My Favourite Doctor Who Episodes for Every Doctor

by Joe Brennan

It’s that time of year again where I try very hard to branch out and write about something new but end up doing another Doctor Who article. Sorry, mum, I’ll do something different next time- it’s just topical to talk about Doctor Who- as we’re less than one week away from the new series (with a brand new Doctor, three new companions, a new Sonic Screwdriver, new monsters and a new TARDIS). 

As the show looks bravely to the future, I’ve decided to look to the past and give my favourite episode or serial from each of the 12 Doctors that have preceded Jodie Whittaker. This is not, by any means, my 12 favourite episodes but I thought one story from each Doctor would definitely make for a more interesting list than 12 Jon Pertwee episodes. 

If you’re relatively new to the show and desperate to catch up on the show’s 55 year history without watching every single episode, this list might be helpful. If you stopped watching after David Tennant left and you want to be quickly caught up in time for Jodie Whittaker, you could maybe watch a couple of these. They have MY seal of approval and that should be all you need. If you’re reading this simply because you’re interested in my opinion, then thank you very much. 

Here it is, My Favourite Story for Every Doctor

First Doctor- The Chase

A lot of people point at “The Daleks” or “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” when it comes to discussing Dalek episodes from the 60s and, while both are great, I feel the best William Hartnell Dalek episode is often overlooked. This is potentially because, despite the Daleks being the main antagonist of the episode, they are less of a focus and more of a plot device to help keep the TARDIS team moving from one place to another. The Chase is a six part serial that follows The Doctor and his companions as they are chased through Time and Space- what I truly love about the episode is how modern it feels in its structure, jumping around from planet to planet like  it’s Guardians of the Galaxy but with added time travel. The tone is rather light throughout and, for some, that makes The Daleks feel silly and not as much of a threat as in other episodes but for me, it works well. Doctor Who fans complaining about Doctor Who being silly is pretty ridiculous in my opinion. The episodes feature pretty much everything you could want in a comedic cat and mouse game across time and space; Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, William Shakespeare, The Beatles, Queen Elizabeth I and a conclusion that involves a robot replica of The Doctor. With the introduction of Steven Taylor (the second best companion ever) and a sad departure of original companions Ian and Barbara, this episode really is an underrated gem in Hartnell’s era (and I haven’t even mentioned the true highlight of the episode- Morton Dill)

Second Doctor- The War Games

The biggest complaint people have about The War Games is that it’s too long. This might be true, 10 episodes does seem a little excessive but every single one of the ten parts is fantastically enjoyable and, despite the serial’s length, the pacing is fantastic. The episodes concept ( a huge simulation of multiple war zones) had a lot of potential, but was also at risk of being convoluted or confusing if it was not handled well enough. Luckily for us, the premise was handled perfectly and it never becomes anything less than a delight. The twists and turns of this story are fantastic as the nature of the simulation is slowly revealed. With depictions of wars from multiple points in Earth’s history, this episode has everything. I am sensing a theme about what I want from a Doctor Who episode because this is slightly similar to the planet hopping format of The Chase but in The War Games, each location is part of one large simulation designed to observe the evolution and art of war. This is also the final episode for Patrick Troughton, the Second Doctor and it perfectly showcases the intellect, warmth and buffoonery that had become a staple of the character since Troughton’s debut 3 years prior. The episode ends with The Doctor’s banishment to Earth to live his life (in colour!) and without the ability to travel. One of the first truly emotional endings to a Doctor Who episode, it also features the moving departure of both Jamie McCrimmon (the best companion ever) and Zoe Heriot, arguably the first truly strong female character the show had. The War Games marks an end to the 1960s era of Doctor Who and perfectly summarises everything that was special about that point in the show’s history. I consider it a must-watch for any fan of the show hoping to get into the Classic Series (don’t let its length put you off)

Third Doctor- Inferno

Of all the Doctors to pick an episode for, Jon Pertwee was the most difficult. Not because there aren’t any brilliant episodes, but because there are too many. The Third Doctor’s era is my favourite and definitely one of the most consistently great- it’s hard to pinpoint an episode that truly stands above the others because all of them are fantastic. Inferno is the one I’ve chosen because of how unique it feels- it’s the first Doctor Who episode to feature an alternate reality and it certainly doesn’t waste the opportunities given to it by this premise. The Doctor finds himself in an incredibly dark dystopian version of Earth, meeting all the characters we’ve come to know and love over the season but this time, they are acting far less friendly towards The Doctor than usual. The highlight of the episode for me is the eyepatch wearing Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart, an alternate version of my favourite Doctor Who character, The Brigadier. Nicholas Courtney is always fantastic and seeing him play both the charming military man we’ve loved since Troughton’s era AND his sadistic counterpart from the alternate facist republic is a lot of fun. This episode was probably the darkest the show had ever gone and (I won’t spoil much) but the shift in tone is handled very well. The episode is the last appearance of Caroline John as Liz Shaw a fantastic assistant to The Doctor, in this episode Caroline John also plays Liz's counterpart, a ruthless military officer. Overall, Inferno is a great example of the quality held by most episodes in the Jon Pertwee era. The only staple of his tenure that is missing from this episode is Roger Delgado’s Master. If he were in it, the episode would truly be perfect. 

