Best Cliffhangers

[Jason Thompson]

The second of my 'best of' threads. Let's hear your top ten cliffhangers, again anywhere from the series, classic or new. Eccleston's 'I'm gonna rescue her' speech? The Dalek rising from the Thames? The Marshmen rising from the swamp? Let's hear them, and why you like them. As before, I'll post mine later.

[Andrew Curnow]

Great ideas for this trilogy of threads - as you say, Jason, it's been quite a while since we had these (certainly never on the new PS AFAIK). So my top ten cliffhangers are----


TO BE CONTINUED!


(Blooming 'going back to work' getting in the way of posting on PS, grumble grumble moan mumble...)

[SiHart]

It's been a while since I last thought about this, and since then we've had a few new ones. Hmm. I might be best doing this in stages. Anyway:

1. The Leisure Hive pt 1
I'm nominating this one as my favourite one because it cemented itself into my memory in shockingly clarity after I saw it in 1980. At the time, it was really rare to see/ hear the Doctor in pain in this way, and his scream into the new cliffhanger sting is amazing. The special effects looks pretty good still as he's ripped apart (although the proportions of his body are pretty odd, but that just adds to the oddness) and the lightening fast zoom down his throat was a shock! Magnificent!

2. Bad Wolf
Probably the most exciting cliffhanger of the new series so far. The Doctor stands up to his arch-enemies and prepares to make his final stand to save Rose... The Daleks panic (hooray!) and prepare to take him on. With a massive army the like of which we've never seen before! It's Doctor Who on an epic scale, and I really didn't want it to stop where it did!

That'll do for starters- more later, when I've had a think.

Si xx

[SiHart]

3. Curse of Fenric pt 3
From the moment that the haemovores kill Rev Wainwright there's a mounting tension in the atmosphere of this story that comes to a peak as Fenric comes back to life in Judson's body while Millington chants the Norse myths. I love the line "We play the contest again, Time Lord" and it leaves it at that- whatever that might mean.

4. City of Death pt 2
The old reveal that a face is a mask hiding something nasty underneath cliffhanger, but well done, and terrifying to the little 4yr old Si Hart!

5. Full Circle pt 1
The old monsters rising from the water cliffhanger, but done with more style, panache and slow motion than at any other time, enough to raise it into the greats for me.

6. Snakedance pt 1
Terrifying! The crystal ball smashes as the Mara possessed Tegan looks on and laughs. It's really creepy to this day, and shows how great Janet Fielding could be.

7. The Mind Robber pt 1
A WTF moment if ever there was one! Just bonkers and Zoe's screaming is really good, as are her buttocks, apparently! Good modelwork too.

8. Doomsday
An unexpected one this one- Donna turning up unexpectedly in the TARDIS after a teary goodbye to Rose. One of RTD's better cliffhangers, because no-one knew it was on the way. The Doctor's "What?" says it all.

9. The Dead Planet
I suppose the impact of this has been lost down the years because it's been so repeated, but at the time, this most have been incredibly intriguing and odd- the old what is that cliffhanger, but done better than most.

10. Remembrance of the Daleks pt1
Dalek stories had traditional ends of pt 1, especially when Terry Nation was writing, so it's wonderful to see it subverted here. It looks like the Doctor and Ace will make a getaway easily up the stairs, but jaw droppingly at the time, the Dalek follows them! I was cheering! Wonderful!

Sorry my list is full of late 70s/ 80s ones, but these are the ones that have anchored themselves in my psyche since childhood.
I don't think much of many of the new series so far- there's not been many that are outstanding, though I did like the clever way Steven Moffat wrote himself out of The Empty Child cliffhanger.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

"The Tenth Planet" episode four
"What did you say, my boy? It's all over? That's what you said... but it isn't at all. It's far from being all over..." We take it for granted these days, we really do. We all know the Doctor changes his face, but they didn't back then. The shock of the cliffhanger may be diluted by history, but the actual moment is legendary. The frail, weakened Doctor returns to the TARDIS, closely followed by Ben and Polly. The ship's controls move of their own accord and the Doctor collapses to the floor. His companions enter and, before their astonished eyes, the Doctor's face transforms into that of a younger man. What the hell is going on!? Astonishing.

