122 The Crimson Horror

Series 7 Episode 11

Doctor: 11th

Companion: Clara Oswald

Also featuring: Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, Strax

First aired: 4th May 2013

Writer: Mark Gatiss

It's another Eleventh Doctor episode now, but this one's actually overperformed. I ranked this second from last in my previous countdown, so it's come a long way since then! A fresh rewatch helped me re-evaluate this episode. The Crimson Horror's largely a Doctor-lite episode for the first half of the episode, with the Paternoster gang stepping in to lead the narrative as Jenny goes undercover in Sweetville, a community led by Mrs. Gillyflower, to uncover the truth behind the "crimson horror", a cause of death that leaves its victims' skin a dark shade of red. It's certainly a unique style of episode and that's worth praising, and the Paternoster gang are extremely watchable. Dame Diana Rigg is pretty strong as the evil Mrs. Gillyflower, with some dark undertones as we learn she experimented on her daughter Ava. I find the episode gets a little silly when we learn Mrs. Gillyflower's partner, Mr. Sweet, is a tiny red leech, a parasitic creature attached to his partner, and the climax suffers a bit for it. That said, I'm willing to hold my hands up and say I was much too harsh on this episode, and there's more to enjoy than dislike in this.

TL did really feel like it was a lighthearted story between 2 heavy ones, never been a fan or corden but considering their prior history (pun intended) matt and jamss do work well as a pairing again the bad guy took a back seat and was defeated too easy not a terrible episode but very fille esque

TCH another one which really teased a PG spinoff [damn you Moffat why didnt you pull the trigger] again not a bad episode feels like it could of easily been a 2 parter, my standout character was Ava and may or may not of cheered when Gilyflower and the red leech got their comeuppance, not a masterpiece so a low ranking is justifiable though

121 Robot of Sherwood

Series 8 Episode 3

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Clara Oswald

First aired: 6th September 2014

Writer: Mark Gatiss

We arrive at Mark Gatiss' highest placed episode already, though he does star in one more to come. Robot of Sherwood was Peter Capaldi's third episode in the role of the Twelfth Doctor, and it sees him and Clara meeting Robin Hood. It's definitely the lightest episode of the series in terms of tone, and Robin feels like a direct contrast to this incarnation of the Doctor, who can't stand his loud laughter...! Their rivalry makes for great entertainment, particularly when they're captured and spend more time bickering than finding a way out, and it pays off when they join forces to ensure the robots' spaceship is in orbit before it explodes. Much like The Lodger, the alien threat feels a little thin on the ground here, but Ben Miller gives a memorable performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham at least. Whilst it's a bit of a fun, silly episode on the whole, I think it's a necessary episode in terms of providing a lighter tone to series 8, and there's no other episode quite like this one in Capaldi's entire run!

I think ROS works because it was such a lighthearted episode in a dark series, was interesting that they delved into the fictional character realm especially with so much emphasis being put on "Noddy nots real" in series 4 (although the idea of the doctor meeting Noddy would be inteeesting) it was also nice to see Peter show a bit more of his comedic side for chang, enjoyable standalone episode that can be enjoyed without context

120 Thin Ice

Series 10 Episode 3

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Bill Potts, Nardole

First aired: 29th April 2017

Writer: Sarah Dollard

Bill Potts' first trip to the past saw the Doctor accidentally landing the TARDIS at the last great frost fair in London. What starts as a calm trip quickly turns dangerous when they discover there's something lurking under the water. There's some really good character moments here, particularly for Bill, who is appalled by the Doctor's lack of reaction to a young child being pulled to his death under the ice (a pretty dark moment for the show). I'm in two minds about the Doctor's reaction to racist Lord Sutcliffe - on one hand, he absolutely deserved a punch, but on the other, I'm not sure violence is the best message to send! Either way, it's a better approach to the racism companions of colour are exposed to in the past than the Tenth Doctor effectively brushing off Martha's concerns a decade before. The creature's story is a little forgettable, and it feels like a bit of a stretch to have such a large creature taking up space in the Thames, but I quite liked the twist about it actually being harmless, with the real monsters being the humans enslaving it, selling its waste as a powerful energy source. A solid story enhanced by the strength of the main characters, and how human and realistic Bill comes across.

Have to say I'm amazed Daleks in Manhattan/ Evolution of the Daleks haven't made an appearance yet!

Thin Ice is enjoyable - plus its good to see the relationship between the Doctor and Bill growing. Some good humour too!

Robot of Sherwood, I feel I go from liking it alot to finding it a drag in places. There's some good comedy in it though!