Fourth Doctor- Genesis of the Daleks

This episode is so iconic and so popular that certain people have started calling it overrated. I would like to disagree. The episode sends The Doctor and his companions to Skaro during a pivotal moment in the war between Kaleds and Thals where radical scientist Davros has created what he believes to be the key to the survival of his race- The Daleks. The Doctor’s mission was to destroy the Daleks before they were ever created but it surprisingly is a more complicated than it originally seems. This episode’s highlight is the series of interactions between Tom Baker’s Doctor and the Dalek Creator, Davros. Davros proves in this, his debut episode that he is one of the few individuals who poses a threat to The Doctor. The moments between the two and the ethical dilemmas brought up by both of them are what makes this 4 part serial stand in the sea of popular Tom Baker stories. This was, in my opinion, the episode in which Tom Baker truly cemented himself as a great Doctor through both his standing up to Davros and the chemistry he had with his great companions, Harry Sullivan and the undeniable wonderful Sarah Jane Smith. Genesis of the Daleks definitely deserves its status as one of the most iconic episodes from the classic series. 

Fifth Doctor- The Five Doctors

Peter Davison’s era was another one I struggled to pick a favourite episode for and I’m sad to say it’s not because I love them all. Following Tom Baker’s seven year run as The Doctor, it felt like both Peter Davison and the writing team struggled to find their feet, The Fifth Doctor is by no means bad but has very few standout episodes of excellent quality. This is why I’ve chosen such an unconventional episode as my favourite- The Five Doctors is the 20th anniversary Special and features... three Doctors. Plus one recast Doctor... plus archive footage of Tom Baker. However, the return of Susan, Sarah Jane, The Brigadier, The Time Lords, K9, The Yeti, The Master, Liz Shaw, Mike Yates, Jamie, Zoe, The Daleks and The Cybermen more than makes up for the misleading title. This episode is exactly what an anniversary special should be: cheesy nonsense. Sure, it has a contrived plot that makes little sense when given any thought but the plot is not the focus, the focus of the episode is celebrating the history of the show and it does just that. It’s fantastic to see the old Doctors again, including the first (Richard Hurndall really captures the essence of William Hartnell). It’s remarkable to see how easily the returning Doctors slip back into their old roles- it’s as if Patrick Troughton never stopped playing The Doctor. Peter Davison is also great in this episode and it’s a shame there aren’t many truly outstanding episodes of his. Interactions between the various incarnations of The Doctor are always a lot of fun and seeing all of the old companions and enemies return is just what was needed from the episode. I don’t think anniversary specials need to be epic, they just need to be fun. And this episode is one of the most fun episodes in the 55 years the show has existed so I’ll say it’s great at what it does.

Sixth Doctor- Attack of the Cybermen

Well, it’s about time I have a Cyberman story on the list. The Sixth Doctor is often cited as the worst of the 13 Doctors. I disagree, he's blunt and occasionally a little rude but his confidence doesn’t mean he can't be warm. This episode shows all aspects of his character and how wonderfully Colin Baker portrays them. From playful experimentation with finally fixing The TARDIS’ chameleon circuit to standing strong against the force of evil that continues to plague the cosmos, Attack of the Cybermen is a great showcase of The Sixth Doctor. It also presents The Cybermen as the cold and ruthless villains they’re supposed to be, their action scenes are violent and menacing- this is one of the only stories I can think of that features blood during an extremely memorable interrogation/torture scene. This story also nicely references The Tenth Planet, a story from 1966, with The Cybermen’s plan being to prevent the destruction of Mondas by destroying Earth. This fan-pleasing piece of continuity is a nice touch but the episode still stands very well on its own, as an introduction to the Cybermen, and also as an entry point to the whole show. It was one of the first classic episodes I ever watched and it’ll always have a place in my heart for that reason. 

