The Single Best Episode Ever

[Si Hunt]

What would you nominate? Ok, the new series has a bit of an advantage here, but that's life. Try and take that into account.

I'd be very tempted to choose "The Stolen Earth" for the epicness, the cliffhanger, the wonderful adventure-ness, all the returning characters... everything.

What about you? "Caves of Androzani" Part 3? "The Space Museum Part 1"? "Blink"?

You choose? If you want to view it in a fairer way, which "single sitting" instalment of Doctor Who do you think is the best?

SI.

[SiHart]

Good idea for a thread Si!

I'll have to think about it, because there are a couple of episodes that give you that adrenaline rush, ones that you don't want to end.

Si xx

[Matthew T]

I think the first part of the 3 new series dalek finales are all up there, the second half never manages to live up to the early promise though. The Stolen Earth is the best - I was open mouthed the whole way through, and watched it about 4 times during that week.

From the old series, I'd say the final episode of The Caves of Androzani, old Who very rarely got that exciting.

[Andrew Curnow]

Very good idea - sometimes we get stories which have one outstanding episode, such as The Space Museum, or even The Web Planet (much as I like the whole story, episode 1 is far more atmospheric & exciting than the others). And I recently realised that my favourite episode of Logopolis is episode 3, usually an episode reserved for running about & padding!!!

[Milky Tears]

Blink and Paradise Towers 3.

[Fatso the wombat]

Ooh, there's a few here...

Both Human Nature and Family of Blood immediately spring to mind. Both are as good as each other, but for differing reasons.

The Underwater Menace episode 3 is a work of genius, and probably the single episode I've watched more times than any other.

The Mind Robber episode 1 is incredibly spooky, with a minimalistic approach to things.

[Jonno]

Before opening the thread, I was already thinking to myself it's a toss-up between Stolen Earth and Caves 4 as both are extremely exciting and I never tire of them - and then find I'm copying Matt!!

Bubbling under in no particular order - Parting of the Ways, Turn Left, Earthshock 4, Pyramids 1, An Unearthly Child, Deadly Assassin 3.

[Rob McCow]

What about Rememberance of the Daleks part one? It's got a wonderful pre-credits teaser, a fantastic battle with a Dalek in the junk yard, Michael Sheard AND a flabbergasting cliffhanger! It packs a huge amount in, but unlike Curse of Fenric part 1 it all flows together nicely.

[SiHart]

Matt is of course right to chose Androzani pt 4 as the best. It's an awesome episode that doesn't let up for a moment between the reprise of episode 3's cliffhanger through to Colin Baker sitting up and addressing the audience at the end. It's full of action, and as a last hurrah for the heroic fifth Doctor it's superb. You're rooting for him to keep going all the way through the episode, for him to save Peri and save himself and get back to the TARDIS. And along the way we get the reveal of Jek's scarred features, the showdowns with Chellak and Morgus and the ever increasing threat of the mudbursts. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

Time-Flight! Frontier in Space! Battlefield! Mawdryn Undead! Claws of Axos!

Woo!

[SiHart]

Those are stories, not episodes!

Si xx

[Dino]

This was a good one to think on last night and this morning. I can't pick a single one just yet, but these were the ones that would make the better candidates for me?
Doctor by Doctor then, and it's interesting I seem to pick episodes with minimum casts?

William Hartnell:The Daleks Masterplan episode 2, An Unearthly Child episode 1, The Daleks episode 2

Patrick Troughton: The Mind Robber episode 1, The Seeds of Death episode 6, The War Games episode 9

Jon Pertwee: The Ambassadors Of Death episode 1, The Claws Of Axos episode 1 and Inferno Episode 6

Tom Baker: The Ark In Space episode 1, The Robots of Death episode 4, The Brain Of Morbius epsiode 2.

Peter Davison: Earthshock episode 4, Caves Of Androzani episode 4, Resurrection Of The Daleks episode 2

Colin Baker: Attack Of The Cyberman episode 2, Mindwarp episode 4, Vengence On Varos episode two.

