Top 10 Best Doctor Who Stories Of The Russell T. Davies Era
When Doctor Who was revived back in 2005, it was with writer Russell T. Davies running the show. And, frankly, it was some of the best television I had ever watched. I'd never really been into much sci-fi, and I'd never watched any of the classic series, but with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, I was drawn to it. I felt like I'd finally been invited into the world of science fiction geekism. And I was very comfortable there.
The writing of Russell T. Davies was astonishing. For its aptitude, its self-deprecation, its emotion and its wit, Doctor Who became one of the best television shows on air. Sadly, when his last episode aired in 2010, I felt that the show changed. I'm not saying Steven Moffat is terrible, but I certainly don't feel the same affection for the show as I once did.
So, below is a list of what I consider the ten greatest Doctor Who stories told under Davies' reign, from 2005 until 2010. To clarify, they don't necessarily need to have been written by Davies himself, but they need to have aired while he was showrunner. I have also counted two/three-parters as one story, earning them one place on this list.
Finally, a spoiler alert is in effect from hereon in.
The writing of Russell T. Davies was astonishing. For its aptitude, its self-deprecation, its emotion and its wit, Doctor Who became one of the best television shows on air. Sadly, when his last episode aired in 2010, I felt that the show changed. I'm not saying Steven Moffat is terrible, but I certainly don't feel the same affection for the show as I once did.
So, below is a list of what I consider the ten greatest Doctor Who stories told under Davies' reign, from 2005 until 2010. To clarify, they don't necessarily need to have been written by Davies himself, but they need to have aired while he was showrunner. I have also counted two/three-parters as one story, earning them one place on this list.
Finally, a spoiler alert is in effect from hereon in.
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- DirectorGraeme HarperStarsDavid TennantBillie PiperCamille CoduriEarth becomes a battleground for the Daleks and the Cybermen. With the whole planet at stake and the Genesis Ark activated, how much will the Doctor sacrifice in order to end the war?Doomsday is, without question, the tensest, most emotionally-charged and exciting episode of Doctor Who, and simply one of the best science-fiction television episodes of all time.
Sticking two fingers up at convention, Davies chose to have two of the Doctor's most famous adversaries pitted against each other in a battle so epic, it could have made millions at the box office had it been released in cinemas. The initial exchange between the Daleks and the Cybermen is one of the most comical, most clever and, frankly, most fabulously bitchy face-offs ever committed to film. The two enemies create some fantastic moments, while the peril faced by the humans (and Time Lord) caught in the middle is never sniffed at.
Sadly, that peril costs our protagonists dearly. Rose's clinging for dear life is guaranteed to leave your heart in your mouth, and her ultimate fate is about the saddest departure of any TV character.
So brilliantly written and executed is this season two finale, with also a nod to the powerful music of Murray Gold, that it earns itself a place in my books as one of the greatest episodes of television ever. - DirectorAlice TroughtonStarsDavid TennantCatherine TateBillie PiperAs part of a well-deserved holiday, the Doctor takes a tour on a planet called Midnight. Little does he know that something is knocking on the walls, although the planet shouldn't be inhabited. Soon the passengers begin to panic when one of them is possessed.Similarly to #3 on this list, Midnight displayed that the Doctor can work perfectly fine onscreen without his companion - although his ego may be more offensive to a group of frightened, volatile humans unfamiliar with his devil-may-care attitude.
We see the Doctor enjoying a trip aboard a tourist vessel to traverse the diamond-made planet known as Midnight, until the vessel comes to a shuddering halt, and one of the passengers becomes possessed by an unseen, unnamed, malevolent entity.
Midnight could have worked well as a feature-length horror film, or even a (meticulously rehearsed) stage-play. It is a stripped-back character study that creates tension through cleverly written dialogue, a vulnerable setting and outstanding performances from its ensemble cast - including Tennant, Colin Morgan, Rakie Ayola and, most of all, Lesley Sharp and her scary nose.
Take away the CGI, the crowds of aliens, the endless corridors to dash through...and you've got yourself one hell of a scary story. - DirectorGraeme HarperStarsDavid TennantCatherine TateBillie PiperWhat would happen if Donna never met the Doctor? How would Earth handle the Racnoss, the falling Titanic or the Sontarans? Aided by a familiar blonde time traveler, Donna corrects the alternate time line from happening.To anybody that ever doubted Catherine Tate's acting abilities, or her right to her status as a companion, or that she could hold a DW story almost entirely on her own, I simply say this: Watch this episode, and shut the hell up.
Alternate reality stories in science fiction are always fascinating and usually fun. While Turn Left is certainly fascinating, it is instead a bleak, harrowing and dark vision of life without the Doctor. As Earth succumbs to one alien invasion after another and the human race is pushed to the brink, so too is Donna Noble, who struggles to keep her family together and her hopes alive.
Tate's performance is complex. She displays aspects of the brazen Donna we met in her original appearance before meeting the Doctor, in addition to the courageous and attentive character she became after. However, her self-doubt and hopelessness are what shine through here, as the harsh world she now inhabits destroys her life.
An intense and emotional episode, it is one of the most artful episodes to date and, quite possibly, the most disturbing. - DirectorJoe AhearneStarsChristopher EcclestonBillie PiperCamille CoduriRose asks The Doctor to take her to 1987, on the day her father was killed.Again, it was one of the first episodes I saw of the show. I caught a repeat on UK Gold, and I was amazed to see a sci-fi programme with not only brains, but a big, big heart.