Seventh Doctor- Remembrance of the Daleks

Remembrance of the Daleks takes the show back to its roots- Coal Hill School in 1963, the setting of the very first episode. This is my second favourite Dalek episode after Genesis of the Daleks but one of the best parts about it is Sylvester McCoy, it features a number of my favourite moments from the bumbling but manipulative Seventh Doctor. I feel like Remembrance treads the line between these main two aspects of this Doctor's personality rather well. In my opinion, however, it is the companion who shines in this episode. Ace is quite brilliant in every scene she's in, particularly the one where she destroys a Dalek with a baseball bat- I feel she definitely set the template for what a modern Doctor Who companion should be. Speaking of The Daleks, they truly seem like a threat in this episode from the shocking reveal of the identity of Dalek Supreme, to the iconic one-off Special Weapons Dalek, they are definitely presented as a formidable foe. The episode even addresses a running joke on how to stop them. When some characters finally do what the public has been suggesting for years and use the stairs to escape a Dalek, it simply flies up the stairs to catch up with them. A lot of people think the Daleks first  in Christopher Eccleston's era but it was actually far earlier in 1988. Remembrance of the Dalek was the final Dalek story of the classic series and serves as a great example of how such a silly alien villain can be so intimidating if used correctly. I wish every episode in Sylvester McCoy's time was this good. 

Eighth Doctor- The Night of The Doctor

People reading this have no reason not to watch this one. It’s six minutes long and is exclusive to YouTube. It’s admittedly a sad situation when the best episode you have as a Doctor is a mini webisode released alongside the main anniversary special but Night of the Doctor really is good. Paul McGann’s Doctor has had two appearances, his first being the 1996 TV Movie- a film that came at a weird point in the show’s history. Following, a nine year hiatus for the show after its 1989 cancellation, the movie was intended as a pilot for a new reboot. It wasn’t picked up so sat on its own as the only Eighth Doctor story until 2013 when showrunner Steven Moffat wrote a short webisode to finally bridge the gap between the classic series and the modern series. Paul McGann got a second chance to prove himself as The Doctor and in just six minutes, he became one of my favourites. He’s funny, charming but also convincingly shows how hopeless the Time War has made him: he is still a romantic, but a lot more of a hopeless romantic than the optimist we saw back in 1996. The story is obviously very brief but it features some great moments and, in my opinion, the best regenerations out of the 13 we've had. Paul McGann is a great actor and a brilliant Doctor but has just unluckily never had a series. This mini episode convinced me to check out his Eighth Doctor Big Finish audiodramas and he truly shines in that format, but I feel like Night of the Doctor really gives a glimpse of his onscreen potential. 

Ninth Doctor- The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances

This is basically the “Genesis of the Daleks” of the Doctor Who revival, not because of the content of the episode but because of the impact it had. Everyone I know remembers this episode and how terrifying it was. A little boy wearing a gas mask roaming around London during The Blitz saying “Are you my mummy?” and turning people into gas mask zombies is just a horrifying and memorable concept. The episode is remembered mostly for the child, one of the most memorable and scary antagonists in the show’s history, but also includes a great performance from Christopher Eccleston, a man who only had one series as The Doctor due to infamous tension between him and those in charge of the show. Luckily for us, the one series he did have features some absolutely fantastic episodes like this one. I love The Ninth Doctor and feel like no episode showcases the intensity, humour and sense of alien wonder of The Ninth Doctor like this one. Also introduced in The Empty Child is the incredible Captain Jack Harkness, John Barrowman’s fan favourite character that everyone is hoping will one day make a return. He is essentially The Brigadier of the modern series, but with more flirting. He’s not really a companion but he’s a loyal and important friend to The Doctor and a character so popular that I’ve yet to find a single person who doesn’t like him. This two-parter also has one of the best endings to any story but I won’t spoil it just yet, it’s just... perfect. All of these factors work together perfectly to make The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances two of the most iconic and memorable episodes in Doctor Who History. 