Sylvester McCoy: Rememberance Of The Daleks episode 1, Silver Nemesis episode 1 and Ghost Light episode 1

Christopher Eccleston: Bad Wolf, Rose, The End Of The World

David Tennant: Midnight, Blink, Army Of Ghosts

Sorry for the Paul McGann fans and even typing that out I'm thinking of others that are just as good? I have no idea what critera I'm using to work these out? Other than gut feelings and what remains of my memories!
You've asked for the single best episode ever however so I'm not going to cop out and not say what I think the single best episode is? So I'll just look through that list and pick my favourite......
....no, sorry I'm going to have to cop out! Either Midnight or The Daleks episode 2?
And I've just remembered The Greatest Show In The Galaxy episode 1 now?

[Rob McCow]

The End Of The World

Yay! Why not? I'm starting to feel nostalgic for these Eccleston eps, even though they get repeated constantly.

[Si Hunt]

Is Mr Dino Cloud getting confused, or simply going senile? "Inferno" Episode 7 is the gentle episode, where nothing happens apart from the Doctor waking up, a bit of nifty rewiring and Liz Shaw laughing like a horse in the single most misconceived scene in the whole of Doctor Who. It does, however, contain the "Free will is not an illusion" scene, one of the best.

Episode 6, however, is one of the greatest and tensest episodes of all time.

Si.

[shada pavlova]

Those are stories, not episodes!

Si xx

Time-Flight part 1! Frontier in Space part 5! Battlefield part 3! Mawdryn Undead part 2! Claws of Axos part 4! Woo!

Happy now?

[Perry Vale]

which "single sitting" instalment of Doctor Who do you think is the best?

SI.

The Five Doctors.

[Si Hunt]

Good choice.

Si.

[Simon R]

I think "Evil of the Daleks" Episode 7 and "Daleks Masterplan" Episode 12 are up there. They're very exciting and dramatic endings to epic adventures and it's a crime against nature that we can't see them!

[Alex Callingham]

Probably Androzani part 4.

[Andrew Curnow]

Dalek Invasion of Earth part 1 is pretty damn good I think. I never find it dragging, which is perhaps odd given that we are just waiting for the Daleks to appear - the regular cast carry it well, the mystery of what has happened to London gives the episode a really tense air - Barbara's on-film running through a wrecked landscape is very moody - and then, and then, and then!! That Cliffhanger!!!! Awesome!

[Jon Masters]

Probably no surprise to anyone that I'm picking an episode of Talons, and I've gone for episode 4. It's an episode which spans from the dead rat in the sewers through the Palace Theatre to the atmospheric cliffhanger as Grell and Sin cackle their escape in a coah and four. It allows almost every major character to shine - Litefoot's embarrassment at buying clothes for Leela, HGJ's speech about having to smile at people, Li H'sen's evocative description of finding Greel. The theatre magic show is just ..magic. And on a personal level, at 9 years old I was convinced by the cliffhanger that, for once, the Doctor might have lost after all.

[Pip Madeley]

Not going for the obvious choices, The Fires of Pompeii is a worthy contender in my book - full of action, emotion, scares, dialogue of educational value and just plain fun... which is what Who should be!

[Larry]

from the new series I'd have to go for Family of Blood, it just had every thing , Tennent's acting was sublime - I'm not sure if there was a subtle anti war message in it but there was some thing poignent about seeing those young boys shooting the scarecrowas.


of the old series i'd have to go for An Unearthly Child full of tension, suspence and mystery and possibably one of Hartnell's best performances.

[Anthony Williams]

CAVES 4!!! Rob Shearman hits the nail on the head in the latest DWM as to why the whole story is just utterly amazing!

Ant x

[Si Hunt]

I'm not sure if there was a subtle anti war message in it

Hmmm. No, I'm not sure if it was subtle either!

Si.