Rose's ill-advised trip to the day her father died culminates in her saving his life, changing history for the worse. The event summons creatures that feed on humanity, leaving our protagonists as some of the last remaining humans alive.
Placing the spotlight firmly on Rose, and her relationship with her parents and the Doctor, it is an elaborate and tragic story that portrays all aspects of loss, grief and catharsis. Although it appears that, sadly, Pete Tyler's fate is sealed, the few additional hours he gets to spend with his wife and daughter are a beautiful thing, and I challenge any viewer not to be moved by it. - DirectorGraeme HarperStarsDavid TennantLindsay DuncanPeter O'BrienIn a Mars base the inhabitants are being infected by a mysterious water creature which takes over its victims. The Doctor is thrust into the middle of this catastrophe knowing a larger one is waiting around the corner.Is my affection for anything related to zombie fiction becoming a factor in making this list? More than likely. But when it's as brilliantly and terrifyingly done as this, how could I resist?
The Doctor's solo venture to the first human colonists on Mars soon descends into chaos, as a water-borne virus begins to take hold of the crew, transforming them into the monstrous creatures that you see pictured above. The Doctor begins to bend his own rules, poking his curious nose and taste for adventure in where it just doesn't belong. He battles not only with the strange, strange creatures on the barren planet, but also with the strong-willed crew headed by the intimidating Lindsay Duncan.
With all of the scary events that occur on Mars, it is in fact the final scene set on Earth that proves scariest of all, as the Doctor's hubris finally takes the better of him. The fate of Duncan's character has to be the most sombre in Who history. - DirectorHettie MacdonaldStarsDavid TennantFreema AgyemanCarey MulliganSally Sparrow receives a cryptic message from the Doctor about a mysterious new enemy species that is after the TARDIS.An all-time favourite amongst Whovians, Moffat again provides a deeply chilling story that centres on the Weeping Angels, sentient statues that are only able to move when they are not being observed. Starring a then up-and-coming Carey Mulligan, she attempts to solve the mystery of her friend's disappearance in an old, abandoned house inhabited only by said statues.
With only fleeting appearances by the Doctor and companion Martha, Blink succeeds where the previous "Doctor-lite" episode Love and Monsters did not, in that it gives us not only a thrilling story, but a set of deep, likeable and interesting characters to accompany through the terror. - DirectorColin TeagueGraeme HarperStarsDavid TennantFreema AgyemanJohn BarrowmanIt's been a year since The Master unleashed the mysterious Toclafane onto Earth. With the human race and The Doctor enslaved under The Master's control, Martha Jones is the only person that can help stop the evil Time Lord.A very powerful and epic trilogy of a story, the season three finale concluded what was a fairly average season in strong form, focusing on the plight of Martha Jones as she, the Doctor, Captain Jack and the human race itself face unimaginable danger.
The Master returns to power (played exquisitely by John Simm and the wonderful Derek Jacobi) and raises the stakes higher than they have ever been. It needs all three episodes to cover the scope of the huge story and, as you would expect from this kind of Doctor Who finale, it is utterly heart-breaking, and the final scenes of the episodes will be sure to jerk tears. - DirectorCharlie PalmerStarsDavid TennantFreema AgyemanJessica HynesThe Doctor must deal with the repercussions of his decision to become human, as The Family Of Blood unveil themselves...If you can tear yourself away from Harry Lloyd's formidable stare long enough to read this post, you may agree that the story of the Doctor and Martha's flight from the ruthless Family of Blood is one of the best stories.
The reasons I've picked it are many. Its harsh criticism of war is readily apparent, and it's hard not to break down as we watch a crowd of petrified schoolchildren take arms and prepare for battle. In addition, it further continues Martha's struggle against the prejudiced attitudes of the past, as she simultaneously fights racism, sexism and evil aliens.
But more than anything, the two-parter showcases the true acting talent of David Tennant, playing a human alternate of the Doctor. His performance, along with the terrific script, cast more doubt on the morality of the titular Time Lord, and the devastation he leaves in his wake. - DirectorJames HawesStarsChristopher EcclestonBillie PiperKate HarveyWhen a spaceship crashes in the middle of the London Blitz the Doctor, Rose and the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness find themselves investigating a plague of physical injuries and a little boy in a gas mask.Only Steven Moffat, writer of this two-parter, could set a story in London at the height of the Blitz and have it feature a horde of gas-mask wearing zombies spreading their physical injuries as plague. It was one of the first episodes of the revived series I ever saw, and I can remember thinking how ingeniously written it was.
It is notable for being the first story in its over forty-year history to feature an openly LGBT character in the form of Captain Jack Harkness. It also delves deeper into the relationship between the Doctor and his companion Rose, while also featuring a great dramatic turn from Richard Wilson. It's chilling, emotive and bloody smart.
Are you my mummy? - DirectorColin TeagueStarsDavid TennantCatherine TatePhil CornwellInstead of Rome, The Doctor and Donna Noble end up visiting Pompeii in AD 79, on the eve of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Before anyone even knew it was actually a volcano, the entire city is doomed for destruction.Donna Noble's first real outing in the Tardis gives her the opportunity to show why she is one of the best companions of the entire series. While others spent much of their time fawning over the Doctor, agreeing with his every word, Donna does no such thing. She stands up for herself, accepts no nonsense, and gives the Doctor a well-deserved kick up the behind when he needs it.
The episode's final act is harrowing, and both David Tennant and Catherine Tate give powerhouse performances as they battle each other over the fate of the city of Pompeii.