As the longest-running sci-fi show currently on television, the legendary BBC seriesDoctor Whois one of the most influential and popular shows in its genre. It follows an alien called the Doctor, who travels through time and space with a wide variety of companions in his TARDIS, a vessel that often takes the form of a blue police box. The main thing that’s allowed the series to reinvent itself time and time again since 1963 is that the Doctor is a Time Lord, an alien race that’s able to regenerate into a different body and personality after death.
The series has gone through over a dozen different Doctors over the course of its run.One of the most criminally underrated is Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor, the incarnation of the character that kickstarted the show’s revival in 2005, following a sixteen-year-long hiatus. Though Nine was only present in one season before he regenerated, the thirteen episodes that he showed up in are among modernDoctor Who’s most memorable.
There are spoilers ahead for the first season of theDoctor Whorevival!
Doctor Who
13"The Long Game"
Season 1, Episode 7
Pretty much every season ofDoctor Who— including the strong ones, such as series one — has that one episode that everyone forgets about; in the case of the modern show’s first season, that’s usually “The Long Game”. Taking place on a space station orbiting Earth in the year 200000, the episode sees the Doctor discover that the station holds a dark secret that’s controlling humanity and slowing its development.
One of the few things that make the episode stand out is that it’s the only one withBruno Langley’s Adam as a companion — and he’s not even a particularly memorable or likable one, so there’s that.Simon Peggin a villainous guest role is also really cool to see,but there is nothing else of interest in “The Long Game”. No impactful story, no fun gimmick, no memorable twist. At least the most typically-hated story in series one elicits a few strong reactions, even if few of them are positive.
12"Aliens of London"
Season 1, Episode 4
“Aliens of London” kicks off the most typically-hated story in series one, often considered one of the worst of the whole show. In it, the Doctor returns Rose (Billie Piper) to her home after a fair bit of journeying through time, but the family reunion is ruined by an alien spaceship crashing in London. During this time of crisis, the Prime Minister mysteriously vanished.
ModernDoctor Whohas offered some ofthe franchise’s best villains, but the Slitheen certainly aren’t among them. Though the episode offers some fun camp and further explores the main characters' dynamics,there’s far too much toilet humor, silly special effects, and goofy villainsto make “Aliens of London” any good.
11"World War Three"
Season 1, Episode 5
“World War Three” follows and closes off the story of “Aliens of London”, and it’s not much better than its predecessor. In it, the Slitheen have infiltrated Parliament and have trapped the Doctor and his friends, who have to stop the villains from starting World War Three. Though it’s admittedly funnier and more entertaining than “Aliens of London”, the episode is still one of series one’s most distasteful.
There are definitely redeeming qualities. The duo formed by Jackie (Camille Coduri) and Mickey (Noel Clarke) is fun, Harriet Jones (played by a brilliantPenelope Wilton) is funny and endearing, and the Slitheen are less obnoxious and a bit more menacing here than in the previous episode. Still,with the tone being so childish, the stakes don’t really feel high, and the episode is hard to take seriously as a result.
Season 1, Episode 3
The jump in quality from series one’s eleventh-best episode to its tenth-best is tremendous. “The Unquiet Dead” is actually a pretty good horror period piece, where the Doctor takes Rose to 1869 Cardiff. There, they join forces with Charles Dickens (Simon Callow) to investigate a mysterious plague of zombies. It’s always fun whenDoctor Whoputs historical figures in fun sci-fi situations, and this is no exception.
“The Unquiet Dead” is sometimes genuinely scary, making it one ofthe show’s best horror episodes.This scary tone is mixed with some really cool costumes and production design, which make the Victorian-era Wales atmosphere delightfully enveloping. There aren’t really many standout moments or side characters here, though, making this one of the season’s most forgettable episodes.
Season 1, Episode 1
The pilot of modernDoctor Whois certainly interesting, to say the least. In it, ordinary shop assistant Rose Tyler meets the Doctor, a mysterious stranger who draws her into his strange and dangerous world. Together, they fight a race of living mannequins. Somehow, an episode about fighting plastic-based villains controlled by a disembodied life force isn’t even close to being the strangest thing thatDoctor Whofans have seen.
