Love Fires of Pompeii. Truly the episode that proved Catherine Tate to any doubters.

Both Fires of Pompeii and Vincent And the doctor are in my top 20 :wub: Incredible episodes

Pompeii and Vincent are pretty bad. Don't care for eithrr. Vincent is more preaching from Doc Who. Boring.

 

Still not as bad as Tennent. He must br the worst doctor come to think of it,

Tennant >>>>>

Michael do you even like DW?

The goodepisodes.

 

Not when he is basically a god in a fantasy episode and preaching about something and on his high horse. Tennet was the worst for that. He was always right. His way or the highway. He felt no qualms about disposing a government and ending a golden age just because someone challenged him. His words would jot hsve ended her government. At all. Imagine saying it about Mad May now for example. More ridiculous pandering to the Tennent godlike Who.

Fires of Pompeii is one of the best examples of why Donna is the best companion tbh.

Fires Of Pompeii is fantastic for my Roman geekery, the family in there is even from a Latin textbook, at least the parents and Quintus. And even though it was a little kitschy, (like, the Romans would have known what a volcano was, Etna in Sicily (not to mention the island Vulcano) erupted during that period all the time) it was a decently fun look at Roman culture, plus a very good moral dilemma. I like this introduction to the fixed points in time, it worked well as a concept within this episode.

Love Fires of Pompeii - it was only the second I actually watched and it made me realise that The Doctor doesn't always save people :o

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28 Dark Water / Death in Heaven

Series 8, Episodes 11 and 12

Doctor: Twelfth

Companion: Clara Oswald

Also starring: Danny Pink, Kate Stewart, Osgood

 

We're thrown in at the deep end in the series 8 finale, as we see Danny Pink's final moments before being hit by a car and dying. Clara is understandably distraught, and tries to take the Doctor to an active volcano - the only place TARDIS keys can be destroyed properly. Every time he says no to bringing Danny back, Clara throws a key in, until they are all gone and the reality of her actions hits her. Thankfully, the entire sequence was a dream as the Doctor was one step ahead of her the entire time. He forgives her and promises to do his best to find wherever Danny is now, so uses the TARDIS telepathic circuit again. They are taken to 3W, a facility that helps with the afterlife. They see skeletons on display in water tanks, almost as if they're on display. Meanwhile, Danny is in the afterlife, speaking to a man called Seb, who asks if he's being cremated. The Doctor and Clara meet Missy, an android, and then speak to Dr. Chang, who helps Clara speak to Danny in the afterlife. They learn that the dead in the afterlife still feel every emotion that their body is going through, so cremation is a big issue. Missy instructs the tanks to activate and the water drains, revealing that the water only displays organic matter and the tanks are in actual fact full of Cybermen! The Doctor and Dr. Chang confront Missy, who's not an android after all, and she kills Dr. Chang before heading outside with the Cybermen - revealing they are in fact inside St. Paul's Cathedral. Clara is cornered by a Cyberman in the office, while the Doctor learns Missy's true identity - the Master!

 

Missy is captured by Kate Stewart and Osgood who arrive on the scene, while the Cybermen take off and blow themselves up, scattering themselves over graveyards. Meanwhile, Clara attempts to save herself by posing as the Doctor, so that the Cybermen keep her alive. The Doctor is taken to a UNIT aircraft, where he learns that he's President of the entire planet while on board. Missy kills Osgood, and attempts to kill Kate, while the plane is targeted by Cybermen. She teleports away and the Doctor falls out of the plane, ensuring he lands in the TARDIS. Clara is taken to a graveyard by a rogue Cyberman, that she learns is actually Danny, retaining some of his emotions. He pleads with her to turn the emotional inhibitor on, and the Doctor arrives to tell her not to, because he'd kill her. However, he changes his mind when he learns that the only way he can find out about Missy's plans is by turning the inhibitor on. Missy arrives and gifts the Cyber army to the Doctor, but after Clara turns Danny's inhibitor on, the Doctor gives the Cyber control to Danny and they self-destruct, stopping the rainfall and pollination. Missy is seemingly killed by one remaining Cyberman - the Brigadier, who caught Kate as she fell and saved her life. The Doctor and Clara meet up at a later date, lying to each other, and they part ways.

