# What are the best episodes of classic Doctor Who? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669 "2014-08-27T19:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/1 "2014-08-27T19:13:14Z")
By episode here, I mean the entire story(usually a 4 parter), not just one 25 minute segment. I am currently watching “The Leisure Hive” on Netflix and have been considering perusing some other classic episodes, even finding ones not on Netflix. Anyway, I have seen City of Death and did like it quite a bit. What other classic stories do you like the most? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/2 "2014-08-27T20:23:33Z")
I recommend “The Invasion of Time.” It’s one of my favorites with Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/3 "2014-08-27T20:26:59Z")
[Have they changed since 2011?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617577) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/4 "2014-08-27T20:32:45Z")
A really good one - and one that scared me badly on first broadcast that still stands up - is the Tom Baker “Pyramids of Mars”. “Ark in Space” probably scared me more at the time, but now it’s hard to get past the FX. It’s still a great story though. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/5 "2014-08-27T21:27:25Z")
Talons Of Weng Chiang It contains many of my favorite Who moments, both funny and scary. A big warning- some of the monsters were originally just supposed to be glimpsed running in the shadows. Then, the script changed but the props were already made. IIRC the official BBC Doctor Who site says they ‘look like bean bag chairs that a dog has shed on’ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/6 "2014-08-27T21:41:47Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > [Have they changed since 2011?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617577) :smack: :embarrassing: ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/7 "2014-08-27T21:53:37Z")
I liked _The Pirate Planet_, written by _the_ Douglas Adams. Talons of Weng Chiang was also very good. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/8 "2014-08-27T21:55:57Z")
Better yet: where are they available? I have Netflix and Amazon Prime but it seems like limited coverage even combining the two…? ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/9 "2014-08-27T22:08:00Z")
Loadsa good’uns 🙂 _peruses through collection_ lessee… The Aztecs The War Machines The Tomb of the Cybermen The Mind Robber Doctor Who and the Silurians Inferno Frontier in Space Genesis of the Daleks Pyramids of Mars Robots of Death Horror of Fang Rock The Keeper of Traken and Logopolis That’s up to the end of the Fourth Doctor’s period, should give you plenty to go on, and I skim my 80s collection if you wish! But honestly, everyone finds something to appreciate in every story. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/10 "2014-08-28T00:48:43Z")
“City of Death.” Part written by Adams. Another vote for “The Talons of Weng-Chiang” and “The Pirate Planet.” I love “Paradise Towers.” ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/11 "2014-08-28T05:45:50Z")
This is an excellent question. While I did watch some Doctor Who in the early 80s on PBS on our tiny black and white TV, I didn’t become a fan until the Eccleston reboot. I’m certainly going to check out the recommendations in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/12 "2014-08-28T06:20:37Z")
How long do you think a marathon of every Doctor Who episode would be? Maybe BBC America could do something like FXX did with The Simpsons. How many burritos would be adequate sustenance for the DW marathon you think 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/13 "2014-08-28T13:59:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > “City of Death.” Part written by Adams. Yes, I’ve seen it, as mentioned in the opening. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/14 "2014-08-28T14:51:34Z")
Second Doctor (Haven’t seen many of his): Tomb of the Cybermen The War Games Third Doctor: Inferno Carnival of Monsters The Green Death The Time Warrior Fourth Doctor: Genesis of the Daleks Pyramids of Mars Talons of Weng-Chiang The Sunmakers The Ribos Operation The E-Space Trilogy (Full Circle/State of Decay/Warriors Gate) Fifth Doctor: Kinda The Visitation Arc of Infinity The Caves of Androzani Sixth Doctor: None, honestly. Seventh Doctor: Remembrance of the Daleks Silver Nemesis The Curse of Fenric ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/15 "2014-08-30T02:52:02Z")
Related question: I’m probably going to get Netflix soon, in part so I can watch some old Doctor Who episodes while I work out. Should I just start at the earliest they have available and walk through the episodes as they come, or are there enough bad episodes that I’m better off picking and choosing? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/16 "2014-08-30T03:37:57Z")
Genesis of the Daleks and the Caves of Androzanni. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/17 "2014-08-30T18:23:41Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > Related question: I’m probably going to get Netflix soon, in part so I can watch some old Doctor Who episodes while I work out. Should I just start at the earliest they have available and walk through the episodes as they come, or are there enough bad episodes that I’m better off picking and choosing? If you’re thinking of streaming, Netflix only has a handful of story arcs available. The upside is, it tends to be the good stuff - most of the arcs mentioned in this thread are up there. I’d start at the beginning and work forward. If you’re having the discs mailed to you, it’s a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/18 "2014-08-31T04:11:45Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > If you’re thinking of streaming, Netflix only has a handful of story arcs available. The upside is, it tends to be the good stuff - most of the arcs mentioned in this thread are up there. I’d start at the beginning and work forward. If you’re having the discs mailed to you, it’s a different story. The plan is streaming. Just a handful? I guess that will do for a while…then maybe I’ll find something else to watch. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/19 "2014-08-31T04:34:15Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > The plan is streaming. Just a handful? I guess that will do for a while…then maybe I’ll find something else to watch. > Thanks. It’s still close to a hundred 30-minute episodes, I think. I watched _The Pirate Planet_ today, which was four episodes. (and a good recommendation from this thread) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669/20 "2014-08-31T06:00:33Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Sixth Doctor: > > None, honestly. Vengeance on Varos. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-episodes-of-classic-doctor-who/696669.md?page=2)