The Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 3
Every episode of Doctor Who Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 3!
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. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.
Season 3 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Doctor Who" season 3 is "Four Hundred Dawns", rated 6.4/10 from 508 user votes. It was directed by Charles Palmer and written by William Emms. "Four Hundred Dawns" aired on 9/11/1965 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Trap of Steel".
6.4/10 508 votes#1 - Four Hundred Dawns
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1965
After an encounter with a hostile robot called a Chumblie, the Doctor and his companions are rescued by a group of female Drahvins.
Director: Charles Palmer
Writer: William Emms
6.3/10 480 votes#2 - Trap of Steel
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1965
With the knowledge that the planet will be destroyed in two days, the Drahvins instruct the Doctor to help them steal the Rills' ship.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.6/10 497 votes#3 - Air Lock
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/1965
The Doctor and Vicki encounter the Rills and learn the situation is more complex than they thought while Steven finds the Drahvins' hospitality ever more perilous.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.4/10 478 votes#4 - The Exploding Planet
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/1965
The Doctor and Vicki enlist the aid of the Chumblies to rescue Steven from the Drahvins and then find a way off the planet before its destruction.
Director: James Strong
Writer: William Emms, Helen Raynor
7.0/10 462 votes#5 - Mission to the Unknown
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1965
Whilst The Doctor, Steven and Vicki are traveling to their next destination. On the planet Kembel, Marc Cory, a Space Security Service agent discovers The Daleks are attending a secret meeting with their allies. Where Cory discovers the Dalek's evil plan, which sets the stage for the epic 12-part adventure "The Dalek Master Plan".
Director: Derek Martinus
Writer: Terry Nation
6.9/10 416 votes#6 - Temple of Secrets
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/1965
The TARDIS lands in the middle of the Trojan War, where the Doctor is mistaken for the god Zeus.
Director: N/A
Writer: Donald Cotton, Stephen Greenhorn
6.9/10 399 votes#7 - Small Prophet, Quick Return
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/23/1965
While Odysseus forces the Doctor to find a way to win the war, Steven decides to get himself taken prisoner in order to enter Troy and find Vicki and the TARDIS.
Director: Graeme Harper
Writer: Donald Cotton
7.0/10 398 votes#8 - Death of a Spy
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/1965
With Steven and Vicki being held prisoner by the Trojans, the Doctor's only hope of seeing them again is to suggest the idea of the Trojan Horse.
Director: N/A
Writer: Paul Cornell, Donald Cotton
7.2/10 397 votes#9 - Horse of Destruction
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/1965
The Doctor waits inside the Trojan Horse for a chance to reach his companions but Steven's assumed identity as a Greek soldier and Vicki's growing feelings for Troilus endanger their escape.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/10 442 votes#10 - The Nightmare Begins
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/1965
The Doctor runs afoul of the Daleks and Special Security Agent Bret Vyon on the planet Kembel.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/10 482 votes#11 - Day of Armageddon
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1965
The Doctor infiltrates the Daleks' conference to try and discover their plans, leaving Steven, Katarina and Bret to find a way off the planet.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10 416 votes#12 - Devil's Planet
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 11/27/1965
The Doctor and his friends escape Kembel in the Spar ship but the Daleks force them down on the planet Desperus, where they are threatened by a group of convicts.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/10 425 votes#13 - The Traitors
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 12/4/1965
With Katarina being held hostage, the Doctor, Steven and Bret are in danger of having to given in to Kirksen's demands, while, on Earth, Chen has them listed as traitors.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10 471 votes#14 - Counter Plot
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 12/11/1965
The Doctor, Steven and Sara are accidentally transported to the planet Mira where Chen sends the Daleks after them.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Terry Nation
7.6/10 414 votes#15 - Coronas of the Sun
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 12/18/1965
The Doctor, Steven and Sara escape Mira in a Dalek pursuit ship but when they find the ship is returning to Kembel, they are forced to come up with a new plan to avoid the Daleks.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Dennis Spooner
6.5/10 420 votes#16 - The Feast of Steven
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 12/25/1965
The Doctor, Steven and Sara visit a Liverpool police station on Christmas Day and a Hollywood film set during the 1920s.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Terry Nation
7.4/10 410 votes#17 - Volcano
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 1/1/1966
The Daleks realise the Doctor has given them a fake Taranium Core while, on the planet Tigus, the Doctor encounters the Meddling Monk.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Dennis Spooner
7.5/10 414 votes#18 - Golden Death
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 1/8/1966
The Doctor, Steven and Sara travel to Ancient Egypt, pursued by both the Daleks and the Meddling Monk.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Dennis Spooner
7.4/10 466 votes#19 - Escape Switch
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 1/15/1966
Steven, Sara and the Monk are captured by the Daleks in order to force the Doctor to hand over the Taranium Core.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Dennis Spooner
7.6/10 411 votes#20 - The Abandoned Planet
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 1/22/1966
The Doctor, Steven and Sara reach Kembel where they find the Daleks have betrayed their allies and imprisoned them.
Director: Douglas Camfield
Writer: Dennis Spooner
8.4/10 463 votes#21 - 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
7.1/10 401 votes#22 - War of God
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 2/5/1966
The TARDIS lands in sixteenth century Paris and Steven becomes involved with a group of Huguenots.
Director: Paddy Russell
Writer: John Lucarotti
7.0/10 383 votes#23 - The Sea Beggar
Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 2/12/1966
While trying to find the Doctor, Steven discovers a conspiracy to assassinate a man known as the Sea Beggar.
Director: Paddy Russell
Writer: John Lucarotti
7.0/10 385 votes#24 - Priest of Death
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 2/19/1966
Steven has discovered the identity of the Sea Beggar, but can he warn the Huguenots in time?
Director: Paddy Russell
Writer: John Lucarotti
7.5/10 388 votes#25 - Bell of Doom
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 2/26/1966
Steven rejoins the Doctor and they leave Paris just ahead of the massacre, leaving Anne behind.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A