The Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 3

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.5/10(483 votes)

   #1 - Destruction of Time

   S3:E211/29/1966

   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

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Dennis Spooner
2. 

   8.0/10(452 votes)

   #2 - The Traitors

   S3:E1312/4/1965

   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:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation
3. 

   7.9/10(502 votes)

   #3 - The Nightmare Begins

   S3:E1011/13/1965

   The Doctor runs afoul of the Daleks and Special Security Agent Bret Vyon on the planet Kembel.

   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation
4. 

   7.8/10(532 votes)

   #4 - Day of Armageddon

   S3:E1111/20/1965

   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:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation
5. 

   7.7/10(433 votes)

   #5 - Coronas of the Sun

   S3:E1512/18/1965

   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

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Dennis Spooner
6. 

   7.7/10(428 votes)

   #6 - The Abandoned Planet

   S3:E201/22/1966

   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

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Dennis Spooner
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7. 

   7.6/10(468 votes)

   #7 - Devil's Planet

   S3:E1211/27/1965

   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:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation
8. 

   7.5/10(507 votes)

   #8 - Counter Plot

   S3:E1412/11/1965

   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

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Terry Nation
9. 

   7.5/10(494 votes)

   #9 - Escape Switch

   S3:E191/15/1966

   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

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   Director:Douglas Camfield

   Writer:Dennis Spooner
10. 

    7.5/10(395 votes)

    #10 - Bell of Doom

    S3:E252/26/1966

    Steven rejoins the Doctor and they leave Paris just ahead of the massacre, leaving Anne behind.

    Director:Paddy Russell

    Writers:John Lucarotti, Donald Tosh

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    Director:Paddy Russell

    Writers:John Lucarotti, Donald Tosh
11. 

    7.4/10(429 votes)

    #11 - Volcano

    S3:E171/1/1966

    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

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    Director:Douglas Camfield

    Writer:Dennis Spooner
12. 

    7.4/10(432 votes)

    #12 - Golden Death

    S3:E181/8/1966

    The Doctor, Steven and Sara travel to Ancient Egypt, pursued by both the Daleks and the Meddling Monk.

    Director:Douglas Camfield

    Writer:Dennis Spooner

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    Director:Douglas Camfield

    Writer:Dennis Spooner
13. 

    7.4/10(735 votes)

    #13 - The War Machines (1)

    S3:E426/25/1966

    The Doctor and Dodo return to London in the present day where the Doctor becomes concerned about WOTAN, a new super-computer installed in the Post Officer Tower.

    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black

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    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black
14. 

    7.2/10(410 votes)

    #14 - Horse of Destruction

    S3:E911/6/1965

    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:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton

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    Director:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton
15. 

    7.2/10(667 votes)

    #15 - The War Machines (2)

    S3:E437/2/1966

    Dodo is under the control of WOTAN and attempts to lure the Doctor into a trap, while the rest of WOTAN's slaves begin construction on its robotic War Machines.

    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black

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    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black
16. 

    7.2/10(662 votes)

    #16 - The War Machines (3)

    S3:E447/9/1966

    Ben tries to escape from the warehouse but is captured by Polly, who is now also under WOTAN's control, and forced to work on construction the War Machine.

    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black

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    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black
17. 

    7.2/10(660 votes)

    #17 - The War Machines (4)

    S3:E457/16/1966

    The first War Machine is defeated but the Doctor only has a matter of hours to destroy WOTAN before the rest of its army is activated.

    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black

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    Director:Michael Ferguson

    Writer:Ian Stuart Black
18. 

    7.1/10(657 votes)

    #18 - The Steel Sky

    S3:E263/5/1966

    The Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive on a giant spaceship millions of years in the future, transporting the last humans away from the doomed Earth.

    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott

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    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott
19. 

    7.1/10(614 votes)

    #19 - The Plague

    S3:E273/12/1966

    With the Ark infected with a cold virus, the Doctor must convince the Guardians to trust him so he can find a cure.

    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott

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    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott
20. 

    7.0/10(486 votes)

    #20 - Mission to the Unknown

    S3:E510/9/1965

    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

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    Director:Derek Martinus

    Writer:Terry Nation
21. 

    7.0/10(409 votes)

    #21 - Death of a Spy

    S3:E810/30/1965

    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:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton

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    Director:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton
22. 

    7.0/10(407 votes)

    #22 - War of God

    S3:E222/5/1966

    The TARDIS lands in sixteenth century Paris and Steven becomes involved with a group of Huguenots.

    Director:Paddy Russell

    Writer:John Lucarotti

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    Director:Paddy Russell

    Writer:John Lucarotti
23. 

    7.0/10(606 votes)

    #23 - The Return

    S3:E283/19/1966

    The Doctor, Steven and Dodo have travelled 700 years into the future and find that the Ark is now under the control of the Monoids as it approaches Refusis.

    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott

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    Director:Michael Imison

    Writers:Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott
24. 

    6.9/10(428 votes)

    #24 - Temple of Secrets

    S3:E610/16/1965

    The TARDIS lands in the middle of the Trojan War, where the Doctor is mistaken for the god Zeus.

    Director:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton

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    Director:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton
25. 

    6.9/10(411 votes)

    #25 - Small Prophet, Quick Return

    S3:E710/23/1965

    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:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton

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    Director:Michael Leeston-Smith

    Writer:Donald Cotton