 

This story got a lot of complaints because of the horror-like plotline of the dead still feeling everything their body goes through, right down to cremation. To me, this was an incredibly chilling twist, and I also loved the idea of an army of Cybermen being made from the dead. It's a shame however that the Cybermen were pretty underused in the end, ultimately serving as little more than a plot device to bring Danny back for one final scene with Clara. The graveyard scene was emotional though, despite me not being a huge Danny fan. Missy was the star of this episode though, Michelle Gomez always puts in a fantastic performance and she is delightful to watch. I also loved the volcano scenes, and notably where the Doctor forgives Clara after - "do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?". A thrilling two-parter and worthy of being my favourite series 8 story.

http://i.imgur.com/gYw5UW2.jpg

 

27 The Angels Take Manhattan

Series 7, Episode 5

Doctor: Eleventh

Companion: Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song

 

We kick start this episode with the Doctor, Amy and Rory chilling in Manhattan, before Rory goes off to find some coffees. The Doctor is alarmed when his book references a man going to get coffees and landing in the past, realising that the book is actually referencing events that are happening in parallel with the present. He and Amy try and travel back to the 1930s but struggle, and Amy insists they should read ahead but the Doctor warns her off, knowing that anything they read will have to happen. Rory meets River Song, who is undercover as Melody Malone, the main character of the book. River is grabbed by the wrist by a Weeping Angel while Rory is thrown into a cellar with baby Angels. River uses her vortex manipulator to allow the TARDIS through but the Doctor refuses to help River having seen the chapter titles - Amelia's Last Farewell being one of them. He demands that she gets herself out to change the future after learning that he's meant to break her wrist to get her out. They find Rory has been captured again, and River breaks her own wrist to get out, therefore not changing the future. They track Rory down to a nearby hotel, and when they catch up with him, they find an older Rory lying in bed, just before his death. Chased by Angels, he and Amy end up on the roof, where they are caught by the Statue of Liberty, a Weeping Angel itself! Rory decides that he needs to jump off the building to change time and save himself, and Amy insists on jumping with him. Time changes when they jump and they end up in a graveyard, all alive. However, one final Angel sends Rory back in time after he sees his gravestone, and after a tearful farewell to the Doctor and River, Amy allows herself to be taken too so she can be with Rory. The Doctor learns that Amy likely published the Melody Malone book, and could have included an afterword - one final message. She asks him to return to visit young Amelia, to re-assure her that one day, he'll see her again, and take her on amazing journeys in space.

 

Whilst I don't think the Weeping Angels have been used quite as well in any of their re-appearances as they were in Blink, The Angels Take Manhattan remains a fantastic story and the Angels always make for great threats. The Statue of Liberty Angel feels a bit unrealistic but nevertheless pretty scary, and the baby Angels were very chilling in the cellar with Rory. River is always fantastic too, but of course the focal point of this episode was Amy and Rory's departure. It was a fitting end for the couple I think, with Amy's final scene with the Doctor being particularly heartbreaking.

Dark Water/Dead In Heaven's one of my faves

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26 Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

Series 3, Episodes 11, 12 and 13

Doctor: Tenth

Companion: Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness

Also starring: Francine, Clive, Tish and Leo Jones

 

The only three-parter (so far) of the new series kicked off with the Doctor and Martha in Cardiff, for a pit stop. The Doctor takes off when he sees old friend Captain Jack Harkness running towards him, but when Jack jumps onto the outside of the TARDIS, they're sent flying millions of years into the future. They learn that Jack is immortal, and find they're at the end of the universe, on a planet called Malcassairo. Amongst the ruins of the planet, they spot a man being chased by savage creatures known as the Futurekind, and they head for the nearby silo, where humans are taking shelter before they can board a ship to a planet called Utopia. The Doctor meets Professor Yana, who's working on the rocket with his assistant Chantho, but he's unable to finish it. The Doctor helps out to get it ready, with Jack using his immortality to enter a high radiation room to remove the engine clamps. He learns that Rose brought him back to life, and there's nothing he can do to change back. Meanwhile, Professor Yana keeps zoning out, hearing a drum beat with certain words acting as triggers - regeneration, TARDIS, etc. Martha sees he has a fob watch exactly like the Doctor's in Human Nature, and she runs to tell him. Yana opens the fob watch, revealing that he is in fact the Master, and attacks Chantho. He lets the Futurekind in, and Chantho shoots him before she dies. The Doctor, Martha and Jack arrive back, struggling to keep the Futurekind out, while the Master regenerates inside the TARDIS, taking off.

