In 2005, Doctor Who came barreling back onto our TV screens, thanks to Russell T Davies. Since then, the show has continuously reinvented itself, carrying over villains and stories from the classic era alongside bold new ideas that keep the show thriving to this day.
To celebrate 20 years of “New Who” and the upcoming premiere of the newest season in April, here are the 50 best episodes of Doctor Who from 2005 to now, according to us. Be aware that we will count multi-part stories as singular entries for this list. If a story is split across two or more episodes, we will group those relevant episodes as they are telling one overarching narrative.
50. Rose
Rose, the episode that started it all. First airing in March 2005, this episode is the perfect springboard for new audiences and old fans. It establishes the core fundamentals of the show in a concise nutshell whilst also giving viewers a strong companion in the form of Rose Tyler to ground the story in and relate to. Sure, some elements are very dated but as a way of reintroducing the show and giving it a new lease of life, this episode does so much right.
49. The Rings of Akhaten
During his time as showrunner, Steven Moffat tended to give his Doctors lavish speeches and moments of grandeur that exemplified their status as the smartest person in the room. Occasionally, this came as a bit of a detriment to his writing style but here Neil Cross, creator of hit BBC show Luther, gives Moffat a run for his money by allowing the 11th Doctor to go all out with one of the most riveting monologues of the entire show in a great episode that is rather underrated.
48. War of the Sontarans
The Flux storyline of series 13 wasn’t perfect by any means, but it managed to deliver some of the strongest standalone episodes in Jodie Whittaker’s entire run as the Doctor, one of those episodes being War of the Sontarans. The Crimean War set episode sees Chris Chibnall having fun with the Sontarans as the main villain of the story in a way we hadn’t seen before in modern Who up to this point.
47. The Christmas Invasion
Christmas specials can be the definition of hit or miss; thankfully, Doctor Who‘s first-ever dive into the territory set the bar relatively high. Though it is a Doctor-lite episode, the initial draw of the titular invasion is gripping enough as it is. When the Doctor does finally get involved during the final act, it showcases all of the boisterous energy and charisma that Tennant would bring to the character in just one single scene.
46. The Doctor’s Wife
Matt Smith’s time as the 11th Doctor brought with it some incredibly strong storytelling and ideas, The Doctor’s Wife being a solid example of this. Having Suranne Jones’s Idris be the literal embodiment of the TARDIS is a unique concept, and it is executed wonderfully here. It’s a weird and wacky episode for sure, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
45. Dot and Bubble
Dot and Bubble surprised a lot of people by being one of the highlights of Ncuti Gatwa’s first series as the Doctor. What starts off as a fairly normal Doctor Who episode very slowly reveals its true intentions as it reaches its final moments. How this episode pulls the rug out from under not just the audience but the Doctor himself is both genius and purposefully infuriating during its gut punch of an ending.
44. Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel
Since the show’s return in 2005, it has found more and more inventive ways of bringing back fan-favourite villains from the classic era. This reintroduction of the Cybermen is a fresh take that also opens up the possibility of parallel universes within the show’s continuity. Its an approach to the villains that works well on its own and serves the main story arc of series 2 brilliantly in the long run.
43. Eve of the Daleks
The inclusion of the Daleks during Jodie Whittaker’s run was fairly underwhelming, to say the least…until this episode came along. Eve of the Daleks goes for a simple, self-contained story whereby the Doctor, Yaz and Dan have to defeat three Daleks whilst also stuck in a time-loop. This special knows what it is and has fun with the time-loop concept, allowing Chibnall to really make the most of the playful nature of the story.
42. The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion
The Zygons have appeared a couple of times during this new incarnation of Doctor Who, but this was the first time they had been given a full storyline of their own. This 2-part story is a great showcase of Peter Harness and Steven Moffat’s writing, presenting constantly gripping moments with tense political undertones.
41. The Haunting of Villa Diodati
When Doctor Who delves into ghostly territory, it can lead to rather spooky results, and The Haunting of Villa Diodati is no exception. This is an episode that deals with a lot of moving parts but manages to blend most of them into a seamless and investing experience whilst finding new ways to play up to the gothic horror setting.
40. Mummy on the Orient Express
Mummy on the Orient Express is a great example of modern Who taking a familiar yet gimmicky premise and subverting expectations. Reworking elements from Agatha Christie’s whodunits and mixing in a paranormal aspect with a race against the clock makes this a truly engaging watch from start to finish.
39. The Unicorn and The Wasp
Series 4 is regarded by many as one of the strongest runs in “New Who”, and rightfully so. However, one episode in that series that often gets overlooked is the marvellously fun The Unicorn and The Wasp. This is an episode that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has an absolute blast with its concept and the historical figure it is set around.
