Hop in the TARDIS with us for a trip down memory lane.

Ranking the 50 best Doctor Who episodes of the modern era

Hop in the TARDIS with us for a trip down memory lane.

By Clark Collis,

EW's editorial guidelines

Dana Schwartz

Dana Schwartz is a former correspondent at **. She left EW in 2019.

EW's editorial guidelines

and Darren Franich

Darren Franich

Darren Franich is a former critic at **. He left EW in 2023.

EW's editorial guidelines

April 23, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Credit:

BBC America (3)

Catching up on *Doctor Who* can be rather daunting, even for the biggest Whovians among us. Of the revived era (2005–present), there are a whopping 196 episodes (so far!) across 15 seasons and various specials, from Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor to Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor.

While the series hasn't been fully consistent over the past 20 years, it has produced some of the best episodes of modern television, from the Carey Mulligan-led episode "Blink" to the touching tribute to troubled artist Vincent Van Gogh in "Vincent and the Doctor." These are the stories that keep us going even through the down years. So, let's jump in the TARDIS and look back on 50 of our favorite *Doctor Who* episodes of the modern era.

50. “The Well” (2025)

Rose Ayling-Ellis as Aliss Fenly on 'Doctor Who'.

After traveling half a million years into the future, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion, Belinda (Varada Sethu), helped an army investigate the mysterious deaths in a mining colony. With an *Alien*-esque sense of tension and horror, this season 15 highlight featured the surprise return of the Midnight Entity (more on this later in this ranking), a sinister, faceless being with powers of possession. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

49. “The Power of the Doctor” (2022)

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. BBC America

Jodie Whittaker's tenure came to an end with this blockbuster episode, which found the Thirteenth Doctor fighting against the Master (Sacha Dhawan) and other enemies in an epic struggle for the fate of the world. After the Master forced the Doctor to regenerate into him, we got a slew of well-deployed cameos from past Doctors, meaningfully honoring the franchise's long legacy as they helped her reverse the regeneration. —*K.J.*

48. “Demons of the Punjab” (2018)

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, Bradley Walsh as Graham O'Brien, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin 'Yaz' Khan on 'Doctor Who'.

Ben Blackall/BBC America

Yaz (Mandip Gill) convinced Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and the rest of the team to travel back to 1940s India so she could unravel a family mystery. She did not suggest they'd go back to tangle with alien assassins. But that's what happened anyway! *—Clark Collis*

47–46. “World Enough and Time”/“The Doctor Falls” (2017)

Michelle Gomez as Missy and John Simm as the Master on 'Doctor Who'.

Simon Ridgway/BBC/BBC America

The Doctor's attempt to change Michelle Gomez’s Missy into a goodie went horribly wrong when the pair wound up on a 400-mile-long spaceship reversing away from a black hole with Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas). What ensued in this two-parter? A lot of wonderful stuff, including the return of John Simms' Master and a scene in which Peter Capaldi actually said, "My name is Doctor Who." *—C.C.*

45. “Deep Breath” (2014)

Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

The cinematic season 8 premiere (directed by Ben Wheatley) not only introduced us to Peter Capaldi's bold, aggressive, and mature incarnation of the Doctor but also fleshed out Jenna Coleman’s Clara, who had felt more like a mystery to solve rather than an actual character in her first season. *—Chancellor Agard*

44. “Fugitive of the Judoon” (2020)

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America

A high point of the Jodie Whittaker era was this action-packed episode that reintroduced John Barrowman's Jack Harkness after a decade away from the show and revealed that Jo Martin's Gloucester-dwelling character Ruth Clayton is in fact…the Doctor???* —C.C.*

43. “The Waters of Mars” (2009)

Lindsay Duncan as Adelaide Brooke and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

"The Waters of Mars" offered a real showcase for David Tennant as his Doctor visited a space base on the eve of its destruction. The episode showed us a Time Lord who was conflicted, uncertain, and sometimes just wrong. *—Isaac Feldberg*

42–41. “Dark Water”/“Death in Heaven” (2014)

Michelle Gomez as Missy and Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

Has there ever been a character more gleefully unpredictable than Missy? The Time Lady finally revealed herself and the true nature of the "Heaven" setting that had been a recurring motif throughout the season. On top of that, Danny Pink's soldier character got his tear-jerking sendoff with a few final acts of life-saving heroism. *—Dana Schwartz*

40. “Face the Raven” (2015)

Maisie Williams as Ashildr (center) on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

