Show cover for Doctor Who

The Best Episodes of Doctor Who

Every episode of Doctor Who ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Doctor Who!

The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship....
Genres:DramaAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy

Best Episodes Summary

"The War Games (10)" is the best rated episode of "Doctor Who". It scored 9.1/10 based on 728 votes. Directed by David Maloney and written by N/A, it aired on 6/21/1969. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Genesis of the Daleks (6)".

  • The War Games (10)
    9.1/10728 votes
    Loading...

    #1 - The War Games (10)

    Season 6 Episode 44 - Aired 6/21/1969

    The TARDIS is drawn to the planet of the Time Lords where both the Doctor and the War Lord are placed on trial.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: N/A

  • Genesis of the Daleks (6)
    9.1/101,054 votes
    Loading...

    #2 - Genesis of the Daleks (6)

    Season 12 Episode 16 - Aired 4/12/1975

    Gharman tries to convince the Kaleds to vote against the Dalek project but Davros has a trick up his sleeve, while the Doctor works to destroy the tape recording of Dalek victory and the Thals plan an intervention of their own.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • Genesis of the Daleks (1)
    9.0/101,220 votes
    Loading...

    #3 - Genesis of the Daleks (1)

    Season 12 Episode 11 - Aired 3/8/1975

    The planet Skaro, the distant past. The Time Lords divert the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry to this war-torn world, and give the Doctor a mission: the evil of the Daleks is about to be born here, and the Doctor is to try to ensure they evolve into less lethally aggressive beings - or, failing that, to avert their creation altogether. But has even the Doctor the right to commit genocide?

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • Genesis of the Daleks (4)
    8.9/10939 votes
    Loading...

    #4 - Genesis of the Daleks (4)

    Season 12 Episode 14 - Aired 3/29/1975

    The Doctor fails to prevent the Thals from destroying the Kaled city but they don't have long to enjoy their victory before the Daleks attack.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • Genesis of the Daleks (5)
    8.9/10959 votes
    Loading...

    #5 - Genesis of the Daleks (5)

    Season 12 Episode 15 - Aired 4/5/1975

    The Doctor is forced to give Davros full details of future Dalek victories but opposition to Davros' plans is growing among the Kaleds and soon there is open rebellion.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • City of Death (4)
    8.9/10776 votes
    Loading...

    #6 - City of Death (4)

    Season 17 Episode 8 - Aired 10/20/1979

    Scaroth is determined to go back 400 million years in time to prevent a mistake. But the Doctor must stop him – because the consequences would be disastrous.

    Director: Michael Hayes

    Writer: Douglas Adams, Graham Williams, David Fisher

  • Genesis of the Daleks (2)
    8.8/10959 votes
    Loading...

    #7 - Genesis of the Daleks (2)

    Season 12 Episode 12 - Aired 3/15/1975

    The Doctor and Harry are taken to the Kaled bunker where Davros is preparing to demonstrate the Daleks, while Sarah Jane is captured by the Thals and taken to their city as a slave worker.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • City of Death (2)
    8.8/10761 votes
    Loading...

    #8 - City of Death (2)

    Season 17 Episode 6 - Aired 10/6/1979

    Captured by the Count, the Doctor and Romana uncover an elaborate plan to steal the Mona Lisa. But there is more to Scarlioni's plans than a simple theft.

    Director: Michael Hayes

    Writer: Douglas Adams, Graham Williams, David Fisher

  • The Caves of Androzani (4)
    8.8/10766 votes
    Loading...

    #9 - The Caves of Androzani (4)

    Season 21 Episode 20 - Aired 3/16/1984

    Events on Androzani reach a bloody climax. Will the Doctor and Peri survive the carnage? And at what cost?

    Director: Graeme Harper

    Writer: Robert Holmes

  • The War Games (9)
    8.7/10614 votes
    Loading...

    #10 - The War Games (9)

    Season 6 Episode 43 - Aired 6/14/1969

    To prove his loyalty to the Aliens, the Doctor is ordered to reprocess his friends while the Security Chief finally uncovers evidence of the War Chief's treachery.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: N/A

  • Genesis of the Daleks (3)
    8.7/10944 votes
    Loading...

    #11 - Genesis of the Daleks (3)

    Season 12 Episode 13 - Aired 3/22/1975

    The Doctor and Harry head to the Kaled city to alert the authorities to Davros' plans while Sarah Jane and Sevrin are forced to work on the completion of the Thals' rocket.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Terry Nation

  • City of Death (1)
    8.7/10882 votes
    Loading...

    #12 - City of Death (1)

    Season 17 Episode 5 - Aired 9/29/1979

    Paris, 1979. The Doctor and Romana are here on holiday, but something is disturbing the flow of time. Could the time travel experiments of Count Scarlioni be to blame?

    Director: Michael Hayes

    Writer: Douglas Adams, Graham Williams, David Fisher

  • City of Death (3)
    8.7/10739 votes
    Loading...

