Ranking Every RTD Doctor Who Story Updated
- SimplyWho
- Jun 23
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 21
I did this a while back, but after season 2 there are more to add to my ranking of RTD Doctor Who episodes. Will any of the five new additions challenge the top? I have high hopes for a couple of episodes before I start to type!
There is no scientific reasons behind my chart, I just list every episode Russell T Davies has written and place it in my list higher or lower than the episodes I already have down. Some placings surprised even me.
On a side note as per the last time, I always thought The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit was credited to Russell, it isn't, so it isn't on the list. It would have ranked pretty high if it was though. Very high actually, it is a banger two parter.
This has slipped behind Tooth and Claw and The Long Game. The more I think about this, the more I dislike it. Did it look good? Yes! Did it ruin the best companions ending? Big yes! Did it waste an opportunity of not showcasing the brilliant Ncuti earlier? Hell yeah! I love David, I really do, but I would rather have had no specials and a slightly longer season 1 and 2. I would have rather had one final adventure or two with Thirteen, I would have rather Thirteen bigenerated in Power of the Doctor and shared the specials with Fifteen (who would have been Fourteen).
If Jodie was in it, I wonder what the excuse would have been for Donna missing a big part of her life for fourteen odd years! Just let it go men!
Another episode that has slipped below Tooth and Claw and The Long Game with a bit of hindsight behind me. Ncuti had such a short run that having this feels a complete waste of one of his episodes. Talking babies, a bogeyman made of bogies? I just don't think the kids watch Doctor Who as much as they did, perhaps it is time to make it slightly more grown up.
36. Tooth and Claw (Previous 34)
I hate to say it but I found this one a bit boring - bottom of the pile it goes.
35. The Long Game (Previous 33)
I doubt this would top many peoples lists. Simon Pegg is in it though so there is that, however, I cancel that out by having to deal with bloody Adam for 45 minutes. It does do a fair amount of lifting to set up the season finale as well - which was a banger.
I have nothing against this episode at all, it was pretty solid actually. I do think it lacked the original wonder of 2005 Who though. Seeing Rose react to the wonders and the horrors of the universe was what dragged everyone along at the start, and Belinda just seems to shrug off being kidnapped by massive robots and being plonked on an alien planet.
33. Aliens of London & World War Three (Previous Position 30)
I liked this one, maybe there was a bit too much farting?
32. Love & Monsters (Previous Position 29)
Gets a lot of stick but on a rewatch it grew on me. Yeah I know, Peter Kay running around in a cloth isn't the peak of Doctor Who, but Elton Pope walked so Sally Sparrow could run.
31. Boom Town (Previous Position 28)
Nine and Margaret in the restaurant will remain an all timer scene!
30. The End of the World (Previous Position 27)
It was important this one was good to keep people hooked, it was good!! Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were inspired casting choices.
I feel bad having this so low, it is a really fun episode!
29. The Next Doctor (Previous Position 26)
Not one of Russell's best Christmas episodes, but it was still good fun!
28. Dot and Bubble (Previous Position 25)
I spent the first half of this episode wondering what the heck the fuss was about. I had heard murmurings of it being really good with a twist at the end that would knock my socks off. Too little Ncuti in this episode cost it though. The ending was good I grant you that, but was it really worth the first half of an irritating twat being a dick?
27. The Legend of Ruby Sunday & Empire of Death (Previous Position 14)
I ranked this so much higher before, and the main reason for that is I loved The Legend of Ruby Sunday. I really thought we were heading for peak. Then Empire of Death and a flaky old signpost put pay to that.
26. New Earth (Previous Position 24)
A fun series opener - a staple of RTD Doctor Who. I have my issues with some of them, but this one was a hoot. David and Billie were on top comedy form. Had a surprisingly upsetting ending.
25. Planet of the Dead (Previous Position 23)
A bit of fun, nothing too major. Looked amazing.
24. The Church on Ruby Road (Previous Position 22)
I am not fully sure the Goblins worked? They didn't offer a whole load of threat. I have been thinking about Christmas specials lately - why do they have to be more fun? Why not scare the shit out of people after their Christmas dinners!
23. Partners in Crime (Previous Position 21)
Another of those silly opening episodes only Russell T Davies' Doctor Who can get away with. We had the iconic window scene, but what really stole the show was Donna waving at Wilf from the TARDIS at the end, just typing that brought a smile to my face.
22. Utopia (Previous Position 20)
A pretty steady episode that unleashed into one of the great cliffhangers!!!
21. Wish World & The Reality War (New Entry)
The Disney era has been such an odd run. It looked great, it was bold, and yet it felt like RTD was trying to copy and paste the success of before. He missed the magic ingredient out. The thing that made Doctor Who so good first time around. The people!
This cannot be seen more than in both of Ncuti's finales. Did anyone give a fuck about Ruby's Mum in the end? Wearing a hood and pointing ominously at a signpost that wasn't even bloody there before does not make me have any bloody sympathy for her.
Then we have Poppy? I had zero interest in what happened to her. There was nothing hinted at through the series, certainly not that I noticed, no inclination that Belinda was a Mum or was about to be one at the very least. I dread to think how this episode would have gone down if we didn't get a regeneration and Jodie. Christ, it would have been horrible.