No episode captured the best of Jenna Coleman's Clara as well as "Face the Raven," in which she and the Doctor find a mysterious London street where aliens lived in relative peace under the iron fist of Me, a.k.a. Ashildr (Maisie Williams). Clara was impulsive, impetuous, and independent enough to make her own plans, unbeknownst to the Doctor, and then, when those plans unraveled and the Raven finally came, she was able to face it bravely. This is the ideal Clara: The clever girl who would die because she wanted to save a single friend. *—D.S.*

39. “Twice Upon a Time” (2017)

David Bradley as the First Doctor and Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Simon Ridgway/BBC America

In the 2017 Christmas special, Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, refusing to regenerate, ran into the First incarnation (played by David Bradley), also afraid to move on. The two of them encounter a confused World War I soldier (Mark Gatiss), extracted from time just at the moment of his death. There is no evil to fight here — instead, "Twice Upon a Time" is a reflection on death and leaving a legacy. Capaldi's goodbye was as heartfelt and poignant as you'd want, and then, to top it all off, we got our first look at Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Brilliant! *—D.S.*

38. “The Doctor’s Wife” (2011)

Suranne Jones as Idris and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

If these bigger-on-the-inside walls could talk...In this episode, the TARDIS's matrix was placed inside a woman's body (Suranne Jones), which allowed the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his craft to properly speak with each other for the first time. *—Tim Leong*

37. “Thin Ice” (2017)

Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts and Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Simon Ridgway/©BBC/BBC AMERICA

Pearl Mackie's companion, Bill Potts, shone in this 1814-set episode as her relationship with Capaldi's Doctor hit its stride. The Time Lord answered Bill's concerns about traveling in history with comedic efficiency: "It's just time travel. Don't overthink it."

In ye olde London, Bill and the Doctor discovered a massive alien sea creature chained under the ice, being fed the poor because it excreted massively profitable fuel for some smarmy lord. The idea of building a society on the back of a suffering creature has already been done (remember Sophie Okonedo’s Liz X and the lonely star whale in season 5?) but the point of this episode is more Bill coming to terms with the role of being a companion: help the crying children, make witty banter, and, above all, remind the Doctor about the importance of humanity. *—D.S.*

36. “Amy’s Choice” (2010)

Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

The Eleventh Doctor's early run often found him competing with Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) for the attention and affection of Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond. Here, Amy was directly forced to choose between them, thanks to the manipulations of a dark dream version of the Doctor (Toby Jones). —*Christian Holub*

35–34. “The Pandorica Opens”/“The Big Bang” (2010)

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

Whenever people talk about Steven Moffat, the phrase "plot pyrotechnics" usually comes up and is used to describe his tendency to write intensely complex stories. If you want to see the best example of this, look no further than season 5's two-part finale, which excitingly contorted itself to follow through on the promise of the season premiere and explained several of the season's mysteries (The Pandorica! The cracks in time!). Watching these episodes, it's hard not to marvel at the ingenious structure of the entire season. Plus, we finally got to see Amy and Rory's long-awaited wedding! *—C.A.*

33. “Power of Three” (2012)

Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, and Karen Gillan as Amy Pond on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

Every Doctor ever has granted companions an escape from their regular life. What if the equation flipped, and the companions welcomed the Doctor home? That's the twist in this droll outing, with Matt Smith's Time Lord settling in for a long staycation with Amy and Rory. It's actually the last episode the trio filmed, so "The Power of Three" is a warm valediction for the whole Amy/Rory era. *—Darren Franich*

32. “Tooth and Claw” (2006)

Billie Piper as Rose Tyler and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

Ninja monks! Werewolves! Gothic castles! *Doctor Who *went full penny dreadful in this macabre Tennant-era highlight, which saw the Doctor and Rose (Billie Piper) helping Queen Victoria (a stately Pauline Collins) evade monastic fanatics and their pet lycanthrope. *—I.F.*

31. “School Reunion” (2006)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

Old *Who *and New *Who* collide! Many companions who leave the TARDIS are essentially never heard from again, which makes the Doctor's emotional reunion with Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) such a delightful contrast in this episode. *—C.H.*

30. “Last Christmas” (2014)

Nick Frost as Santa Claus and Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

In what may well be the scariest *and* the Christmas-iest special Christmas episode of *Doctor Who*, the Doctor and Clara teamed with Santa Claus (Nick Frost) to tackle *Alien*-style monsters called "Dream Crabs" in a scientific base at the North Pole. *—C.C.*

29. “The Time of the Doctor” (2013)