    #13 - City of Death (3)

    Season 17 Episode 7 - Aired 10/13/1979

    The Doctor and Romana unwrap an intricate plot involving aliens, time travel and the Mona Lisa. How is Count Scarlioni living in two times at once? And what does he want?

    Director: Michael Hayes

    Writer: Douglas Adams, Graham Williams, David Fisher

  • The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1)
    8.6/10861 votes
    Loading...

    #14 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1)

    Season 14 Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/1977

    London, the 1890s. As magician Li H'Sen Chang captivates audiences, a spate of disappearances amongst young women goes largely unnoticed. But almost upon their arrival, the Doctor and Leela find themselves confronting the feared Tong of the Black Scorpion, and a menace from another time. And there's something fishy in the sewers, too...

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Robert Holmes

  • Earthshock (4)
    8.6/10687 votes
    Loading...

    #15 - Earthshock (4)

    Season 19 Episode 22 - Aired 3/16/1982

    The Doctor realises the freighter is now a huge bomb and sends it back through time where it can explode millions of years ago... but Adric is still aboard...

    Director: Peter Grimwade

    Writer: Eric Saward

  • The Caves of Androzani (3)
    8.6/10686 votes
    Loading...

    #16 - The Caves of Androzani (3)

    Season 21 Episode 19 - Aired 3/15/1984

    The situation on Androzani Minor is building toward a violent confrontation, and the Doctor and Peri are slowly succumbing to spectrox toxemia.

    Director: Graeme Harper

    Writer: Robert Holmes

  • Pyramids of Mars (4)
    8.5/10835 votes
    Loading...

    #17 - Pyramids of Mars (4)

    Season 13 Episode 12 - Aired 11/15/1975

    Sutekh forces the Doctor to transport Scarman and a mummy to Mars, where the Doctor and Sarah try to stop them destroying the Eye of Horus.

    Director: Paddy Russell

    Writer: Robert Holmes, Lewis Greifer

  • The Seeds of Doom (1)
    8.5/10714 votes
    Loading...

    #18 - The Seeds of Doom (1)

    Season 13 Episode 21 - Aired 1/31/1976

    The Antarctic, the near future. A strange seed-pod is unearthed from 20-thousand-year-old ice. The Doctor and Sarah go to investigate, but are too late to prevent the pod infecting a scientist and unleashing a threat to all animal life on Earth...

    Director: Douglas Camfield

    Writer: Robert Banks Stewart

  • The Seeds of Doom (2)
    8.5/10599 votes
    Loading...

    #19 - The Seeds of Doom (2)

    Season 13 Episode 22 - Aired 2/7/1976

    Two employees of the millionaire Harrison Chase arrive at the Antarctic base, and they will stop at nothing to get hold of the second seed-pod.

    Director: Douglas Camfield

    Writer: Robert Banks Stewart

  • The Seeds of Doom (6)
    8.5/10605 votes
    Loading...

    #20 - The Seeds of Doom (6)

    Season 13 Episode 26 - Aired 3/6/1976

    The Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Scorby are trapped in the manor as a possessed Chase stalks them from within, while the gigantic Krynoid prepares to crush them from without. Worse, the alien plant is ready to germinate, spreading its seeds across England.

    Director: Douglas Camfield

    Writer: Robert Banks Stewart

  • The Talons of Weng-Chiang (4)
    8.5/10673 votes
    Loading...

    #21 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang (4)

    Season 14 Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/1977

    The Doctor and Leela attend Li H'Sen Chang's performance, hoping to confront the magician. But his master Weng-Chiang has other plans…

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Robert Holmes

  • The Talons of Weng-Chiang (6)
    8.5/10686 votes
    Loading...

    #22 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang (6)

    Season 14 Episode 26 - Aired 4/2/1977

    The Doctor and Weng-Chiang have their final confrontation in the mysterious House of the Dragon -- watched by the evil duplicitous Mr. Sin.

    Director: David Maloney

    Writer: Robert Holmes

  • Remembrance of the Daleks (4)
    8.5/10703 votes
    Loading...

    #23 - Remembrance of the Daleks (4)

    Season 25 Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/1988

    The Omega device is in jeopardy. A giant Dalek warship hangs above the Earth. London has become a battleground for ruthless alien intelligences.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Destruction of Time
    8.4/10472 votes
    Loading...

    #24 - Destruction of Time

    Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 1/29/1966

    With the Daleks poised to invade the solar system, the Doctor decides his only option is to activate the Time Destructor prematurely, threatening the entire planet.

    Director: Douglas Camfield

    Writer: Dennis Spooner

  • The Evil of the Daleks (7)
    8.4/10472 votes
    Loading...

    #25 - The Evil of the Daleks (7)

    Season 4 Episode 43 - Aired 7/1/1967

    The Daleks are poised to spread the Dalek Factor throughout the history of Earth and begin by implanting the Doctor.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: David Whitaker