38. Boom
Boom may seem like a devilishly simplistic episode on paper, but in execution, it ended up becoming one of the tensest episodes from the most recent series. Moffat proved that his return to the show was a worthwhile one, as this episode squeezes every ounce of suspense it can from its premise and brings out some of Gatwa’s most powerful acting to date in the process.
37. Father’s Day
Paul Cornell’s Father’s Day is a touching episode that showed what this modern era of Doctor Who was aiming to achieve. It finds a perfect balance of emotional character drama and high concept, sci-fi storytelling that would define this new take on the show. It’s a beautifully straightforward episode that brings out great performances from both Billie Piper and Shaun Dingwall.
36. Village of the Angels
Yet another highlight from the Flux storyline, Village of the Angels saw the Weeping Angels fully return for first time in a few series and really makes the most out of their potential. After several appearances during Matt Smith’s run, the angels were starting to lose their mystique which made them scary in the first place but thankfully this episode alone brings that fear right back by turning them into an unstoppable force that won’t let up.
35. Rogue
Rogue is the type of thing that the most recent series needed after several episodes that tried to experiment heavily with the themes and ideas the show is capable of. Kate Herron and Briony Redman offer up a classic Doctor Who romp with twists and turns around every corner and a gleeful sense of pride with just how playful it becomes.
34. The Fires of Pompeii
This fan favourite episode is a highlight of what is already an incredibly strong series in the show’s current form. The Fires of Pompeii starts off as a typical, historically set caper but really comes into its own during its final moments. This episode sees Donna challenging the Doctor’s rule of meddling with fixed points in time by making one tiny exception. It’s a powerful moment that singlehandedly questions the Doctor’s morality and is what the episode is most fondly remembered for.
33. A Christmas Carol
This Christmas special is viewed by many as one of best festive entries that the show has given us. Featuring great guest performances from both Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins, this episode puts its own Doctor Who spin on the classic Dickens novel and constantly finds inventive ways to keep its ideas fresh and entertaining.
32. School Reunion
School Reunion is another great example of how the modern era embraced elements of the classic series and found ways of integrating them into the new continuity. Sarah Jane Smith is a welcome inclusion here as Elisabeth Sladen slips effortlessly back into the role for this fun and rather campy episode.
31. The Power of the Doctor
Even though Chris Chibnall’s time as showrunner was a rocky one, he certainly ended things on a high note. The Power of the Doctor is the best possible sendoff for the 13th Doctor, as it throws everything at the wall and is as bombastic as finales can get, all while paying homage to the show’s legacy in a very endearing manner.
30. Dark Water/Death in Heaven
After Davies’s attempt at bringing the Master into “New Who” proved fruitful, Moffat decided to go with a different take on the character in the form the flamboyant and cocky Missy. Brought perfectly to life by Michelle Gomez, this interpretation of the classic villain was a breath of fresh air for this series 8 finale, along with an army of Cybermen and one of the darkest storylines of Moffat’s entire run.
29. The Waters of Mars
If the Fires of Pompeii showed the possibilities of the Doctor bending his rules on fixed points in time, then The Waters of Mars shows what the 10th Doctor is capable of when he fully breaks said rule and gets carried away with delusions of grandeur. This suspenseful and dramatic episode acts as a pivotal turning point in the 10th Doctor’s journey before he faces his inevitable regeneration.
28. Face The Raven/Heaven Sent/Hell Bent
This 3-part finale for the 9th series does the unique job of working as a cohesive, connected storyline but also as three well-executed standalone episodes. Face The Raven sets the scene with a chilling, mystery-focused plot, Heaven Sent sees an absolute powerhouse performance from Capaldi as he carries the entire episode on his own and Hell Bent acts as a thoroughly heartfelt resolution to Clara’s time with the Doctor.
27. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone
Many fans thought the Weeping Angels would only work within the confines of an isolated story such as Blink; however, the double whammy of The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone proved those skeptics wrong. These episodes make the angels even scarier than they were before and peels back the layers that made the creatures so intriguing in the first place.
26. Flatline
Flatline is a great standalone episode. Having Clara be the focus after the Doctor gets stuck in a continuously shrinking TARDIS lets the various themes and concepts of this story come to the forefront. This episode is equal parts humorous as it is unsettling, but it balances it all out in a final product that is every part fantastic.