"The Tomb of the Cybermen" episode two
"You belong to us. You shall be like us." The Cybermen have released their Controller from his tomb. Klieg appeals to the creature, but the Cyber Controller grabs his arm tightly, and throws him to the floor and then utters those immortal words. It's the atmosphere that makes it.

"Fury From The Deep" episode three
"There is little time. You know you must do." The completely entranced Maggie Harris walks into the water, and wades deeper and deeper into the sea, until the waves completely engulf her. The creepy music, the sound of the waves crashing, and the gentle fade into the theme tune... it's just fantastic.

"The War Games" episode ten
"What are you doing? No! No! No!" The Doctor has lost Jamie, Zoe and the TARDIS, captured by the all-powerful Time Lords. He's genuinely terrified of them. They exile him to Earth and force him to regenerate for the second time. He spins through a dark void, his face shrouded in shadow... and then it fades to black... the death of the Second Doctor. I wish I could've seen it as new back in 1969, just spellbinding and totally shocking.

"Genesis Of The Daleks" part five
"SAAAAARAAAAH!" The Doctor decides to destroy the Daleks forever. Sarah and Harry, waiting outside, start to become anxious as the minutes pass. Suddenly the door opens and the Doctor staggers out, struggling with an embryonic Dalek mutant that has wrapped itself in a stranglehold around his throat. The close-up camerawork and editing from David Maloney & the intensity of Tom Baker's performance is pure genius. Not bad for an off-the-cuff cliffhanger.

"Terror Of The Zygons" part one
Douglas Camfield leaves us with the lingering image of the grotesque-looking Zygon towering over the helpless, screaming Sarah Jane… awesome.

"The Keeper Of Traken" part one
A personal favourite, this one. The Doctor and Adric have been set up. As the Melkur moves out of sight, the Consuls and the Fosters close in on the Doctor and Adric, to the cresendo of Peter Howell's fantastic synth work... the music makes it what it is.

"Bad Wolf"
"Rose, I'm coming to get you."
"THE DOC-TOR WILL BE EX-TER-MINA-TED! EXTERMINATE!"
The New Series delivered us its first totally spine-tinglingly classic cliffhanger. The Doctor stands up to the Daleks and prepares to take on thousands of them. Goosebump time!

"Utopia"
The TARDIS dematerialises... with the Doctor on the wrong side of the doors. Stranded at the end of the universe by the newly-regenerated Master with seemingly no way out... just brilliant.

"The Sound Of Drums"
"And so it came to pass, that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all... and I thought it good." The ultimate cliffhanger? The Doctor's been aged into an old man, Jack's been shot and Martha is forced to retreat as the Toclafane ravage London. The Master is ruler of Earth, and goads the Doctor, forcing him to watch the devastation of the planet he has fought so long and hard to save. The Master has won. Doctor Who reached a new epic high. The sense of despair in such an impossible situation was jaw-dropping.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Again, the first 10 that spring to mind...

1 - Army of Ghosts. Obviously I'd pretty much guessed it was going to be the Daleks, but it was still great and promised so much. I don't think Doomsday lived up to it, but it was still a great moment.

2 - Four to Doomsday. Whichever episode ended with Bigon revealing his androidness. I've seen this before in a list of "worst cliffhangers", but I think it's quite nice and understated and also a bit creepy.

3 - Kinda. The box opening cliffhanger. Just the way the simple act of opening a little wooden box to see what's inside was made so dramatic. (While we're at it, does anyone else thing the cliffhanger of the old woman being found dead would have been MUCH better if it had been done 30 seconds earlier when all the clocks turned to midnight in the dream sequence?)

4 - Face of Evil. The "Who am I!" one.

5 - Dragonfire. You know which one I mean. I have to put it in for sheer novelty value.

6 - Caves of Androzani. Episode 3, for obvious reasons.

Hmmm... no more are leaping to mind right now unfortunately

But I have to say I wouldn't pick Barbara and the sink plunger of doom, Vengeance on Varos (not that great, and ruined by Sil's silly laugh), the Inferno "ooh the countdown goes over the credits" one (for all of half a second) or any of the other usual suspects.