Edited September 2, 2025Sep 2 by ElectroBoy

119 The Pyramid at the End of the World

Series 10 Episode 7

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Bill Potts, Nardole

First aired: 27th May 2017

Writer: Peter Harness & Steven Moffat

Another series 10 episode departs and this one is the middle chapter of the Monk trilogy. With a mysterious pyramid surfacing on disputed territory, the Doctor meets the Monks for real and learns their intentions. Elsewhere, events escalate in a seemingly normal laboratory...! I think there's an interesting concept in here, but its execution ends up a little messy. The mystery of the Monks is intriguing and they still present as interesting villains in this episode, even if they don't actually do a great deal. The military leaders are all pretty incompetent and effectively serve as disposable side characters to demonstrate a more brutal side to the Monks, and the consequences of giving "impure" consent. The Doctor and Nardole trying to keep the former's blindness from Bill is quite funny, The concurrent laboratory plot initially feels like it's timewasting but actually provides the most dramatic parts of the episode and Erica is one of the most memorable guest characters of series 10, I find, and it's a shame we didn't see her again. Quite why Nardole was "contaminated" when he just resurfaces the next episode absolutely fine, explained away with a couple of lines of dialogue, is beyond me! Bill is a highlight of the episode once again and her giving consent to the Monks so the Doctor could survive makes complete sense with her character. Also, her date going so badly wrong again was hilarious! There's still promise in this episode after how unique Extremis felt, it's just a shame it's squandered somewhat by the final part.

TI one of the better historical episodes, I do think the doctors reaction to racism was partially due to the as mention so casual dismissing of the child being pulled under the ice earlier, so it does keep in line with this incarnation never knowing how to react as shown while travelling with clara, I do like the stories where the humans are the actual monsters as they are real eye openers

TPATEOTW again wasn't the biggest fans of the monks because after the initial set up they pretty much fell flat, however another episode where PM shows off her incredible talents becomes rather annoying she's essentially the forgotten companion these days, really enjoyed the laboratory scenes as well but then again was a massive fan of my parents are aliens as a kid so was giddy seeing Tony gardener as a guest actor

118 Planet of the Dead

2009 Easter Special

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Lady Christina de Souza

First aired: 11th April 2009

Writer: Russell T Davies & Gareth Roberts

The show took its first gap year in 2009, allowing for a change in leadership between Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat, as well as leading up to David Tennant's big finale as the Doctor. The first special episode of 2009 saw Michelle Ryan join as temporary companion Lady Christina, a thief on the run from the police when she, the Doctor and the other passengers of the 200 bus get stranded on an alien desert planet, with an unusual storm on the horizon. There's some good chemistry between the Doctor and Christina, though I think their dynamic would've been more interesting to explore over a longer period as I think a single episode doesn't leave too much room for development. That said, it's a slow episode at times, with the Tritovores turning out to be harmless, and the stingrays only causing any real threat near the conclusion of the episode. I do like the guest cast, though, which is a testament to RTD's character skills - they all feel like real people in a short space of time and I'm glad the episode doesn't stoop to killing them off (bus driver aside) for the sake of easy shocks. A decent episode but I don't find myself revisiting it super often.

POTD, fun little romp, our first experience of a special outside of christmas, the doctor eating an Easter egg and mentioning how he can never find easter as its always moving was a nice little 4th wall joke, have to agree it was refreshing to have a supporting cast that wasn't bumped of for a change, Lee Evans and Michelle Ryan were great editions, even if "malcolms" and "Bernard's" were maybe overused, it also set up a nice tease for future specials without taking away from the episode itself

23 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

POTD, fun little romp, our first experience of a special outside of christmas, the doctor eating an Easter egg and mentioning how he can never find easter as its always moving was a nice little 4th wall joke, have to agree it was refreshing to have a supporting cast that wasn't bumped of for a change, Lee Evans and Michelle Ryan were great editions, even if "malcolms" and "Bernard's" were maybe overused, it also set up a nice tease for future specials without taking away from the episode itself

Ha I forgot to mention Malcolm, very borderline between annoying and loveable but leans more towards the latter! Not sure I'd want to see him again though

6 minutes ago, JosephBoone said:

Ha I forgot to mention Malcolm, very borderline between annoying and loveable but leans more towards the latter! Not sure I'd want to see him again though

Exactly reckon it would be a very bad idea to play the Take a shot every time he says malcolm game 😂 otherwise he was one of those, his intentions are in the right place but bordering on annoying characters 😅 so 1 appearance was probably more than enough (even if i do sometimes wonder where these one off unit characters are now)

117 Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

Series 12 Episode 4

Doctor: 13th

Companion: Yasmin Khan, Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair

First aired: 19th January 2020

Writer: Nina Metivier

One thing I'll always praise Chris Chibnall's era for is the inspired choices of historical figures. RTD and Moffat used up some significant names, like Shakespeare, Dickens, Churchill, etc. Chibnall focused on some slightly less recognisable but still hugely vital figures from our history. Just a couple of weeks before this episode, we had Ada Lovelace and Noor Inayat Khan, and this episode brought us to Nikola Tesla, who developed the alternating current electrical system. That said, the episode does still suffer from the regular Chibnall era issues, with the companions playing a mostly pointless role in the episode, but Goran Višnjić is great as Tesla and I personally found it quite an educational episode, not knowing much about Tesla beforehand. Special shoutout to Anjli Mohindra, best known as Rani Chandra in The Sarah Jane Adventures, who excels as the Queen of the Skithra, even if they feel dangerously close to the Racnoss in concept quite a fun historical episode, not perfect but one that does highlight some of the best elements of this era of the show.

