Nope, they were fantastic.
Best payoff to a season-long arc since the series came back.
In fact all River Song episodes were great up to and including Day of the Moon. Didn't start falling apart until after that.
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io9: "Every Single Doctor Who Story, Ranked from Best to Worst"
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Nope, they were fantastic.
Best payoff to a season-long arc since the series came back.
In fact all River Song episodes were great up to and including Day of the Moon. Didn't start falling apart until after that.
User 463088
Banned
Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is, in fact deep blue. And over there: lighter blue and blowing through the blues and blackness the winds swirling through the air and then shining, burning, bursting through: the stars! And you see how they roar their light. Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes.
acheron_xl
Member
Some breakdowns...
Doctor introductions in order:
1: Rose (17)
2: The Chrismas Invasion (22)
3: The Eleventh Hour (27)
4: Power of the Daleks (39)
5: Robot (47)
6: Deep Breath (85)
7: Spearhead from Space (90)
8: Castrovalva (138)
9: An Unearthly Child (164)
10: The TV Movie (210)
11: The Twin Dilemma (222)
12: Time and the Rani (251)
Last Doctor story in order:
1: Cave of Androzani (1)
2: Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways (49)
3: The End of Time (60)
4: Survival (91)
5: Time of the Doctor (127)
6: Logopolis (132)
7: The War Games (137)
8: The Tenth Planet (141)
9: Planet of the Spiders (145)
10: The Ultimate Foe (253)
Doctor introductions in order:
1: Rose (17)
2: The Chrismas Invasion (22)
3: The Eleventh Hour (27)
4: Power of the Daleks (39)
5: Robot (47)
6: Deep Breath (85)
7: Spearhead from Space (90)
8: Castrovalva (138)
9: An Unearthly Child (164)
10: The TV Movie (210)
11: The Twin Dilemma (222)
12: Time and the Rani (251)
Last Doctor story in order:
1: Cave of Androzani (1)
2: Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways (49)
3: The End of Time (60)
4: Survival (91)
5: Time of the Doctor (127)
6: Logopolis (132)
7: The War Games (137)
8: The Tenth Planet (141)
9: Planet of the Spiders (145)
10: The Ultimate Foe (253)
Take note people: this here is what a right opinion looks like.
APZonerunner
Member
It's funny, but when I look at the list generally some of it really gets my ire, but then when I look at these I think they're 100% bang on. I'd put Deep Breath lower though.
They need to switch the Eleventh Hour and Rose.
They should also switch The War Games and The End of Time.
The Elite
BOSS
Eleventh Hour over Rose. I know how important Rose was to establishing the new series but I think Eleventh Hour was just as important to establishing a new Doctor and is easily the better store to boot.
Spearhead should by higher as well.
As for Last Doctor stories I would have The War Games number one with the rest of the list pretty much as it stands.
acheron_xl
Member
IMO, Spearhead is way too low, Christmas Invasion way too high.
I mean, yeah it's racist, but 37 is still too low.
And Spearhead from Space should be in the top ten, it establishes how suave the Third Doctor is effortlessly.
The Elite
BOSS
I think I am the only one on GAF who really enjoyed Deep Breath.
acheron_xl
Member
I want a fan edit of Deep Breath that cuts at least 20 minutes off. Too many pointless scenes, like the Strax medical exam scene that existed solely to show off that dumb Blue Peter gizmo.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Where is The Girl Who Waited?
That and Vincent are the best Matt Smith ones.
That and Vincent are the best Matt Smith ones.
DashReindeer
Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
The Elite
BOSS
I keep thinking about going back to this episode to see if I like it as much as some now. I actually remember liking it back then but it's faults were glaring. Not one of my favourites.
I found it terrifying that a writer as clever as Steven Moffat could think that scene was a good idea.
DashReindeer
Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
Yeah, that's what I meant. This was one of the most laughable things I had ever seen.
There's some really good stuff in Deep Breath. Basically whenever the Clara or the Doctor are on screen after the scene in alley its great.
Honestly, the idea was fine. Silly, yes, but it could have been really cool handled right. The execution was hot garbage.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
Personally The Girl in the Fireplace is my favorite, followed closely by Blink and Vincent. Good list though.
Maybe I'm just not a fan of what they did with the Autons, but I'd rather watch Castrovalva or Spearhead again much more than Rose. Many of the new series episodes feel overrated in this, which just makes me old and cranky I guess. 