25. Smith and Jones
After the somewhat traumatising ending of series 2, Davies had to somehow keep the momentum going when writing series 3. Thankfully, he hits the ground running with the opening episode, Smith and Jones, where he effortlessly introduces us to the confident new companion Martha Jones and tells a thoroughly entertaining story at the same time.
24. 73 Yards
In the same vein as Midnight, 73 Yards is a chilling episode that takes a single idea and runs with it until it can’t go any further. Davies has stated that this episode may be the greatest thing he’s ever written, and to be honest, it’s not far from it. A brilliant piece of Welsh folk horror that is carried by Millie Gibson’s solo performance.
23. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
Over the years, Steven Moffat has given us many horrific and creepy aliens within the world of Doctor Who, and the Silence may just be his crowning achievement. This America-set opener to series 6 is a mind-bender that amps up the paranoia in a variety of ways, all thanks to those disturbing yet sharply dressed aliens.
22. Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords
This 3-part finale brought the Master back in a truly unforgettable manner. From the intrigue of Utopia to the constantly rising stakes of The Sound of Drums and the satisfying payoff of Last of the Time Lords, this story has a bit of everything and is heightened even more by John Simm’s chaotic portrayal of the iconic villain.
21. Amy’s Choice
Written by Simon Nye, Amy’s Choice is once again another highlight of modern era Doctor Who, using its platform to tell bold, high-concept sci-fi stories. The constant back and forth between the two proposed realities leaves you questioning what is real just as much as the Doctor, Rory, and Amy do throughout the episode. All of which is strengthened by a growing sense of paranoia and a great turn from Toby Jones as the Dream Lord.
20. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
When Davies originally oversaw Doctor Who, Moffat was responsible for some of the scariest and most impactful episodes of that era, and nowhere is this more evident than with his first contribution to the show, The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances. The image of a lonely child in a gas mask asking for his mummy became the stuff of nightmares for children back in 2005, and that ability to turn seemingly unsuspecting things into terrifying entities is something Moffat continued to explore when he became showrunner in 2010.
19. The Angels Take Manhattan
This single episode is one I don’t think most fans have forgiven Moffat for, even now. This showdown between the 11th Doctor and the Weeping Angels is relentless and heartbreaking. Just when you think the group are safe, the angels find new ways to get ahead of them, leading to one of the most sudden and impactful departures of a companion in the show’s current run.
18. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit
Occasionally, the Doctor will come across something they literally can’t explain or justify. Whenever this happens, it adds an urgent level of danger to the proceedings as you know just as little information as they do, and you genuinely don’t know whether they will survive this encounter. The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit succeed in doing this as they are arguably two of the darkest episodes to come from modern Who and it’s all the more memorable for it.
17. Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways
The first series finale of modern Who and one that still holds its own to this day. Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways established how epic Doctor Who could get in its scale and was the first of many showcases of Davies perfectly raising the stakes in every conceivable manner. This 2-parter also acts as a very fitting farewell to Christopher Eccleston’s time as the 9th Doctor. Though his tenure was short-lived, he managed to perfectly set the stage for every actor who followed in his footsteps.
16. The End of Time
Acting as a grand sendoff to Tennant and Davies’s time on the show, The End of Time is the best possible farewell we could have gotten from them both. Bringing back John Simm’s Master in glorious fashion, this epic 2-part goodbye goes for the jugular at every opportunity as it wraps up that era of the show with a nice, neat bow.
15. Wild Blue Yonder
Bizarre, frightening and intense are all words that best describe Wild Blue Yonder, the second of three standalone episodes celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary. This episode takes the fear of the unknown and runs with it, making for a truly tense experience. Both Tennant and Tate play brilliantly off of each other but also work just as well as the core threat of the self-contained story. A fantastically written episode that you won’t forget any time soon.
14. The Girl in the Fireplace
The Girl in the Fireplace is one of those rare episodes that is universally loved by fans old and new. As a singular piece of sci-fi storytelling and as an engaging Doctor Who adventure, it succeeds in all of those areas and then some. Plus, as touching as the central story may be, we can all agree that the Clockwork Robots make for an unsettling one-off villain.
13. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
Moffat had some big shoes to fill when it came to executing his series finales; thankfully, he knocked it out of the park on his first attempt. This 2-part finale brings all of the loose threads of series 5 together in one narratively complex yet wholly satisfying story. The Pandorica Opens raises the stakes to an all-time high and includes one of Smith’s best speeches as the Doctor while The Big Bang ties everything up as confidently as it can.