Tenth Doctor- School Reunion

David Tennant is another Doctor with a lot of consistently good episodes but the one that stands out to me as my favourite is School Reunion. It is the first time in Modern Doctor Who that a companion from the classic series is brought back- Sarah Jane Smith graces the show like she never left. Elizabeth Sladen is simply wonderful in this episode and every subsequent episode. Her moments with the Doctor are remarkable thanks to the performances of both her and David Tennant. They both manage to make you believe they travelled together so many years ago. Tennant grew up watching The Doctor and Sarah traveling and that probably added to the authentic sense of history that was shown between the two. Sarah Jane worked so well in this episode that she got her own spinoff, my introduction to the "Whoniverse" The Sarah Jane Adventures. The spark that Liz Sladen had, the twinkle in her eye and the incredible warmth and kindness she brought the character made her so lovable to kids all over the world. I love School Reunion for giving us The Sarah Jane Adventures but I also love it for the episode itself- the school setting, K9’s return allowing for side character Micky Smith to realise he was the "Tin Dog" of the current TARDIS team and the funny moments that follow. On top of this, there is, of course, Anthony Head giving a fantastic performance playing the villainous headmaster Mr Finch- who probably had the potential to be a Davros like figure of the new Series with his ability to hold his own in a debate with The Doctor. The episode is an all round goood time with some truly emotional moments at its heart. 

Eleventh Doctor- The Doctor’s Wife

I’ll be honest, I saw this coming up on Netflix and rolled my eyes, thinking we’d be getting another episode about River Song. Luckily for me, the episode focuses, in fact, on an even more important lady in The Doctor’s life. A lady who a lot of people forget has been with The Doctor longer than anyone- The TARDIS herself. I’m not sure whose crazy idea it was to put the consciousness of The TARDIS into a human body for an episode- it was a stupid idea and shouldn’t have worked. But it did. The TARDIS was finally given a voice, she’s always been present and always had personality but this episode did an incredible job of making us think we’ve known her as a human woman for years. The episode also features Matt Smith giving one of his best performances as The Doctor- in this story he shows that he can be dark and intimidating, passionate, charming, funny and whacky but also acts perfectly alongside Idris, the human host of The TARDIS. Similarly to how David Tennant convinces you he’s the same man that traveled with Sarah Jane in the 1970s, Matt Smith makes you believe he’s really known Idris for 900 years. Companions Amy, Rory don’t have an awful lot to do but the two of them and House, this episode’s antagonist, are good but almost secondary to the remarkable relationship between The Doctor and Idris. The script for this episode by Neil Gaiman is one of the best and most creative since the show’s creation. The whole thing is truly a Doctor Who story like no other. 

Twelfth Doctor- World Enough and Time/ The Doctor Falls

I

'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Peter Capaldi's first two series as The Doctor and when Series 10 started last year, I expected more of the same. But straight from the first episode, something felt different. It just felt...nice. Every episode was fun, exciting and it seemed that in the his last series as showrunner, Steven Moffat had finally hit the nail on the head on how to do a Twelfth Doctor Series. The warmth and coziness changed in World Enough and Time, however, after a charming start featuring Missy, the female Master, the episode quickly takes a dark turn and spends the rest of the first part being a chilling thriller. The concept of the episode is genius, a colony ship that is miles long flying away from a black hole, with time moving far slower in the top of the ship compared to the bottom. As societies spread and the population increases in the lower levels over the years, The Doctor is confused at why millions of life-signs are appearing in seconds. The conflict comes from when The Doctor is separated from his companion and she is forced to spend years at the bottom of the ship waiting for him, while he is only waiting minutes- it's a terrifying concept and one that is carried out really well. Additionally, the episode acts as an origin story for the Cybermen- it sounds busy but it is a perfectly executed episode and an incredible start to a series (and era) finale. Following the events (keeping it vague to avoid spoiling it) of the first part, The Doctor Falls sees Bill, Nardole, The Doctor, Missy and The Master standing up against the seemingly unstoppable and ever-evolving force of The Cybermen. This episode is insanely different from World Enough and Time but is arguably just as good with fantastic moments from every single character involved (John Simm as The Master is especially wonderful). The best thing about this episode, for me, is Peter Capaldi. This is the episode that made me realise how much I'm going to miss him. Everyone has THEIR Doctor and he is probably mine, this episode’s speech about kindness is surely one of my favourite Doctor Who speeches, if not my #1. This episode would've been the perfect departure for The Twelfth Doctor and was originally intended to be so but Chris Chibnall didn't want to start his run with a Christmas special so we got the very good Twice Upon a Time as Capaldi's final episode instead. However, The Series 10 finale is the perfect end to a brilliant series and the final series of my Doctor. My FAVOURITE Doctor changes all the time but Capaldi will always be special to me as Doctor I watched as the episodes were airing. While my favourite Doctor is always changing, it’ll take a lot to change the fact that World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls is my favourite Doctor Who story ever. If I was going to recommend any story from this list to watch, it would be this one. 

I hope you enjoyed my list, I hope you read it too. I've just always wanted to write about some of these episodes so doing one for each Doctor made a lot of sense. Enjoy the new series and here's to 55 more years of great stories.