In all seriousness though, the whole 'you die today' scene, the moment the Doctor tells Adelaide what happens and then everything that happens afterwards is probably unmatched for me in all of NuWho in terms of just how much power and emotion there is throughout. The gravity of it all. So beautifully written.

It's crazy to me that you have Phil Ford writing what for me is the best episode of the show and then turning out something like Into the Dalek (which is not bad by any means, but still) when he returns

Yeah TWOM an interesting story in its own right but the timelord victorious stick was just all burgh for me the exact opposite of everything that I enjoyed about Tennant as a doctor up until that point, gadget was a stand out character for me though and lindsay Duncan was expertly cast as adelaide, most of the supporting cast shined through, a great episode just not a personal top 10 for me

Interesting tidbit this was supposed to be the christmas special, so was TEOT supposed to be 1 super long episode not split into 2 Interesting

Edited February 10Feb 10 by 777666jason

07 Blink

Series 3 Episode 10

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Martha Jones

First aired: 9th June 2007

Writer: Steven Moffat

It may have been the favourite of the fans featured in Lux, but Blink doesn't quite make it to the top for me! Inquisitive photographer Sally Sparrow investigates abandoned house Wester Drumlins, where she finds a mysterious message behind the wallpaper from the Doctor, warning her of the "Weeping Angels", the statues located around and throughout the house. With Sally's friend Kathy disappearing and having to live out her life starting from 1920 Hull, Sally and Kathy's brother Larry must fight off creatures that can move rapidly whenever you blink. I was sceptical of a Doctor-lite episode after Love and Monsters the year before, but Blink improves on that in every respect. The tension is high, the protagonist is infinitely likeable (Carey Mulligan is superb as Sally Sparrow, and I'd love to see her again one day, however unlikely that may be!), and we meet one of the most genius creatures from the show's history. The concept of the Weeping Angels is top notch and so well thought out from Steven Moffat - monsters that move when you're not looking is a great concept, but the idea of them having to cover their own eyes so they don't look at each other is an excellent weakness, utilised fantastically in the climax! The "timey-wimey"-ness of the episode really works, too. It's easy enough to follow but there's loads of great mysteries along the way, and some great quiet moments too, such as Sally talking with a dying, older Billy Shipton. Miraculously, it's an episode where the Doctor barely features, and he's not even especially missed because the action with Sally and the Angels is just that exciting. It's no wonder the Angels have since regularly been listed alongside the Daleks and the Cybermen, I don't think any New Who monster can compare to how brilliant a conception they are - and how scary they are, too!

Blink is a great episode, even on rewatches. Great debut for the Weeping Angels too! Plus Sally is a great lead.

The weeping angels concept i love but this episode is a fan favourite i don't agree with. Still like it but not high up there for me

Blink is a great episode, the angels were a fantastic concept and the wibbly wobbly timey wimey plot was both an intriguing concept and very well done, props to Carey mulligan wo sold the hell out of her role as Sally Sparrow proof that a doctor lite episode can be fantastic when done right , have to agree though never agreed with it always been voted the top story, yes its absolutely up there but not the absolute best

06 Midnight

Series 4 Episode 10

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Donna Noble

Also featuring: Rose Tyler

First aired: 14th June 2008

Writer: Russell T Davies

One of the things I love most in Doctor Who is when an unassuming episode surpasses your expectations. Not a finale, no returning monster, no real specific draw for casual fans to make an extra effort, but it delivers in spades. While Donna remains at the holiday resort, the Doctor joins a shuttle tour to see a waterfall made of sapphires on the planet Midnight, where the surface is covered in lethal radiation. When the shuttle breaks down and loud banging is heard outside, the passengers begin to turn on each other, and on the Doctor too. The conception of this episode almost suggests it shouldn't be much of a standout. It was a replacement script, filmed on a tight budget that sees most of the episode set in one location with the exact same characters. There's no visible monster or creature, we only see it through Sky Silvestry, a solitary passenger who becomes possessed by the entity that stalked them from outside. Lesley Sharp portrays Sky superbly, with the change in her character before and after the entity possesses her being like night and day before she even says anything. The repetition of everyone's words is a simple yet terrifying way to generate fear, and experiencing it in real time with the characters just adds to the tension. The rest of the characters feel so well developed, too - we see the worst of humanity acting in fear, willing to throw a passenger out to certain death in order to save themselves from something they don't know. What's more is how quickly they shifted the blame to the Doctor as Sky began to speak ahead of him, believing her because they were keen to make the Doctor the enemy. Confirmation bias at its finest. It's a stellar script from Russell T Davies and one of the greatest arguments for "less is more" that I've seen in the show, and it showcases RTD's finest strength: character. One of the most unsettling episodes of the show and that doesn't change with rewatches - in fact, I'd say it's become more pertinent as I've grown up and become more aware of the world around me.