NTNOT was actually quite educational (which is kind of a throwback to what DW was originally created for 😅) , after watching made me want to read up on the guy who was always so close to inventing stuff but never quite got their, downside to casting "Rani" as the Queen couldn't help but not see it as her because the actress is so well known in the Whoniverse 😅 fun episode, poor use of companions standard chibnall 🫣

116 New Earth

Series 2 Episode 1

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Rose Tyler

Also featuring: Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler

First aired: 15th April 2006

Writer: Russell T Davies

With a successful Christmas special under his belt, David Tennant's first full series launched with one of the show's most camp episodes ever. New Earth was a sequel to series 1's The End of the World, and saw the Doctor take Rose to see where some of humanity ended up after the Sun expanded. On this new planet, they run into a couple of familiar faces (particularly true for the Face of Boe x). Bringing Lady Cassandra back was a stroke of genius, in such a fun way too - I'm not sure there was much scope for another episode of trampoline Cassandra, so the body-swapping was fantastic chaos, and also managed to explore the dynamics between the new Doctor and Rose, despite them largely not interacting with each other for most of the episode! There's some dark undertones too, with the Sisters of Plenitude and their experiments on patients, even if it's demonstrated, presented as a threat and solved in quite simplistic ways. I like how the episode ends up as a character study on Cassandra, and that despite everything, she gets something of a happy ending with a little bit of redemption. A fun, camp opening episode in true RTD style.

NE, well it certainly wasn't a Rose episode level of opening, still was a fun episode, cassandra ending up being the misunderstood bad guy was a little bit predictable but didnt take too much away from the story, enjoyed all the bodyswapping was very camp and fun, but definitely feels like it was the weakest opener of the original RTD era

NTNOT I feel I should like more... but its just dull! and goes on forever! There's a good story in there, but the pacing is just really off.

NE, also not one of my faves - the ending with Cassandra is well played. But considering it was the launch of a new series it just feels so disposable. The comedy falls flat most of the time as well.

115 The Devil's Chord

Season 1 Episode 2

Doctor: 15th

Companion: Ruby Sunday

First aired: 11th May 2024

Writer: Russell T Davies

Airing immediately after Space Babies, The Devil's Chord was one of my most hyped episodes from Ncuti Gatwa's first run. Knowing Jinkx Monsoon was starring as the villain of the episode made me hugely excited! The Doctor takes Ruby to 1963 to see The Beatles at EMI Recording Studios (now known as Abbey Road), but they meet Maestro, the god of music, who has effectively removed music from the world. Jinkx is a huge highlight of the episode, delivering a stellar, nuanced performance as Maestro, who I enjoy as a villain. The Beatles don't get used as much as I expected, which felt like a missed opportunity, but I did enjoy that the Doctor and Ruby got a lot of focus, as they were both still pretty new to us at this point - the scene of Ruby playing piano on the rooftop is a highlight of season 1 for sure. I also really like the silent scene where the Doctor and Ruby hide from Maestro, a really cool scene. I think some moments could've done with tightening up (I can see why the dialogue makes it sound like Ruby had been travelling with 15 for six months between Space Babies and this, though I don't think that was intended), and I could've done without the twist song at the end, but I otherwise find this a solid episode enhanced by some fantastic performances.

I watched Space Babies and The Devil's Chord a couple of months ago - in the run up to the Series 2 finale. Oddly preferred Space Babies on the rewatch. The Devil's Chord just seemed a mess to me... I mean Space Babies wasn't much better, but it kinda held together more.

must've been crazy to launch with SB and TDC back to back. But then he did launch Series 2 with New Earth

I think Space Babies and The Devil's Chord on paper seem like a really accessible start to the season, I know the slightly more left-field, in-depth episodes go down well with the fans (rightfully as this countdown will largely show) but they're probably less likely to reel casual viewers in, especially as a series opener. My only real issue with how The Devil's Chord comes together is part of a greater issue with the Pantheon and the side-stepping of science fiction for more of an exploration of fantasy elements, I think Maestro would've still been extremely threatening without any connection to the Toymaker, just being an alien creature!