I wouldn't put War Games higher than Androzani, mostly due to pacing issues in the middle of the story. But that's a why I don't think comparing new to old show always works, when stories from the 60s were presented in such a vastly different format from today's television.
Now if only a streaming service had all the existing episodes, they'd have my money!
I wouldn't put War Games higher than Androzani, mostly due to pacing issues in the middle of the story. But that's a why I don't think comparing new to old show always works, when stories from the 60s were presented in such a vastly different format from today's television.
Now if only a streaming service had all the existing episodes, they'd have my money!
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
I did, and was pleasantly surprised. The most sci-f novel like episode I've seen in the series.
I think my favorites is the Christmas especial with Michael Gambon. (and what's the episode where they hide paintings behind a wall?)
oh man inferno was some dark shit
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Horrible list, but given how many episodes there are it's impossible for many people to agree with anyones list I guess.
An episode where everyone's death is the doctors fault because of his vanity? I don't think so.
An episode where everyone's death is the doctors fault because of his vanity? I don't think so.
Rimon-hanit
Member
Meh, It mostly o.k, I would put the following in the top tier:
The Angels Take Manhattan
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (also is that why people think Moffat is sexiest because wtf, if anything he is referring to beautiful people as been a bit vapid).
The Beast Below - Fantastic episode that made a promise on the nature of the new companion, that the show couldn't keep.
The Angels Take Manhattan
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (also is that why people think Moffat is sexiest because wtf, if anything he is referring to beautiful people as been a bit vapid).
The Beast Below - Fantastic episode that made a promise on the nature of the new companion, that the show couldn't keep.
This proves that it's just a bit weird to rank modern stories in the same list as classic stories. I know it's the same show, but in many ways it's also very, very different. Hell, even comparing Hartnell to Pertwee, or Baker, or McCoy is difficult for that reason.
I don't agree with a lot of the choices here, but eh, you always get that with lists like this. I definitely would put Eleventh Hour above Rose or Christmas Invasion - neither episode is really good. You could argue that Rose was an important landmark for the show, but that doesn't make it good - and that would mean Unearthly Child should be way higher as well (although the last three episodes kinda ruin it, the first episode is still damn good). Eleventh Hour and most of season 5 (and some parts of season 6) actually was very heavy on the Douglas Addams influences, which is what makes me love those seasons.
I'm bad with choosing favorites, but even though Androzani is good, I wouldn't rate it quite so high. That story felt more like a high point in a period where the show was already starting to lose itself (and went completely off the rails after that). There have been better stories before. I would choose City of Death as my favorite, but that may be clouded in nostalgia as that was my first story, which I saw in one of the happiest periods of my life and which started my sick obsession with this show.
We made some lists in one of the recent Doctor Who threads of our personal favorite stories for each Doctor (which I think is a bit more useful in ranking these stories), and I still stand by my list:
Hartnell: The Time Meddler (or: First episode of Unearthly Child, Marco Polo, Aztecs, Gunfighters, War Machines)
Throughton: The War Games (or: Power of the Daleks, Faceless Ones, Evil of the Daleks, Tomb of the Cybermen, Abominable Snowmen, Enemy of the World, Seeds of Death)
Pertwee: The Green Death (or: Terror of the Autons, Mind of Evil, Daemons, Time Monster (it's crap but super enjoyable crap), Three Doctors, Invasion of the Dinosaurs (see Time Monster)
Tom Baker: City of Death (or: Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, Brain of Morbius, Seeds of Doom, Masque of Mandragora, Robots of Death, Deadly Assassin, Talons of Weng-Chian, Horror of Fang Rock, Shada)
Davison: Caves of Androzani (not a fan of the last part of the classic series, so no runner ups I'm afraid. Not familiar enough with the stories either)
Colin Baker: The Two Doctors
McCoy: Ghost Light
McGann: Night of the Doctor (the movie was crap, so not much choice here)
Hurt: Day of the Doctor (again, not much choice here. Although I liked the episode with his earlier cameo a lot as well, but that was more a Smith episode)
Eccleston: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Tennant: Girl in the Fireplace
Smith: Vincent and the Doctor
Capaldi (so far, early days): Listen
Of those Doctors/stories, my favorites would have to be Hartnell, Throughton (I have a major soft spot for 60s scifi, but I understand it's not for everyone), Tom Baker, and Smith. Really happy with Capaldi as well, he could join my list of favorites, but we'll have to see more of him first. Season 5 is the high point of the modern series, season 13 and 14 the high point of the classic series (Tom Baker's second and third series). Vincent and the Doctor is easily the high point of the modern series. No other episode has come close. I hope we'll ever get an episode that comes close to that again.