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

Matt Smith's final outing as the Time Lord was a triumphant and poignant bookend to the fairy-tale journey that began in "The Eleventh Hour." What better way to end the Eleventh Doctor's run than with an episode that reflects on the purpose and grace of change and moving forward? —*C.A.*

28. “The Girl Who Waited” (2011)

Karen Gillan as Amy Pond on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

After landing at a vacation destination, Amy was separated from the group. Rory and the Doctor finally rescued her, but not until 36 years later in her timeline, which made her angry and untrusting. Talk about the wait and seethe. *—T.L.*

The best 'Doctor Who' speeches of all time, ranked

'Doctor Who': Every former Doctor return appearance, ranked

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

One of the darker outings to feature Freema Agyeman's underrated companion Martha, "42" (so named as a Douglas Adams allusion and because it unfolds in real-time) is a tight, economical *Who *in which the Doctor fought a murderous, possession-happy sun (you read that correctly). *—I.F.*

26–25. “Human Nature”/“The Family of Blood” (2007)

Jessica Hynes as Joan Redfern and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

A perfectly self-contained pair of episodes and maybe a top contender for the best introduction to *Who* for a non-Whovian, this episode features the Doctor transforming into the all-too-human John Smith, a schoolteacher at a boy's school in the months before World War I. Poor Martha watched while the Doctor, convinced he was a human with vivid dreams of a daring adventurer, fell in love with another woman. And poor John Smith had to sacrifice himself to become someone extraordinary. *—D.S.*

24. “The Christmas Invasion” (2005)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. BBC/BBC America

David Tennant's newly regenerated Doctor spent most of this Christmas special asleep, but when he finally woke up to defeat an alien invasion in a borrowed bathrobe, it was an exhilarating introduction. "The Christmas Invasion*" *followed the Doctor as he tried to figure out just what sort of man he is, and the result was a Time Lord who's silly, kind, ruthless, and absolutely delightful. *—Devan Coggan*

23. “Rose” (2005)

Noel Clarke as Mickey Smith and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

The first new *Who* of the modern era found time to reintroduce the Doctor (hard-bitten Christopher Eccleston), flesh out Rose (Billie Piper), *and* make a compelling argument for the series' regeneration. As the Ninth Doctor would say: "Fantastic!" *—I.F.*

22. “A Good Man Goes to War” (2011)

Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and Alex Kingston as River Song as 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

"Demons run when a good man goes to war..." This mid-series finale is notable not only for the introduction of Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and her human wife, Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart), but also for the final revelation about River Song's (Alex Kingston) true identity. In an episode where many questions are answered (and of course, many are raised), the show still manages to pack an emotional punch. *—D.S.*

21. “The Day of the Doctor” (2013)

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and John Hurt as the War Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

The show's 50th anniversary special could be accused of fan service (Billie Piper! Queen Elizabeth I! Tom Baker!) but it's still a delightful romp through everything that makes *Doctor Who *great. Come for two Doctors comparing the size of their...sonic screwdrivers, stay for the first glimpse of Peter Capaldi's attack eyebrows. *—D.S.*

20–19. “The Stolen Earth”/“Journey’s End” (2008)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

A crossover between *Doctor Who*,* **Torchwood*, and *The Sarah Jane Chronicles*, this season 4 two-parter was a truly epic affair; however, what stood out amid all of the action was the tragic and heartbreaking end of Catherine Tate's Donna Noble. *—C.A.*

18. “Listen” (2014)

Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

*Doctor Who *specializes in taking universal fears and twisting them into something strange and contemplative, and few episodes do that better than "Listen." What started as a single question from the Doctor — why do we all have nightmares about something hiding under the bed? — soon devolved into a chilling, timey-wimey adventure, giving new insight into the Doctor's past and the very concept of fear itself. *—D.C.*

17–16. “Silence in the Library”/“Forest of the Dead” (2008)

Alex Kingston as River Song and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

Some of the best *Doctor Who* episodes are twists on the haunted-house format, like this thrilling two-parter about shadowy monsters who were literally shadows. But who can forget the introduction of River Song (Alex Kingston), the Doctor's great love: Their four-dimensional relationship began (and ended?) here. *—D.F.*

15–14. “The Impossible Planet”/“The Satan Pit” (2006)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler on 'Doctor Who'. Adrian Rogers/BBC

A grand old space opera: a station by a black hole, the eerie introduction of the alien Ood, and the slow-burning revelation that the bad guy this go-round was the Devil themself. *—D.F.*