 

The Doctor, Martha and Jack use Jack's vortex manipulator to teleport back to the present day, with the Doctor having locked the TARDIS so it can only travel between the present day and where they were at the end of the universe. They see the Master on TV in his new regeneration, having won the election under the guise of Harold Saxon! They head to Martha's house but find a bomb waiting for them, and Martha's family are taken in for questioning. They're forced to go on the run, hiding from the Master. The Doctor modifies their TARDIS keys so they can act as perception filters, so while they aren't invisible, they're harder to notice. Meanwhile, the Master is setting up the first meeting between Earth and the Toclafane, an alien race, but the Doctor doesn't recognise them and they kill journalist Vivien Rook after she finds out the true identity of the Master. The first meeting takes place on board the Valiant, led by the President of the USA. The Doctor, Martha and Jack teleport on board, to find the TARDIS has been converted into a paradox machine. They watch the first meeting, where the President is assassinated by the Toclafane, Jack is captured and the Doctor is aged significantly. Martha teleports away alone after the Doctor whispers in her ear, but promises she'll return.

 

We see Martha again one year later as she returns to the UK, having travelled around the world. She teams up with Tom Milligan, a doctor, who takes her to see Professor Docherty. Together, they capture a Toclafane, and see that it is a young boy, Creet, that Martha met on Malcassairo. They realise that the Toclafane are in fact the humans that were heading to Utopia, killing their ancestors with the help of the paradox machine. Meanwhile, the Master's reign of terror continues, and the Doctor is aged to look all 900 years of his life, now a tiny creature kept in a cage. The Jones family are kept as slaves and Jack is chained up, and despite an attempt to take over, they do not manage it. Martha heads to a street in London to stay the night, but Professor Docherty gives away her location and the Master tracks her down. He kills Tom Milligan and captures Martha. She reveals that her plan was to spread the word of the Doctor, and using the Archangel network, they manage to restore the Doctor, who tries to forgive the Master. Jack destroys the paradox machine, causing the Toclafane to blink out of existence, and time restores back one year. Francine points a gun at the Master but the Doctor persuades her to put it down. Despite this, he's shot by his wife Lucy, and the Doctor burns the Master's body. They drop Jack off at Torchwood and Martha decides to stay behind at home to help rebuild her family.

 

This episode seems to get a bit of criticism for the resolution alone and I can understand why. The power of thought bringing the Doctor back like that wasn't the best solution ever, it's a tiny bit of a cop out. Nevertheless, this three-parter is a fantastic watch I think. Utopia on its own is a great episode with a really interesting concept - human refugees all living in the hope of a place called Utopia. Whilst I knew the Master was returning, I had no idea he'd be Professor Yana! The Sound of Drums built on things really well, I loved the idea of the Doctor and friends being on the run, and John Simm is fantastic to watch. What I like most about Last of the Time Lords however is Martha. It proves exactly why she's my favourite companion. She walks the Earth for a man that barely even notices she's there half the time. The whole lusting over the Doctor thing was generally dull and is my only critique of Martha but it does enhance episodes like this one. I also loved the little touches, like Lucy Saxon's change in personality between episodes 12 and 13. She's a broken woman by the end, for whatever reason, and ultimately the Master's treatment of her is his downfall. Martha's exit is triumphant and I'm glad she made her point before she left the Doctor. "This is me, getting out" :heart:

Sound of Drms is rap.

 

Angels Take Manhatten should be top20.

 

Also Dark Water is ABSOLUTTTE CRAP

 

Robots. Who love. Robots. From rain. Danny Pink's rbot nose stretched across his face. Gross. Bizarre. Utter shit.