[Pip Madeley]

While we're at it, does anyone else thing the cliffhanger of the old woman being found dead would have been MUCH better if it had been done 30 seconds earlier when all the clocks turned to midnight in the dream sequence

Mmm, I've always thought that.

[Larry]

my favourite cliff hangers in no paticular order (classic series only)

1/ Episode 1 The Daleks - Barbara encounters one of the Daleks and is menaced by its telescopic sucker arm. it's still the grand dady of all cliff hangers.

2/ Episode 6 The Invasion - The cybermen emerging from the sewers and marching down the steps in front of St vPauls cathedral is fior me thee iconic moments in the Troughton era.

3/ Episode 9 - The War Games - at last we finally find out who The Doctor is.

4/ Episode 6 - Inferno - The Section Leader shoots the Brigade Leader in order to give the Doctor a chance of escaping. The Doctor tries desperately to activate the TARDIS console as a wall of lava rolls toward the hut.

5/ Episode 1 Carnival of Monsters - the hand ermerging to pick up the TARDIS was a real I nver saw that coming moment.

6/ episode 4 - Invasion of Time, The appearence of The sontarons is still a shock moment and the only decent thing in a thoroughly crap story.

7/ Episode 1 Destiny of the Daleks - need I say more

8/ Wpisode 2 Destiny of the Daleks - what ever your feelings about Davros in this story the moment when he comes back to life is still up there with the best.

9/ episode 1 Earthshock - probably the most unexpected jaw hitting the floor punch the air moments in the entire classic series as the cybermen are back.

10/ Episodes 1, 3 and 4 - caves of Andrazani - well do I really need to give a reason why.

[Jason Thompson]

Some good choices so far. I'm afraid I can't agree with Utopia and The Sound Of Drums being great cliffhangers, though, probably because I could see the resolutions even before the credits rolled on those occasions. The Doctor, Jack and Martha, trapped at the end of the Universe with no way out, except for Jack's broken time travel bracelet thingy and the Doctor's magic, fix everything when it matters sonic screwdriver. Watching The Sound Of Drums the following week it seemed that even RTD thought this was obvious, as he didn't even feel the need to show us the fix until several minutes in and just started the episode with them warping into the 'present'. As for the cliffhanger to The Sound Of Drums, the sheer scale of the situation meant, like the previous two season finales, that a great big reset event was inevitable, and the 'one year later' caption in Last Of The Time Lords made this even more obvious.

And I don't rate The Dead Planet much either, because it really is just a woman being menaced by a sink plunger. Yes, Jacqueline Hill's reaction is brilliant, but a mechanical claw or something similar would have worked so much better....

My list is a work in progress. It will be here soon.

[Pip Madeley]

You make some good points, but they don't take away from the drama of the cliffhangers for me.

[Andrew Curnow]

Some good choices so far - in the interests of variety, I won't repeat any, but Destiny 1, Destiny 2, War Games 9, Doomsday, and Kinda 2 could easily have ended up on this list...

1. The Creature from the Pit part 3
The miners carry that odd shield thing into the mines, Adrasta goes bonkers. It's an odd choice perhaps, but really is my all-time favourite cliffhanger (maybe the nostalgia factor is to blame). It's not an 'how do they get out of that?' one, but it's a real WTF sequence, and you just don't want the episode to end before explaining what's going on.

2. The Nightmare of Eden part 2
OK, from the moment early in part 1 that Tryst shows off his machine we know that the Doctor and Romana will end up going through into the 'projection' - but it makes the cliffhanger all the stronger when they do, because (again) we just don't want the episode to stop now!!

3. TOATL part 9
Mel's first episode ends with, suddenly, all hell breaking loose, and those mysterious pods bursting open. Add to that Bonnie's screamtastic scream and it's a real gem.

4. Ghost Light part 2
Maybe there's a pattern emerging here, as it's another cliffhanger where suddenly some major event makes you want to keep watching, just as the episode ends! McCoy's stage-managing of the emergence of Light is superbly done, and having to wait a whole week to discover what was coming out of the lift was a real struggle back in 1989!!