Lowkey thought Midnight could have ended up coming out on top here but I’m glad it hasn’t (). A fantastic episode though. Just remembered Lindsey Coulson was in this too lmao, she’s all I ever talk about recently x

Not the best two going out already xx (spoilers for my thoughts)

Midnighta a fantastic episode, simple but scary concept, Lesley sharp was definitely the MVP of the episode but Rakie Ayola as the air hostess was brilliant too, 10 out of 10 definitely one of the first episodes you would show to someone new to the Whoniverse that definitely has stood the test of time

05 Army of Ghosts / Doomsday

Series 2 Episode 12-13

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Rose Tyler

Also featuring: Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler, Pete Tyler

First aired: 1st and 8th July 2006

Writer: Russell T Davies

The first finale I ever watched was a rollercoaster of emotions for a 9 year old...! When the Doctor and Rose return to Earth to find the human race had adopted the appearance of ghosts, they pay a visit to the Torchwood Tower. The ghosts aren't the only thing to contend with, either, when Torchwood have a mysterious sphere which gives off... absolutely nothing. I went into this finale knowing that Rose would be leaving, but that made me nervous as a child, especially given the teases of "this is the story of how I die". The Cybermen returning was exciting as I loved them in Rise of the Cybermen, and the cliffhanger of Army of Ghosts took it up a notch - I had no idea the Daleks were going to be involved too! It was the first time I'd seen the Daleks, having read about them online since I started watching with School Reunion, so I was beyond excited. The nostalgia for this one is high!

It really holds up as a full story, too. I still feel so much excitement watching it. Experiencing the ghosts through Jackie adds a poignant touch as she's convinced herself so desperately that the ghost in her house is her father. There's great comedy as the Doctor flicks through the TV channels for ghost coverage, especially the EastEnders scene! The Cybermen are terrifying in this episode again, having them hiding amongst the apparent building works added a layer of tension, and I still love the role the Daleks play, as well as the battle between them both - the sass-off between the two Cybermen and the one Dalek is one of the greatest scenes this show has produced, I'll be taking no questions ("Daleks have no concept of elegance" / "This is obvious" ). Yvonne's a brilliant guest character and her final moments before her upgrade are heartbreaking, and an important reminder of what makes the Cybermen so terrifying in the first place. Of course, I can't discuss this episode without also mentioning the final moments! Rose's goodbye made me weep as a kid, and it felt suitably poignant for the first companion so many of the viewers would have known, complemented by one of the best scores Murray Gold has created. A riveting finale which captures just about every possible emotion, and it'll always be an enormous favourite for me.

Midnight is one of the best episodes. Strangers in a locked room turning on one another to survive is one of my fave tropes. Add possession to the mix, even better.

The replayability for this episode always holds up.

Doomsday is heartbreaking with the Tyler family and saying goodbye to Rose. The doctor not getting to say he loves her too, ouch. (As I firmly believe that is what he was going to say, how could he not, them two always had the greatest bond between a doctor and companion)

The dalek meets cyber man is a iconic moment. Then the very ending injects that great bit of humour so you're not left totally devastated. Great episode.

This two are two of my top faves.

Midnight is one of my faves! Good to see it so high.

Army of Ghosts is good... Doomsday less so, for reasons I've mentioned before about the whole void thing. But emotionally its good, even if the plotting to get to it doesn't work.

Army of Ghosts / Doomsday a great ending to a topsy turvy series, is it top 5 worthy probably not , that ending scene on the the beach was powerfully done but had its flaws getting there, for the doctors 2 greatest enemies having a face off the cybermen were very easily dispatched considering how terrifyingthey were innpart 1 , and everyone who had come through the void had to go back, (but mickeys running around after series 4 so kind of lessens the impact of the doctors series 3 moping) Props to Tracey-Anne oberman , Yvonne was definitely MVP of part 1 playing the flawed boss, always worth a watch again though

04 Heaven Sent

Series 9 Episode 11

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Clara Oswald

First aired: 28th November 2015

Writer: Steven Moffat

The concept of a one-hander episode of Doctor Who felt greatly ambitious when I first heard of it. Reeling from the loss of Clara, the Doctor is transported into a castle, that's entirely empty other than a shrouded figure that follows him wherever he goes. The more he learns, the more he realises the castle is built to extract confessions, but the Doctor can't be outsmarted so easily. If there was any actor who could pull off an episode of this show where they're basically the only person in it, it's Peter Capaldi. This is without question his finest hour in the role. He portrays every emotion with the utmost precision, from curiosity and intrigue, to reckless and erratic, to the fiery grieving process he's undergoing throughout it all. He sustains my attention for the full episode, and that's a real achievement in itself...! I love the scenes in the TARDIS where the Doctor's workshopping with "Clara" on how to approach each obstacle he faces, it's a reminder of what makes him "the Doctor" in the first place, as well as the importance of team work in his eyes, as he imagines what Clara would ask to help him out.

