The Doctor Who Companion has been around a whole decade now, covering the franchise in all its mediums… but which TV stories of the past ten years are the best?
Everyone will disagree, of course, but here are ten, just to get us started…
1. The Pilot
The most remarkable thing about The Pilot is the fact it’s the start of Peter Capaldi’s third series as the Twelfth Doctor, but it feels so fresh and exciting. It feels like a brand-new show. Calling it The Pilot is a bold move, but fits perfectly.
New companion, Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) brings an infectious energy to proceedings, and Capaldi responds to that (egged on by Nardole, played by Matt Lucas). She’s also truly affecting. The best scene is surely the Doctor giving Bill a special Christmas present: photos of her mum.
If you’re ever growing tired of Doctor Who, watch The Pilot because the fantastic feeling it leaves you with will revive your love of the show.
2. Oxygen
Jamie Mathieson was tasked with making space scary again. He manages it.
This is a very clever base-under-siege, in which the Doctor and his companions are chased by zombies, inside and outside space station Chasm Forge (brilliant name). As Bill’s first venture into space, untethered from a planet like Earth or Gliese 581d, she’s both amazed and terrified. Understandably so because this is a superb horror story that cleverly (and perhaps controversially) turns into a lesson about capitalism.
The atmosphere, and Charles Palmer’s stunning direction, make this a tense and memorable thriller.
Plus, the Doctor’s reaction to his sonic screwdriver being snapped is magnificent.
3. Extremis
For a season that feels so vibrant, Series 10 gets dark surprisingly quickly. That darkness sneaks in almost immediately, but kicks into another gear with Extremis, which shows us a world crippled by the truth of its existence. The Veritas reveals all, and it is horrifying.
It’s also possible, drawing on theories about the nature of our universe. An episode of Doctor Who that questions life itself? You’re darn right it’s making this list.
The three leads are all excellent here, of course, but then, Capaldi, Mackie, and Lucas never really have a bad day. Their final breaths, though, are especially harrowing.
4. World Enough and Time/ The Doctor Falls
Yes, another story from Series 10 makes it into this decade’s Top 10. In truth, if I could, this list would be filled with episodes from the Twelfth Doctor’s last season. Some readers would likely kick off, however, so we’ll play it safe by highlighting the Series 10 finale and leave it at that. Because it’s magnificent.
Two incarnations of the Master, the genesis of the Cybermen, mind-blowing (and probably very accurate) science that makes narrative and emotional sense: oh, this one is special.
Twice Upon a Time is a lovely coda to this, seeing out the Twelfth Doctor in considerable style.
5. The Woman Who Fell to Earth
Jodie Whittaker debuted as the Thirteenth Doctor and nothing was ever the same again in the worlds of Doctor Who.
This isn’t anywhere near as brilliant as, say, Spearhead from Space or The Eleventh Hour, but Whittaker still does well and Bradley Walsh’s Graham O’Brien in particular is nicely played. Nothing incredible or especially genius happens, but that’s okay: sometimes, you just need a solid enough tale to introduce a new Doctor. It’s probably Chris Chibnall’s best Thirteenth Doctor script too.
6. The Witchfinders
Towards the end of Whittaker’s first season came this little underrated gem, in which we see the consequences of the Doctor having a female body. Graham is seen as in charge, something he doesn’t like, and the Doctor is drowned for being a witch. It’s an interesting idea, highlighting the injustices women have suffered throughout history.
It’s not all about that, though: there’s also a mud monster, some grim but excellent visuals, and Alan Cumming hamming it up as King James. Tilly Steele puts in a stellar performance as Willa Twiston too: Cumming gets the attention, but her quiet, gentle portrayal is unfairly overlooked.
7. The Power of the Doctor
Narratively, this is, in truth, a bit of a mess; similarly, as Jodie’s last episode, it doesn’t really do her justice. So why does this make the list? Nostalgia, frankly.
It’s lovely to see Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) again, and they’re paired up with their respective Doctors (Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy), albeit briefly. We don’t entirely buy into the friction that Chibnall adds to their Doctor-companion dynamics, but it’s good to see them on screen. There’s a smorgasbord of cameos, actually, including other Doctors and companions, as well as the obligatory Daleks and Cybermen.
Plus: William Russell returns as Ian Chesterton!
8. Boom
Steven Moffat returned to Doctor Who for Ncuti Gatwa’s third episode as the Fifteenth Doctor, and it’s… well, a blast.
It’s probably Gatwa’s first genuinely great episode, and he acts his socks off, despite being stood in one spot for most of the story. Inspired by Genesis of the Daleks, this story sees the Doctor stepping on a landmine, one that could blow up the whole planet, so how will he get out of this one? And do you dream of being an ambulance?
It features a lot of Moffat hallmarks, and, as a big fan of the former showrunner, that’s fantastic as far as I’m concerned.
And we get a little look at Varada Sethu, who would go on to play companion, Belinda Chandra, in the latest series.
9. 73 Yards
One of the unsung heroes of the Fifteenth Doctor era is Millie Gibson. She elevates even dodgy scripts — not that 73 Yards is especially dodgy, but she certainly adds a lot to it.
This is a weird one, and you never truly understand what happened and why, but that’s okay: weird is Doctor Who‘s bread and butter. Companion, Ruby Sunday is left without the Doctor, and the TARDIS doesn’t want to open, so we follow Ruby as she deals with loneliness and abandonment, a theme that underpins Doctor Who Series 14 and Ruby’s arc. What’s more, she’s being followed by a woman who remains 73 yards away from her, proving to be the ultimate enigma.
It also looks amazing. Even if it does waste Siân Phillips.
10. Lucky Day
Lux was fine: unusual enough, but ultimately a redo of Tooth and Claw; The Well was good, but it’s a re-tread of Midnight, as if Davies was doing a run of “greatest hits”. But then we come to Lucky Day, another episode that highlights what an asset Millie Gibson is to Doctor Who.
Written by Pete McTighe, Lucky Day is something of a kitchen-sink-drama, with Ruby falling in love, but things are elevated when That Twist comes. We then see a different side of Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), showing considerable grit, something we’ve not really experienced during this era of UNIT.
And again, Gibson nails it. Her heartbreak is so upsetting and shocking, adding a lot to her character and proving to be that audience-identification figure that every companion is supposed to be, at least at some level. By the time we get to the season’s end, Ruby becomes the strongest element of the show.
I know, you disagree. That’s Doctor Who for you. Note down your Top 10 in the comments section below!
