Top 10 ‘Doctor Who’ episodes

Doctor Who is an iconic sci-fi show that focuses on a time-traveling alien, a Time Lord known as the Doctor who often defends Earth along with his trusted companion(s). The list below is some of the greatest episodes from the continuation of Doctor Who that began in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. The list focuses on the six complete seasons only, ignoring the current 7th season (as it is not complete) and the specials.

10. "The Empty Child"/ "The Doctor Dances" season 1, episodes 9 and 10, aired in May 2005.
The two-part story from season 1 made gas masks even creepier and introduced the audience to Captain Jack Harkness. Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor arrive in the London Blitz during WWII and discover a scary child in a gas mask who is always calling for his mother. The episodes won the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

9. “The Eleventh Hour” season 5, episode 1, aired in April 2010.
The episode introduces Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams. The Doctor must get used to his new body and find an escaped shape-shifting alien prisoner to save the planet.

8. “Army of Ghosts”/“Doomsday” season 2, episodes 12 and 13, aired in July 2006.
The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler fight to save the world from two of the biggest Doctor Who enemies: The Daleks and the Cybermen. The episodes were nominated for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

7. “Midnight” season 4, episode 10, aired in June 2008.
“Midnight” is perhaps one of the most frightening Doctor Who episodes. The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble visit the planet Midnight and the Doctor decides to go on a tour via shuttle, but the shuttle breaks down.

6. "Human Nature”/“The Family of Blood” season 3, episodes 8 and 9, aired in May, June 2007.
The Tenth Doctor decides to become human for a while to hide from a family of aliens who are after him and Martha Jones. He locks his memories away and becomes John Smith in 1913. David Tennant shines in his dual role, as does Freema Agyeman (Martha) who has to hide her true identity and work as a maid. Tennant won the Constellation Award for Best Male Performance in a 2007 Science Fiction Television Episode for the episode.

5. "The Impossible Astronaut"/ "Day of the Moon" season 6, episodes 1 and 2, aired in April 2011.
The two-part story introduces the audience to the scary aliens, the Silence, the Doctor’s “death,” and hints at various things to come. The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, and River Song travel to 1969 America, meet President Richard Nixon and are helped by Canton Delaware (played by the amazing Mark Sheppard).

4. “The Stolen Earth”/“Journey's End" season 4, episodes 12 and 13, aired in June, July 2008.
This two-part story brings together all the Tenth Doctor’s companions to fight against the Daleks. It’s also a crossover episode as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures cast are featured. The story is imaginative and a moving ending to the season.

3. “Vincent and the Doctor” season 5, episode 10, aired in June 2010.
The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh after they notice a strange figure in one of his paintings. While the alien threat is not very scary, the episode is brilliantly acted by Tony Curran as Van Gogh. The episode was nominated for the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

2. “The Doctor’s Wife” season 6, episode 4, aired in May 2011.
Neil Gaiman’s first Doctor Who episode is beautifully done. Amy, Rory, and the Doctor travel to a place outside the universe after they receive a distress call. By putting the Doctor’s beloved TARDIS in the human form of Idris, the two are finally able to communicate. The episode was widely liked and won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) and the 2011 Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation.

1. “Blink” season 3, episode 10, aired in June 2007.
For an episode that barely features the Tenth Doctor or companion Martha Jones, “Blink” is brilliant and engaging. Sally Sparrow (played by the talented Carey Mulligan) is a delightfully curious young woman who helps save the world from a new threat, the Weeping Angels. The introduction of the Weeping Angels is one of writer Steven Moffat’s finest moments in the series. The episode has won multiple awards and polls, including the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.