrelevant? Are there things I MUST NOT MISS?

Tell me, O Geektastic Friends List!

WANT.

Sandman and Death bookends!!!