Best Doctor: always Throughton.
Everything in this post is the truth.
I don't agree with a lot of the choices here, but eh, you always get that with lists like this. I definitely would put Eleventh Hour above Rose or Christmas Invasion - neither episode is really good. You could argue that Rose was an important landmark for the show, but that doesn't make it good - and that would mean Unearthly Child should be way higher as well (although the last three episodes kinda ruin it, the first episode is still damn good). Eleventh Hour and most of season 5 (and some parts of season 6) actually was very heavy on the Douglas Addams influences, which is what makes me love those seasons.
I'm bad with choosing favorites, but even though Androzani is good, I wouldn't rate it quite so high. That story felt more like a high point in a period where the show was already starting to lose itself (and went completely off the rails after that). There have been better stories before. I would choose City of Death as my favorite, but that may be clouded in nostalgia as that was my first story, which I saw in one of the happiest periods of my life and which started my sick obsession with this show.
We made some lists in one of the recent Doctor Who threads of our personal favorite stories for each Doctor (which I think is a bit more useful in ranking these stories), and I still stand by my list:
Hartnell: The Time Meddler (or: First episode of Unearthly Child, Marco Polo, Aztecs, Gunfighters, War Machines)
Throughton: The War Games (or: Power of the Daleks, Faceless Ones, Evil of the Daleks, Tomb of the Cybermen, Abominable Snowmen, Enemy of the World, Seeds of Death)
Pertwee: The Green Death (or: Terror of the Autons, Mind of Evil, Daemons, Time Monster (it's crap but super enjoyable crap), Three Doctors, Invasion of the Dinosaurs (see Time Monster)
Tom Baker: City of Death (or: Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, Brain of Morbius, Seeds of Doom, Masque of Mandragora, Robots of Death, Deadly Assassin, Talons of Weng-Chian, Horror of Fang Rock, Shada)
Davison: Caves of Androzani (not a fan of the last part of the classic series, so no runner ups I'm afraid. Not familiar enough with the stories either)
Colin Baker: The Two Doctors
McCoy: Ghost Light
McGann: Night of the Doctor (the movie was crap, so not much choice here)
Hurt: Day of the Doctor (again, not much choice here. Although I liked the episode with his earlier cameo a lot as well, but that was more a Smith episode)
Eccleston: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Tennant: Girl in the Fireplace
Smith: Vincent and the Doctor
Capaldi (so far, early days): Listen
Of those Doctors/stories, my favorites would have to be Hartnell, Throughton (I have a major soft spot for 60s scifi, but I understand it's not for everyone), Tom Baker, and Smith. Really happy with Capaldi as well, he could join my list of favorites, but we'll have to see more of him first. Season 5 is the high point of the modern series, season 13 and 14 the high point of the classic series (Tom Baker's second and third series). Vincent and the Doctor is easily the high point of the modern series. No other episode has come close. I hope we'll ever get an episode that comes close to that again.
Best Doctor: always Throughton.
Everything in this post is the truth.
Daria Morgendorffer
Member
Vincent and the Doctor should be even higher imo, definitely a top 3 episode for me, but I'm happy with the love it got in this listing.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
List war time is best time
Remembrance of the Daleks will forever be my fave, and McCoy my favourite doctor.
Hartnell: The Romans, The Time Meddler, The Aztecs, The Daleks
Troughton: The War Games, The Mind Robber, The Seeds of Death, The Invasion
Pertwee: Day of the Daleks (SE), Spearhead from Space, Carnival of Monsters, Doctor Who and the Silurians, Inferno, Terror of the Autons
Tom Baker: The Seeds of Doom, Genesis of the Daleks, The Ribos Operation, City of Death, The Masque of Mandragora, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Androids of Tara, Horror of Fang Rock
Davison: Earthshock, The Caves of Androzani, Enlightenment, Mawdryn Undead
Colin Baker: Terror of the Vervoids, Vengeance on Varos, The Two Doctors
McCoy: Remembrance of the Daleks,The Curse of Fenric (DC), Ghost Light, Survival, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Eccleston: The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, Dalek, Father’s Day
Tennant: Blink, Turn Left/The Stolen Earth/Journey's End, Human Nature/The Family of Blood, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, Gridlock, Smith and Jones, The Fires of Pompeii
Smith: The Eleventh Hour, Vincent and the Doctor, The Doctor's Wife, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, A Christmas Carol
Capaldi: Flatline....maybe caretaker and mummy on oe? need to rewatch those.
