This time we’re going way back.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 episodes
of the classic “Doctor Who” series.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the best stories and serials from the first run of
this long-running British series.
We’ll be discussing key plot points here, so a SPOILER ALERT is
in order.
Without further ado, let’s dematerialize and head into the time vortex.
This four-part serial sees the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane encountering arguably one of
the most powerful enemies the Doctor has ever confronted: the god-like Sutekh the Destroyer.
Imprisoned beneath a pyramid, Sutekh is given the opportunity to break free.
He possesses an archaeologist and uses robot mummies to launch a rocket to destroy the
Martian pyramid keeping him in bondage.
Sutekh manages to be incredibly intimidating even when he’s not physically there, in
large part due to his sinister voice and potent mental abilities, the latter of which he uses
to dominate even the Doctor’s mind!
With its gothic atmosphere and unforgettable villain, “Pyramids of Mars” will have
you “kneeling before the might of Sutekh.”
A vampiric species attacking a British military
base during World War II may sound like a pretty standard setup for a “Doctor Who”
story, but this four-part outing for the Seventh Doctor features an even greater threat lurking
beneath the surface.
Fenric, an ancient baddy, is responsible for the vampires, and we discover that he’s
been engaged in a long running proverbial – and literal – chess match with the Doctor.
“The Curse of Fenric” is also notable for the relatively uncommon focus given to
the companion, Ace.
Over the course of the story, she must confront her unresolved hatred for her mother, whom
she saves as an infant.
In addition, the Doctor is forced to devastate Ace by telling her the truth, creating some
heartbreaking drama.
One of the things “Doctor Who” does exceptionally well is it takes other genres and puts a sci-fi
spin on them.
In this case, in a plot reminiscent of a mummy monster movie, a group of archaeologists seeks
out a hidden vault of Cybermen on Telos, with the Second Doctor inviting himself along once
he hears them mention his old foes.
Along with the expected traps and treachery, “The Tomb of the Cybermen” features some
memorable elements, like the Cybermen bursting from their tombs, as well as its quirky, grandiose
soundtrack.
Add in a few excellent character moments for the Doctor and his companions, and it’s
no mystery why this one’s a classic of classic “Who.”
During the Third Doctor’s banishment to Earth, he’s called on to confer on a drilling
project run by an arrogant professor.
When his efforts to exercise caution are ignored, despite several deaths and the mutation of
multiple men, the Doctor turns to his own experiments, which inadvertently send him
to a parallel Earth.
In this world, which is run as a totalitarian state, the project is slightly ahead of that
in his native dimension, a fact that allows him to see its disastrous, fiery consequences.
The seven-part serial “Inferno” showcases the Third Doctor’s hands-on attitude, as
well as his era’s theme of science run amok, in a “Nineteen Eighty-Four”-like storyline.
In this beloved serial, the Fourth Doctor and his friends arrive on a space station
where humans have slept in stasis.
However, the crew and their precious cargo are terrorized by aggressive, parasitic creatures:
the Wirrn.
If you’re thinking that sounds like a “Doctor Who” version of “Alien,” then you’ve
got it backwards: this came first.
Though its effects haven’t aged well – particularly that green bubble wrap – the serial’s
iconic set, monster, and clever script have made it a favorite of “Doctor Who” fans.
“The Ark in Space” also has the Doctor’s admiration for humanity on full display, and
when we see things through his eyes, it’s hard not to share his appreciation.
The Fifth Doctor and his companions land themselves in the middle of a plot by the Cybermen to
assassinate the leaders of an alliance by destroying Earth, first with a bomb and then
with a space-freighter set to impact Earth.
“Earthshock” is a fine story, even echoing “The Tomb of the Cybermen,” but what truly
elevates it is its ending.
The Doctor’s young friend Adric stays behind on the freighter, trying to regain control
as it crashes into prehistoric Earth.
Being the Doctor’s companion has proven to be a trying and dangerous task, and while
Adric is not the most popular of characters, there’s no denying that his death packs
a punch.
The Second Doctor and his friends find themselves amid warring soldiers from different points
in Earth’s history, and come up against the manipulative War Lord and the villainous
Time Lord, the War Chief.
The Doctor isn’t able to reverse all the damage on his own, so he’s forced to call
on his race for help.
At a whopping ten episodes long, and over four hours in length, this serial can be a
daunting prospect for viewers new to classic “Doctor Who.”
However, “The War Games” includes many important milestones in the show’s history,
being the last story broadcast in black-and-white, Patrick Troughton’s swansong as the Doctor,
and the first appearance of the Time Lords.
What does the “Mona Lisa” have to do with the birth of life on Earth?
Everything, as it happens.
The Fourth Doctor and his Time Lady friend Romana’s trip to Paris is interrupted when
they stumble upon a plot by a time-fractured alien named Scaroth . His plan?
To sell multiple copies of the “Mona Lisa” that he grabbed from several different dimensions,
and use the resulting funds to research time travel.
Ultimately, Scaroth hopes to travel back to the explosion that destroyed his ship, the
last of his race, splintered him in time, and also jump-started human evolution in primordial
times.
Containing witty dialogue, on-location action in Paris, and a plot as brilliantly convoluted
as the Doctor himself, “City of Death” is an absolute treat.
From the moment the Fifth Doctor and Peri land on Androzani Minor, the pair is embroiled
in a conflict involving gunrunners, androids, corrupt officials, and Sharaz Jek, a reclusive
villain straight out of “Phantom of the Opera.”
All sides are fighting over spectrox, a drug that can make one live longer.
Unfortunately, the Doctor and Peri are exposed to the drug in its raw form, which means the
deadly toxin is slowly killing them.
The Doctor is pushed to his absolute limit in his selfless struggle to save Peri’s
life, before he ultimately regenerates.
“The Caves of Androzani” is unusual, since nearly every character is either in a moral
gray area or outright evil.
However, all this does is show us how heroic the Doctor truly is.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
While this choice should come as no surprise, let’s lay out what makes “Genesis of the
Daleks” so good.
The Fourth Doctor is tasked by the Time Lords with averting the Daleks’ rise to power
on the day of their creation.
To do so, the Doctor and company must navigate a warzone and contend with the Daleks’ maniacal
creator, Davros.
Though the six-part serial is by no means perfect – did you SEE those killer clams?
– the story offers a gripping depiction of the Doctor wrestling with the idea of committing
genocide against his worst enemies.
Additionally, the revived series’ former showrunner Russell T. Davies has called these
events the commencement of the Time War, which also makes “Genesis” an important link
between classic and current “Doctor Who.”