12. The Giggle
If Wild Blue Yonder was Davies using the 60th anniversary to celebrate the way this modern era thrives with high-concept ideas, then The Giggle is Davies doing what he does best and delivering bold and chaotic spectacle whilst bringing back the somewhat controversial Toymaker into the fold from the depths of the classic series. It’s an episode that rattles through like a freight train letting Neil Patrick Harris take this iconic villain and make it his own.
11. Dalek
If you’re going to reintroduce one of sci-fi’s most memorable aliens to the masses, then there’s possibly no better way to do so than what Robert Shearman did with the series 1 masterpiece, Dalek. This episode is a showcase of how unstoppable of a threat the Daleks can be, as well as bringing out a level of pure anger and hatred from the 9th Doctor that we had not seen up to this point.
10. The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End
Some may call this series 4 finale cheesy or fan-service, but as a satisfying and bombastic bookend to everything the original Russell T Davies era had given us, it is genuinely great. The Daleks are arguably at their most threatening here, and seeing all of the companions up to this point working together to stop them is something that still puts a stupid grin on fans’ faces 17 years after it first aired.
9. World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls
Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor definitely went through a lot of trauma during his run in the TARDIS, but nothing was more devastating than this encounter with the Mondasian Cyberman and not one, but two Masters. This heartbreaking finale to series 10 is one that will truly leave you shocked and emotionally drained by the end.
8. Blink
Blink is one of the few episodes from modern Who that became an instant classic as soon as it aired. Despite it being a Doctor-lite story, Moffat still manages to weave his masterfully complex web into this genuinely remarkable episode, creating one of the most iconic and terrifying creatures of “New Who” in the form of the Weeping Angels.
7. The Eleventh Hour
More often than not, post-regeneration stories can be a bit underwhelming and tend to resort in the new companions taking the lead while the Doctor rests. The Eleventh Hour doesn’t do this and instead allows Smith to come leaping out of the gate showing what he is capable of. It’s an entertaining episode that ticks all the usual Doctor Who boxes while injecting its own personality into the mix to make it stand out from the Eccleston/Tennant era that came before.
6. Human Nature/The Family of Blood
Where does one begin with this phenomenal 2-parter from series 3. Martha really stands her ground during this story, taking on a lot responsibilities other companions haven’t had to deal with before. The Family of Blood themselves are a genuinely unnerving presence as they become more intimidating throughout the story, giving John Smith (the Doctor’s human alter ego) nowhere else to run. This story is commonly regarded as one of the best “New Who” has to offer and it deservedly earns that title because it is simply just that good.
5. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
Russell T Davies always knows how to ramp up the stakes for his series finales and nowhere is this better exemplified than with the series 2 closing story, Army of Ghosts and Doomsday. Whereas series 1 ended with an entire armada of Daleks, series 2 chooses to give fans what they’ve always wanted to see in the form of Daleks fighting Cybermen. However, all of that is merely the backdrop to what is still, to this day, one of the most emotionally raw endings to any series of Doctor Who.
4. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Before he became showrunner in series 5, Moffat was laying the groundwork for his ideas early on and the clearest example of that his here in this chilling 2-parter. This story is a masterclass of Moffat’s complex storytelling and turning relatively mundane things into terrifying creatures, done with shadows thanks to the creatures known as the Vashta Nerada. This story also introduces us to fan favourite character River Song who leaves a lasting impact from the moment she first appears on screen.
3. Vincent and the Doctor
This Richard Curtis penned episode is commonly sighted as one of the best entries in modern Who, and rightfully so. Vincent and the Doctor is less about the monster causing problems and is more focused on Vincent Van Gogh as a person, which is something that episodes about historical figures occasionally forget to do. It highlights the lasting impact of depression in an incredibly moving and poignant way that will leave you a sobbing mess during its closing moments.
2. Midnight
Midnight is one of Russell T Davies’s finest contributions to the show when it comes to writing. A bottle episode that leaves you with more questions than answers, a palpable sense of tension that escalates to a ridiculously high degree and an unknown entity that uses the 10th Doctor’s greatest strength against him…his ability to talk himself out of a situation. All of this is heightened by an ensemble of stellar performances and superb direction from Alice Troughton that is as tight as it can get.
1. The Day of the Doctor
To celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary, Moffat came out of the gate swinging with this feature-length, multi-Doctor extravaganza. The Day of the Doctor is a fantastic celebration of the show’s current form and its legacy, bringing together loose threads that have been in place since its revival in 2005. It utilises everything that works about the current era into one cohesive and fulfilling package that honours the history and future of Doctor Who in as joyous a way as possible.
All of these episodes and more are available to watch on BBC iPlayer. The brand new series of Doctor Who will be available to watch on both BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday, 12th April in the UK and on Disney+ internationally.