As a pilot meant to bring back old fans of the classic show and hook newcomers, “Rose” works great. It reintroduces the Doctor in a fun way, showcasing Nine’s mysterious past and the story’s darker tone in a way that’s sure to intrigue old Whovians. It also displays a wacky sense of adventure and the show’s inherent strengths in ways that guarantee new viewers to fall in love. The wackiness and weirdness of the episode may be a bittoomuch for some, but it sure is worth sticking with the series.
8"Boom Town"
Season 1, Episode 11
There are some who would argue that “Boom Town” is far and away the worst episode of modernDoctor Who’s first season.Those people hate fun.It’s series one’s bottle episode(a cheaper, smaller-scale episode meant for TV seasons to save money and stay within budget), where the Doctor and his friends stumble upon one of the Slitheen and try to stop her plans to destroy the entire planet.
While definitely lacking the grand set pieces and elaborate visuals and the season’s best episodes, “Boom Town” finds its strengths elsewhere. It’s incredibly fun to watch the dynamics between the Doctor, Rose, Mickey, and Jack (John Barrowman) working as a team, this being the only episode of the season where the four of them are together in such a way. Plus, the Doctor’s interactions with Slitheen Margaret offer a few strong character moments and insight into what makes this incarnation of the character tick.
7"The End of the World"
Season 1, Episode 2
Series one’s pilot was thankfully followed up with one of the most iconic episodes ofRussell T. Davies’s run as showrunner: “The End of the World”, where the Doctor takes Rose on her first voyage through time to the year five billion, to witness the death of the Earth on a space platform with other guests from all over the universe. Unfortunately (though predictably), they run into a mysterious conspiracy aboard the station.
The episode introduces some of the most fun and coolest-looking characters from the season, from the Face of Boe to the sinister Lady Cassandra.It’s a fantastic second episode that dives deeper into the Ninth Doctor’s past and his relationship with Rose, while never losing sight of its entertaining premise. It’s also a lot less bizarre than “Rose”, making it a much better introduction to the season’s general tone.
6"Father’s Day"
Season 1, Episode 8
All her life, Rose had been told that her father, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver when she was just a baby, was an extraordinary man. In “Father’s Day,” she asks the Doctor to take her back to the day of his death to see him, but to the Doctor’s surprise, she decides to save her father — and things go south very quickly and very badly.
It’s episodes like this one that make the Ninth Doctor one offans' favorite incarnations of the character, since it’s packed with profound character moments for him; but of course, this is Rose’s episode through and through. Her relationship with her father is deeply touching, serving as the foundation of plenty of richly dramatic moments, as well as a beautiful ending that’s sure to have viewers reaching for the tissue box.
Season 1, Episode 12
The pre-finale of series one, “Bad Wolf”, finds the Doctor, Rose, and Jack separated and forced to compete in twisted, deadly games while on a mysterious space station. There, the Doctor discovers that the ones behind the mystery may be his greatest enemies.It’s the episode that begins to unravel the season’s greatest mysteries, and it does so in deeply satisfying and exciting ways.
What begins as a quirky, funny episode slowly starts turning into an epic mystery with an ending that’s sure to make old Whovians' hearts drop to their feet. While returning to a certain familiar location may not be a concept that every viewer will love, the things that the episode does with it are irresistibly fun.Doctor Whopre-finales tend to be extraordinary, and this one is no exception.
4"The Empty Child"
Season 1, Episode 9
Typically regarded asDoctor Who’s scariest episode, “The Empty Child” begins what might just be the best two-parter of the modern show’s first season. Set in London right in the middle of WWII, the episode unites the Doctor and Rose with the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness. There, they find themselves investigating a strange plague and a little boy in a gas mask.
The episode is full of great character moments, including a few that support the common claim that Rose is stillthe modern show’s best companion. Jack works wonders as a new character, adding a little bit of charm and humor to what is otherwise a surprisingly bleak episode.Make no mistake: This darker tone works phenomenally, making “The Empty Child” one of the most unforgettable episodes of the series.