So much peak, but both series fell flat. The Rani was pointless, Omega was pointless. Having Ncuti be a nobody the whole of Wish World was pointless. What a waste.
20. The Runaway Bride (Previous Position 19)
For the TARDIS on the motorway scene alone this deserves a higher ranking. Kept up the good work of The Christmas Invasion.
19. The Sound of Drums & Last of the Time Lords (Previous Position 18)
Is this his weakest finale? I love John Simm, I loved the Doctor, Martha and Jack being on the run, I loved the Doctor talking about Gallifrey, I loved the Master being Prime Minister, I loved a lot about this. Maybe the Jesus Doctor was a bit too much?
18. Smith and Jones (Previous Position 17)
Not Rose standard, but then that was a one of a kind episode. This was still bloody good though. The Judoon were a great little foe as well.
17. Wild Blue Yonder (Previous Position 16)
I just cannot shake the feeling I had whilst watching this one for the first time. All those
secrets, when is Matt Smith rocking up? Oh Capaldi might turn up now, no, how about now?
The first 10 or so minutes of this had me wondering what all the fuss was about, it was slow. Do not get me wrong, this was a great episode, Tennant and Tate were amazing, but that goes without saying, but I don't quite feel the hype it gets is worth it.
16. Voyage of the Damned (Previous Position 15)
RTD went big, and we were treated to this beauty! The Titanic in space and Kylie Minogue. Come on!
15. The Christmas Invasion (Previous Position 14)
The first ever Christmas special - the one that was so good we got it every year after - until Chibbers stopped it. Damn you Chibbers!
14. Gridlock (Previous Position 13)
Underrated! Great cast, amazing idea, lots of lore set ups, lots of arc set ups, lovely!
Yes please! I bloody loved this. This is my kind of Doctor Who.
Rose Ayling-Ellis is brilliant in this, and I really enjoyed seeing her struggle, I am a horrible person I know. Some struggle and turmoil is always good though right?
I enjoyed this being the Midnight entity, it didn't take anything away from Midnight for me. Also, I tend to get excited when a run of episodes is banger after banger, and this was the filling in a very juicy Doctor Who sandwich of peak episodes.
12. The Giggle (Previous Position 9)
If you cut out the last 10/15 minutes I would of put this higher probably. The first three quarters though - wow!! Part of me will always think these specials could of just been done with Ncuti though, or at the very least, just Ncuti at the end.
11. The End of Time Parts 1 & 2 (Previous Position 10)
I loved it, but RTD went a bit heavy on the losing David Tennant stuff didn't he? I wonder what Moffat made of it when he read the script? At points it felt like Doctor Who was ending with Ten. I love John Simm, and I preferred this Master to his previous one, just a bit more fucked up!
10. The Devil's Chord (Previous Position 8)
Maestro was amazing. I really hope they pop up again in the future. Insane, camp, brilliant! After Space Babies I needed this. It showed Doctor Who was still going strong, still had new ideas, and was still the most magical, bonkers show in the universe.
9. Midnight (Previous Position 11)
Potentially should be higher, but I'm a sucker for a finale! I can fully understand why people put this higher, potentially top of their lists though.
8. Rose (Previous Position 7)
Where it all began! Russell must look back at this episode and smile, he had a big task to bring back a show he loved, if he cocked it up that would probably have been that. Luckily for us, he didn't cock it up, he made the most magical episode with an amazing Doctor and brilliant companion. He also put his spin on Doctor Who, modernised it, and completely knocked it out the park.
7. Army of Ghosts & Doomsday (Previous Position 6)
Oh Russell, why do you undo these amazing companion exits? Doomsday was pure perfection. The build up in Army of Ghosts was great, the cliffhanger is an all timer as well. This was not my favourite series, but this finale was brilliant.
6. Bad Wolf & The Parting of the Ways (Previous Position 5)
THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME!! Come on, this shit was good. Obviously a slightly lower budget than future finales, but Eccleston and Piper carry it with ease. Rose eating chips with her boyfriend and Mum as the Doctor plans to blow himself and the Daleks up, then coming back as Bad Wolf to save the day, chefs kiss!
5. The Stolen Earth & Journey's End (Previous Position 4)
Daleks and Davros. Torchwood and UNIT. Sarah Jane and Rose Tyler. Martha Jones and Jackie Tyler. Oh this had it all.
So much fun! An episode I know I will watch over and over again. I was blown away the first time I watched this.
Lux was amazing, Lux looked amazing. That said, it was the scene with the fans that did it for me. It was so good!
Doctor Who is usually at its best when it tells new stories, and here it was firing on all cylinders!
3. 73 Yards (Previous Position 3)
The highest newest entry. Millie Gibson was fabulous, the whole concept of it all was amazing. I don't think I breathed through 90% of this. So good! So, so good!
2. Turn Left (Previous Position 2)
Bleak, just how I like my Doctor Who. Catherine Tate, Bernard Cribbins and Jacqueline King were awesome. I have so much love for this episode. Oh and we have the Bad Wolf reveal at the end to top it all off.
1. The Waters of Mars (Previous Position 1)
One of my all time favourite episodes. It looked amazing, it was scary as shit, David Tennant acted his heart out. It was good as it was, but the ending with the Time Lord Victorious was insane!! Fully deserving of my top spot.
Do you agree with this ranking order? What would be your top ranked RTD story? Let me know in the comments below.
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