5. The Impossible Planet
And similarly, this one is another in the same vein, with its 'What's coming out of the pit?' mystery, combined with all hell apparently breaking loose on Sanctuary Base. Some great Murray Gold music adds to the drama.

6. The Androids of Tara part 2
Like my number 1 choice, it's another example of David Fisher's superb sense of structure. Rationally, we know that the Doctor HASN'T just leapt forward and bashed out Romana's brains, but with Mary Tamm playing Romana, Strella and at least one android copy, we can't be sure. Baffling, and brilliant!

7. The Pirate Planet part 3
It's daft I suppose, but I just love it (again, the nostalgia factor). The fact that it was about twenty years before I understood the resolution to the cliffhanger is quite irrelevant!!!

8. The Twin Dilemma part 2
A good old-fashioned 'is he dead?' type of cliffhanger, and the flurry of activity from Colin just before it is our first real glimpse of his brilliance in the part. The music and Peri's tears (plus a very good model explosion) help sell what on paper probably looks a fairly ho-hum episode ending.

9. The Keeper of Traken part 3
Just gorgeously done, all hope seems to be lost as the Melkur/Master takes the throne. How can the Doctor possibly save the day this time?

10. An Unearthly Child
Of course, familiarity has eroded away the simple brilliance of this, the original cliffhanger. But the image of the police box, placed at just the perfect angle, with the shadow falling across it, is such a great image. Legendary.

[Antony Cox]

I can only think of a few at the moment....

I'd certainly agree with Pip about Traken Part 1 - the tension is really cranked up and I love the doom-laden incidental music from Roger Limb!

The War Games - I can't recall which episode it is but it's about half way through the story where the Doctor, appearing to be a traitor, tricks his companions into running into an ambush, and the War Chief says: "Thank you, Doctor! A nice neat little package for us to dispose of!"

City of Death Part 2 - need I explain?

[Pip Madeley]

I love the doom-laden incidental music from Roger Limb!

Oh, it wasn't Howell? It's great nevertheless!

[Antony Cox]

Oh, it wasn't Howell? It's great nevertheless!

Oh - I thought when you said 'crescendo' you meant the 'scream' into the theme music!

[Pip Madeley]

I meant the music leading up to the scream, so yes, Limb

[Antony Cox]

Oh, well - no arm done!

[Jason Thompson]

You make some good points, but they don't take away from the drama of the cliffhangers for me.

Well, that's fair enough. How dull it would be here if we all agreed on everything.

Anyway, here's mine.

The Invasion episode 6

Almost a self-contained cliffhanger, starting with the peaceful shot of the city, and Isobel and Captain Turner wondering if the invasion really will come. Then the noise begins, getting louder, people collapse, and as the noise becomes unbearable: ‘It’s the Cybermen. We’ve just seen hundreds of them coming out of the sewers!’ Manhole covers burst open, Cybermen climb out and march through the streets. A beautifully constructed cliffhanger, made all the more effective, I find, because it almost exists in isolation from the rest of the episode.

Inferno episode 6

About the only cliffhanger with an impossible scenario that the characters really are not going to escape from. The world really is ending this time.

The Time Monster episode 3

A V-1 is a great tension-maker anyway, but the bit that makes this cliffhanger just a cut above the expected level is the Brigadier’s last call over the radio just before the credits roll, when he stops calling for Captain Yates and says ‘Mike, can you hear me?’ This just elevates it to a slightly more personal event, and makes it that much better. Shame the story is pants, but there you go….

Genesis Of The Daleks episode 5

As Pip says, for an off-the-cuff we-need-a-better-ending cliffhanger that was made up on the spot, this is great. Sudden, an unexpected ‘Jesus, what’s that!’ moment just at the end of an otherwise quite pedestrian episode.

The Robots Of Death episode 2

Another great tension build-up, the noise getting louder, the cast remembering that they’d have to shout over it, and the eerie calm of the Voc who announces that the motive units will not stop; Dask’s sudden appearance to stop the Doctor, and Toos’s final cry of ‘SHE’S GOING!’ really leaves you with an adrenaline rush as the credits start.

