The best Doctor Who episodes of all time
To celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who, we look back at his greatest moments
Dalek: Doctor Who classic episode #18
Dan Martin: This episode – featuring Christopher Eccleston taking on a single Dalek – marked the moment when the rebooted show won over a whole new generation
The TV movie: Doctor Who classic episode #17
Dan Martin: The first attempt to revive the show after the BBC axed it was a messy US co-production starring Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor. But it is far from the unmitigated disaster that many recall
The Happiness Patrol: Doctor Who classic episode #16
Dan Martin: Though many fans consider it trashy, this Sylvester McCoy story is a great example of the show's maverick spirit – a pink noir, if you like
Remembrance of the Daleks: Doctor Who classic episode #15
Dan Martin: After a patchy first season, Sylvester McCoy finally made his mark as the Doctor in this episode, which literally takes the show right back to its beginnings
The Trial of a Timelord: Doctor Who classic episode #14
Dan Martin: The fact that The Ultimate Foe makes very little sense is down to one of the most bizarre and tragic chapters in Doctor Who history
Timelash: Doctor Who classic episode #13
Dan Martin: This Colin Baker number may not be a Doctor Who highpoint, but the idea of an HG Wells origin story is lovely, and Paul Darrow is delightful as Tekker
The Caves of Androzani: Doctor Who classic episode #12
Dan Martin: Peter Davison's swansong has everything – powerful atmosphere, great script and fantastic performances – making it the best regeneration episode in Who history
Earthshock: Doctor Who classic episode #11
Dan Martin: The Cybermen reappear in the Peter Davison era in a series that has one of the biggest shocks in Doctor Who history
City of Death: Doctor Who classic episode #10
Dan Martin: One of the best-ever episodes, thanks to a stunning Douglas Adams script and great on-screen chemistry between the stars
The Talons of Weng-Chiang: Doctor Who classic episode #9
A creepy ventriloquist with a homunculus puppet, giant sewer rats and a fanatical, futuristic supervillain – teams don't come much dreamier than the one that masterminded this adventure
The Deadly Assassin: Doctor Who classic episode #8
Dan Martin: We delve deep into Timelord society in a political thriller based loosely on The Manchurian Candidate
Genesis of the Daleks: Doctor Who classic episode #7
Dan Martin: The Doctor literally holds the fate of the Daleks in his hands, in what has been voted the greatest story in Who history
The Green Death: Doctor Who classic episode #6
Dan Martin: Giant maggots and the Doctor dressed up as a milkman – what more could fans have asked for?
The Sea Devils: Doctor Who classic episode #5
Dan Martin: The Doctor is finally in colour, stranded on Earth – and up against his arch enemy, in the form of Roger Delgado's Master
The Mind Robber: Doctor Who classic episode #4
Dan Martin: Science fiction went straight out of the window with this weird, psychedelic 1968 excursion into the Land of Fiction
The Tomb of the Cybermen: Doctor Who classic episode #3
Dan Martin: If you've not seen 1960s-style Cybermen, you'll have no idea of the terror they inspired. Along with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, they make this episode an absolute classic
The Dalek Invasion of Earth: Doctor Who classic episode #2
Dan Martin: The sight of Daleks trundling across Westminster bridge is one of the show's iconic images – and, on top of that, we have one of the most heartbreaking Doctor Who farewells ever
Doctor Who classic episode #1: An Unearthly Child
Dan Martin: Imagine watching the Doctor's first-ever appearance without prior warning: that first trip through time, dripping in the psychedelia of the 60s, is mesmerising even now