Exterminieren
Banned
What the FUCK is Gridlock doing so low. Garbage list.
Worse than Victory of the Daleks? Worse than The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe? GAH.
Worse than Victory of the Daleks? Worse than The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe? GAH.
So I saw this thread title on the front page, where it was truncated to: "Every Single Doctor Who..."
And I filled in the blanks, and imagined it might read: "Every Single Doctor Who Has Been White and Male".
On the one hand I thought, 'Man, I'm a feminist but this shit goes so overboard these days'
On the other hand, I though, 'Holy shit, there are no rules around what gender or race a Doctor could be (... other than human) and yet we have 20+, all white and male Doctors. I would fucking love a female Doctor and that would probably get me back on board with the show (not watched since the '80s ones).
Probably not the thread to discuss this. But any thoughts?
And I filled in the blanks, and imagined it might read: "Every Single Doctor Who Has Been White and Male".
On the one hand I thought, 'Man, I'm a feminist but this shit goes so overboard these days'
On the other hand, I though, 'Holy shit, there are no rules around what gender or race a Doctor could be (... other than human) and yet we have 20+, all white and male Doctors. I would fucking love a female Doctor and that would probably get me back on board with the show (not watched since the '80s ones).
Probably not the thread to discuss this. But any thoughts?
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead all the way at 55 and Gridlock at 159? WTF? Boo. And The Lodger lower than Library? I love that episode.
They (the production team) say a female Doctor at one point is possible, and it's possible in the 'lore' of Doctor Who (the Master is female now), but I honestly don't think it'll happen anytime soon. I would be fine with it for the change, but it would be a very difficult. I don't think it's the BBC being sexist, I just think it's them being careful with the format of one of their most successful shows. It would make multidoctor stories a lot more interesting though.
There's no reason we won't get a black or asian Doctor soon though. Just like with James Bond, it's about time that happened. Not just to be politically correct - a lot of non-white kids watch this show as well, and it can only be good for that generation for one of their heroes to look anything other than white.
I always thought Mos Def as Ford Prefect in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy movie would make a great Doctor (and obviously the character was originally written as a weird version of the Doctor):
I think the universe might implode if you play Ford Prefect and the Doctor in the same lifetime though.
Rimon-hanit
Member
Well he did play a great Ford, and Ford is (heavily paraphrasing):
"The Doctor, if the doctor would rather go to a party then save the earth"
but my money is still on Idris Elba for the first black doctor.
#Elbaforeveryruleeverfromthebeginningoftimeitself
It was just a line thrown in for the series arch, meaningless to the actual plot.
Exterminieren
Banned
It's absolutely on the table, and the recent casting of Michelle Gomez as the Master has made a woman playing the Doctor all-but inevitable down the line.
People have a go at Moffat for stuff like this, but he's canonised the possibility of a change in gender in regeneration with the Master, as well as the possibility of a change of race (when River Song regenerated into Alex Kingston, she went from a mixed-race actress to a Caucasian one).
GustyGardner
Member
I see they count A Good Man Goes to War and Lets Kill Hitler as one serial. Too bad because the former is great while the latter is complete trash.
Also happy to see them rank Time Heist, The Beast Below and Robots of Sherwood reasonably high.
Also happy to see them rank Time Heist, The Beast Below and Robots of Sherwood reasonably high.
Problem with these lists is they try to be definitive. I can't see any real pattern here. Its more or less a mix of stories other people would have in their top lost.
Also Doctors Wife is a fun run around but the TARDIS is still just a box by the end and I prefer to think the TARDIS was being repaired after trying to kill its pilots by taking then to dangerous locations.
Also Doctors Wife is a fun run around but the TARDIS is still just a box by the end and I prefer to think the TARDIS was being repaired after trying to kill its pilots by taking then to dangerous locations.
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