13. “Midnight” (2008)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

A genuinely chilling bottle episode, with David Tennant's Doctor trapped on a tourist shuttle while visiting the titular planet. It's a classic locked-room mystery, with a science fiction twist: *Murder on the Orient Express *meets John Carpenter's *The Thing*. *—D.F.*

12. “Turn Left” (2008)

Catherine Tate as Donna Noble on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

What if one seemingly inconsequential action altered the trajectory of not just one day, one life, one family, but also the country, the planet, and the universe? Donna Noble was forced to watch exactly that when she was tricked into creating a world without the Doctor. *—T.L.*

11. “Vincent and the Doctor” (2010)

Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Tony Curran as Vincent van Gogh, and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

Written by Richard Curtis (2003's *Love Actually*), "Vincent and the Doctor" followed the Time Lord and Amy as they traveled to 1890 to save Vincent van Gogh from a monster. Sure, the actual monster, a Krafayis that was stranded on our planet, worked better as a metaphor for depression than as an actual, you know, threat. But the episode's heart, unabashed sentimentality, and tribute-paying to the famed painter more than made up for that. *—C.A.*

10–9. “Hell Bent”/“Heaven Sent” (2015)

Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Simon Ridgway/BBC/BBC America

The Doctor is coming home...and he's taking the long way round. The season 9 two-part finale found the Time Lord grappling with Clara's death and slowly making his way back to Gallifrey—by spending more than a billion years in a puzzle box castle designed from his own nightmares. Plot-wise, it was one of the most meticulously crafted and innovative storylines the show has ever attempted, but more importantly, it was a showcase for Peter Capaldi and everything he brought to the Doctor. *—D.C.*

8–7. “The Empty Child”/“The Doctor Dances” (2005)

Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

This early two-parter was simply unforgettable, from the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) to the creepy refrain of "Are you my mummy?" The result set the tone for just how good the new version of the series could be. And when so much of the Doctor's life is marked by tragedy and loss, it was pure joy to hear Christopher Eccleston's Time Lord declare, "Just this once, everybody lives!" *—D.C.*

6–5. “Army of Ghosts”/“Doomsday” (2006)

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

Adrian Rogers/BBC/BBC America

*Who* at its most epic, this finale sent the Tenth Doctor and Rose into battle against Cybermen and Daleks. The pair triumphs, but at a steep cost; they're trapped in separate universes. "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye" is surely one of the most heartbreaking lines in the show's history. *—I.F.*

4. “Dalek” (2005)

Billie Piper as Rose Tyler on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

Eccleston's Doctor was the last survivor of an apocalyptic Time War. Or so he thought. This freakily moving bunker thriller reintroduced the franchise's most famous monster, as the Doctor and Rose unexpectedly came across the last surviving Dalek in the cosmos. *—D.F.*

3. “The Eleventh Hour” (2010)

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan as Amy Pond on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

Matt Smith made his eccentric debut as the Eleventh Doctor in the Steven Moffat-penned season 5 premiere, which also introduced Karen Gillan as the instantly lovable companion Amy Pond. Smith and Gillan's chemistry was off the charts from the moment they crossed paths, and "The Eleventh Hour" boasted the same things that made so many of Moffat's previous episodes great: a fairy-tale-like tone and confident, clever plotting. *—C.A.*

2. “The Girl in the Fireplace” (2006)

Sophia Myles as Madame de Pompadour and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'. Everett Collection

The episode's initial concept was fascinating enough (there's a spaceship that's trying to repair itself with human parts), but it soon revealed itself to be something more: Part chilling body horror, part historical romp, and part meditation on *Doctor Who *itself*. *As Sophia Myles' Madame de Pompadour puts it, the Doctor is "a lonely angel" — always there to come to the rescue but never staying long enough to form any meaningful connection. It's an episode that examined what it means to be the Doctor...and what it costs. *—D.C.*

1. “Blink” (2007)

Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor on 'Doctor Who'.

BBC/BBC America

One of the most famous episodes in *Doctor Who *history barely featured the Doctor at all. In fact, the main character of "Blink" is not even a companion but a non-regular character played by a phenomenal (and very young) Carey Mulligan. The episode felt more like a gothic horror flick than a sci-fi adventure. But really, "Blink" was a captivating deep-dive into the show's most enduring themes: the mercurial nature of time and the creeping dread that something that seems ordinary — like an angel statue — can turn out to be utterly terrifying. *—D.C.*

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Doctor”