All the two recent episodes are amazing but my fave of the bunch I think would probs be Angels Take Manhattan I actually love the two other angel's episdoes as well as blink.

I love the themes in Dark Water/Death in Heaven and I think it really reinforces the dark side of the Cybermen. They are definitely underused though overall which is a shame considering the great set up. I also liked that we got the return of the two part series finale which really helps the show to go out with a bang! As usual though, the Danny stuff is not something I could warm too and I didn't like the Brigadier Cyberman either. Of course the story gave us Missy though who I adore. She's absolutely fantastic in the story and killing Osgood shows how dark she really is under those humorous tones! Her and Peter are brilliant together and I'm looking forward to her return in this series!

 

Angels is a really great send off for Amy & Rory. I love the atmospheric setting and how River is introduced. I love how they play with the departure of Amy/Rory and that jump off the building is an incredible sequence. The Statute of Liberty thing is very much a ridiculous stretch but it does look good :kink:

 

The Series 3 finale does have its highs and lows. The story underlining Utopia is really interesting and that twist with Professor Yana is certainly very well played and a truly shocking moment. I then very much enjoy the fugitive theme in The Sound of Drums and how the Master has placed himself in such an important position with the viewer left questioning what his plan is. The Toclafane make for a then very dark tone and I think it's a great aspect that we actually do see the end of the world in Last of the Time Lords. However, that whole Doctor God complex thing for the conclusion is very :/ and casts a shadow on the story. I too do like Lucy's character and how she ultimately is the one to 'kill' the Master. I think the actress brings a lot to the role, making it a lot more interesting that it might have been and she really earns that twist at the end. I love her sort of awkward dancing when the Master unleashes the Toclafane.

John Simm was the best thing about the last 3 eps of season 3. It all felt a bit underwhelming for such an iconic villains return though.

 

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Starring: Elisabeth Sladen, Tommy Knight, Yasmin Paige, Daniel Anthony, Anjli Mohindra, Sinead Michael and the voice of Alexander Armstrong

 

In 2006, the Children's BBC proposed the idea of a Doctor Who spin-off, starring a younger Time Lord and his adventures. Russell T. Davies disapproved of the idea and suggested a series following former companion Sarah Jane Smith after her return in Doctor Who episode School Reunion. Reports of the spin-off appeared before School Reunion had actually aired, also suggesting that K-9 was to feature, and it was confirmed to be in the works in August 2006 under the working title Sarah Jane Investigates. The first episode aired on New Year's Day 2007, as a standalone episode starring Elisabeth Sladen alongside young actors Tommy Knight, Yasmin Paige and Porsha Lawrence Mavour as "the boy", Maria Jackson and Kelsey Hooper. Invasion of the Bane was well received and the full series was to follow later in the year, although Porsha was dropped from the cast after Kelsey proved unpopular. The episode saw Sarah Jane adopt "the boy", grown by the Bane, as her son under the name Luke Smith.

 

The first series saw Daniel Anthony join the cast as troublemaker Clyde Langer, who became Luke's best friend. Yasmin Paige left the show after the first story of series 2 and was replaced by Anjli Mohindra, playing Rani Chandra. Tommy Knight's appearances were reduced from series 4 due to the actor's exams in real life. Part way through the filming of series 5, the sad news of Elisabeth Sladen's death broke. She had suffered with cancer, and as a mark of respect, the BBC opted to show the three stories out of six that were filmed for series 5. These episodes saw the introduction of Sky, Sarah Jane's adopted daughter. The show finished with the story The Man Who Never Was in 2011, with a montage and the caption "the story goes on...forever" :heart:

 

I adored watching The Sarah Jane Adventures when I was younger, and I rewatched the episodes last year too. For a kids show, it was remarkably mature at times and rarely felt silly or stupid (although these moments did occur). Elisabeth Sladen always put in a wonderful performance as the incredible Sarah Jane Smith, and the characters of Luke, Maria, Clyde and Rani were all excellent additions too. It's the most consistent spin-off too I'd say, with Torchwood having a messy first and last season with some brilliant moments in between. Most SJA episodes were enjoyable and the quality was consistent most of the way through. I was never too enthusiastic about Sky in the final half-series but I expect Sinead Michael would've grown into the role, much like Tommy Knight did. Elisabeth Sladen's death made me feel incredibly sad, and I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear during that final montage at the end of The Man Who Never Was. A wonderful show with a wonderful star, who is missed very dearly.