The script as a whole is one of Moffat's most ambitious, too. With just one main location and one character to write lines for, it's an episode with lots of parts to juggle, and they all fall into place excellently. From details such as the rooms resetting after a while that set up later plot developments, to the Doctor's own investigative work, from understanding the creature (and how long he had to get from one end of the castle to the other without it catching him) to making full use of the confessions to allow him into the room he really wants access to: room 12. The "shepherd's boy" speech is the cherry on the cake, used as part of an incredible sequence as we see the Doctor living the same experience out for billions of years, albeit through different copies of himself, slowly chipping away at a wall made of Azbantium. It's a true masterpiece, and it's worthy of every piece of praise it gets in every sense, for the direction (Rachel Talalay on top form), the writing, and the acting. An episode that still grips me just as much on repeat viewings as it did that first watch.

HS , basically Wow , Capaldi acted his chops off and more, going into this wondering how they would resolve that shock ending to Face th raven, boy did they in spades, the confession dial was very well done and the revelation that he was basically in a prison of his own design,, definitely one of those episode that you would recommend to a New whovian 1000/10 absolutely should be top 5 🙌

I know Heaven Sent is incredibly well acted and Capaldi is amazing throughout... but I just find it boring :o (I know I should like it more, and I can see why it would be in people's top 10's).

Its funny, I champion so much of Moffatt's era - I love the Smith era and think there is so much to admire about Capaldi's Doctor... but I just didn't click with Heaven Sent... I guess finding out someone had my card details when I watched it didn't help 🤣 (which I managed to resolve), but even on subsequent watches, I know I should enjoy it more... but I just find is a little slow.

03 Turn Left

Series 4 Episode 11

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Donna Noble, Rose Tyler

Also featuring: Sylvia Noble, Wilfred Mott

First aired: 21st June 2008

Writer: Russell T Davies

We're back to series 4 again, and the penultimate story of the series did a lot of setting up for the finale, whilst also acting as an excellent character study for Donna. With a beetle from the Trickster's brigade altering her timeline, Donna changes her mind at a life-altering moment, meaning she never met the Doctor. The consequences are enormous as the Doctor didn't survive what would have been their first encounter, and the knock-on effect proves disastrous for humanity. The idea of a "what if?" style episode is fantastic and felt like new ground for Doctor Who, and to focus it on Donna made complete sense, as we see everything through her eyes. Brief references to Torchwood and Sarah Jane made the "Whoniverse" feel brilliantly connected in a way we haven't seen since those shows ended, and revisiting the alien invasions from The Runaway Bride onwards felt like a rewarding pay-off for those viewers who had been watching the whole time. We knew the consequences of each plan succeeding, so seeing it unfold and realising the effect the Doctor has on the planet adds a touch of realism.

This is portrayed superbly through our main characters for the episode. Catherine Tate acts her socks off, delivering both comedy ("BEATRICE!!!") and heart (as Mr Colasanto and his family are taken away) as appropriate. Bernard Cribbins and Jacqueline King deserve recognition for their roles too, with Wilf doing his very best to remain optimistic, while Sylvia begins to crumble, her mental health suffering (and Jacqueline King shows us this solely through her facial expressions). Bernard Cribbins' emotional performance as Mr Colasanto is taken away, knowing full well what was about to happen, is heartbreaking every time (it went over my head somewhat as a child but it carries a lot of weight now). It was of course great to see Rose make her proper comeback in this episode too, and Rose and Donna immediately have a great chemistry on screen to make the more sci-fi elements come alive, including Donna seeing the TARDIS for the first time in this timeline, not to mention Rose's Doctor-like cockiness at times, forgetting Donna's humanity as they formulate a plan. There's so much to love about this episode, from the general concept, down to the small nuances in the dialogue and acting that make it feel even more close to home.

Two very different stories that I love for entirely separate reasons remain in the countdown!

The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End

vs

World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls

Which are you backing, and which do you predict will get the title of my favourite Doctor Who episode?

Turn Left is an Amazing episode!

Out of the 2 remaining I’d say World Enough and Time… but I’m sure The Stolen Earth will win… despite a very questionable second ep (IMO).

2 great stories left in though!

Edited Thursday at 18:135 days by ElectroBoy