The Invasion Of Time episode 4

Described some years ago in a DWM survey as ‘Doctor Who’s definitive ‘drop me bacon sandwich’ moment’, and I’d agree. It’s not over yet….

Caves Of Androzani episode 3

Obvious, so nothing much need be said.

Remembrance Of The Daleks episode 1

OK, the Dalek looks a bit wobbly as it ascends the stairs, but 25 years of Dalek/stair gags are undone in this one moment of Who. Or at least they should be. Sadly, no-one seems to have seen it, as even up until the Dalek in Dalek ‘elevated’ himself up the stairs people still told me Daleks can’t climb stairs….

Bad Wolf

The Doctor’s defiance, the Dalek Army, and the ‘Next Time’ trailer just worked so well in this that, for the first time in years I really couldn’t wait until next week.

Army of Ghosts

Remember the week of speculation as to whether the Daleks were going to be in this episode? The trailer at the end of Fear Her had shown someone being exterminated, but we also knew that Torchwood used alien technology. Were there going to be Daleks or just Dalek guns? Well, after an army of Cybermen marched into our reality, suddenly it all got a lot worse….

Finally, an extra. Those of you with long memories may recall I always mention this in cliffhanger surveys, but there really does have to be an honorable mention for the Genesis Of The Daleks LP. The cliffhanger between side A and side B was, in my view, the greatest cliffhanger Doctor Who never had. The Doctor is in the Thal control room. They launch their rocket. ‘I sent Harry and Sarah in there…’ Then the sound of explosions and the music crashes in. Absolutely brilliant, and really should have been in the program as televised.

[SiHart]

Oh yes, Jason, I'd agree about the Genesis of the Daleks cliffhanger that wasn't. I was really disappointed when i saw it in the end and realised the electrocution was the real cliffhanger.
Some good choices there Jason!
Si xx

[Jim]

Episode 4 of Four to Doomsday is up there.

[Paul Clement]

Episode 1 of Mind Robber, with the TARDIS breaking up and the Doctor being spotted just floating trancelike is up there at the top for me.

I think Episode 3 of Caves of Androzani is also pretty amazing, but the rest of the story is dull in comparison and certainly doesn't deserve all the kudos it gets IMO.

[Jon Masters]

In no particular order:

Sudden appearance of old monsters - Invasion of Time Ep4, Earthshock Ep1

What the hell is going on surprise - Enlightenment 1, Deadly Assassin Ep2, Ambassadors 2

The baddies have won - Talons 4, Keeper 3, Fenric 2

Pyramids 1 - mainly for the tension built up over the last 10 minutes

Daemons 3 - it's the Master for a change

For non-TV cliffhangers, I'd have to suggest Chimes of Midnight ep3 and Neverland Ep4 , and the wonderful fake regeneration and subsequent reappearance of the 8th Doctor in the DWM comic strip.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

One that doesn't seem to get mentioned, maybe because it relies verymuch on you not knowing the story for its impact and that's hard to do after 33 years, but Invasion of the Dinosaurs episode 3 has got to be up there in the list of all-time unexpected and apparently bizarre plot twists. Up until then you'd expect it to be nothing but a modern-day UNIT story with big monsters, but suddenly Sarah is on a spaceship 3 months from home! How on Earth does that relate to invading dinosaurs?!

[Pip Madeley]

How on Earth does that relate to invading dinosaurs?!

Watch the rest of the story and you'll find out.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Hmm

[FlyingBeastie]

1. Bad Wolf- "Rose?" "Yes Doctor?" "I'm coming to get you"

2. Caves of Androzani ep.3- "AND I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU STOP ME NOWWW!!!"

3. Genisis of the Daleks- "You will tell me, YOU WILL TELL ME!!!"

4. Earthshock- *silence*

5. Dragonfire- *The literal cliffhanger*

6. The Invasion ep5- *Cyberman breaks out*

7. Two Doctors- Six getting hung by wires and Peri mounted by Jamie

8. Terror of the Autons- *Creepy murdering doll*

9.Utopia- "YANA"

10.Timeflight- (THE ONLY REDEEMING THING ABOUT THIS EPISODE) *The Master Reveal*