 

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Worst Story: Mona Lisa's Revenge

Series 3, Episodes 9 and 10

 

This was one of the episodes that veered a bit too much towards silly, for me. The episode sees Clyde win a competition for one of his drawings, and his class wins the chance to go to a museum to see the Mona Lisa. However, the Mona Lisa comes to life and swaps curator Mr. Harding's assistant Miss Trupp for herself in the painting. She puts Sarah Jane into a painting and uses a Sontaran gun from Clyde's drawing to hunt down the others, before she tries to unleash a beast in the basement, which she calls her brother. Mona Lisa is restored to her painting thanks to Clyde's drawing skills. Ultimately it feels very silly and like an interesting concept that doesn't actually get explained very well. Suranne Jones is a great actress but as Mona Lisa, I found her pretty irritating, and the fact that Sarah Jane is missing for most of the two-parter doesn't really help. It's not awful as such but by the standards of SJA, it's definitely the weakest (and I'd struggle to pick the next weakest I must say).

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p5UzgI-oy9I/S8ckJ8BRbcI/AAAAAAAABfE/-gdVGUdI4hI/s1600/2x10.jpg

 

Best Story: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

Series 2, Episodes 9 and 10

 

There are loads of episodes I could've picked for this spot. Particular favourites include The Day of the Clown, Death of the Doctor, The Empty Planet, The Curse of Clyde Langer, and the other two Trickster episodes Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith. However, the one that stood out in my mind the most was The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith - the second of the Trickster trilogy.

 

Sarah Jane and the team chase down a young boy named Oscar to find he came from a portal in time, that leads to the day Sarah Jane's parents die. Against her better judgement, she and Luke go through the time fissure to meet them, going under the names Victoria and David Beckham (!). Meanwhile, Oscar comes back through the fissure when Rani and Clyde investigate Sarah Jane's absence. He's revealed to be the Graske, working for the Trickster. Sarah Jane sabotages her parents's car with her sonic lipstick so it can't drive off, saving their lives. They return through the fissure to see the world has collapsed due to the Trickster. Rani and Clyde sheltered themselves from the events and find Rani's mum Gita working for the Graske, whom they discover is a slave for the Trickster. They promise to help set him free from the Trickster's power. They return through the portal to find Sarah Jane and Luke, who are worried as to what to do next. Sarah Jane's parents realise who she is and tell her to fix the car. They tell Sarah Jane that they're proud of her and drive off to their fate, destroying the Trickster.

 

I love the emotional impact this story has. It's a bit like Father's Day in Doctor Who actually, which is a big fave of mine (no surprise as it's in the top 25). The Trickster has always been a good villain and the themes are more mature than your average CBBC show for sure, going to prove that SJA was more than just any old kids show. Elisabeth Sladen gave one of her best performances too, particularly in the quieter moments where she's talking to Luke about her parents.

The Sarah Jane Adventures was really good for, like Torchwood, adapting what made the main series so successful but adapting it really well for the target audience. I think what makes it more special is that it doesn't undermine the audience either, it deals with some really strong issues and is a solid drama in its own right. I've never rewatched any of them (might actually do so though!) but there were a lot of great stories. The Trickster trilogy was particularly strong and the Doctor stories were also done really well, particularly The Death of the Doctor which brought back the icon Jo Grant.

John Simm was the best thing about the last 3 eps of season 3. It all felt a bit underwhelming for such an iconic villains return though.

 

It was actually pretty boring and veered off to Dobby fantasy territory for no reason AGAIN.

 

The SJA were pretty good for a kids' drama. I had to laugh at Ranni knowing who Lady Jane Grey was and how she knew that from very few ckues: a woman in a tower ha.

 

Dark Water was the moment it jumped the shark for a LOT of viewers and when ratings collapsed. Just ugh.