Line #170 Gush/DoctorWho


1	!!General Gushing
2	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' is one of the greatest things to ever air on television. It can be funny, sad, mysterious, nerve-wrecking, heartwarming, scary, and sometimes all of that at the same time. No wonder it gets its own page.
3	* Creator/StevenMoffat is one of the best things to ever happen to it. His plots may be confusing and unnecessarily complicated, but he broke from the New Who companion formula of "insecure everygirl finds her inner strength" (which is an awesome story in its own right, and which he ''did'' do with Bill Potts later on) and added a whole new "fairy tale" sort of vibe to the series that made people who didn't care for the RTD era fall in love with the show again.
4	* Creator/RussellTDavies needs love too. He brought back the show and introduced a whole new generation to wonderful sci-fi.
5	** Davies was the best thing that could've happened to Doctor Who. Thank you for well-written characters (both male and female!), the good kind of crack, the happy, the sad, the multitudes of awesome, and bringing ''Doctor Who'' to a huge audience.
6	* Likewise, Creator/ChristopherEccleston was indispensable to reviving the Doctor and causing a whole new generation of fans to fall in love with. It's a shame he's so often overshadowed by David Tennant, who, by the way, is also awesome.
7	** Tennant himself, as well as Peter Capaldi have mentioned in interviews Eccleston's (and Bille Piper's) acting is what got Doctor Who back on its feet. The Ninth Doctor is also the Queen's favorite incarnation, incidentally.
8	* It's funny, witty, heartwarming, tear-wringing, and brilliant every step of the way. Even the episodes that aren't so amazing always have something in them to make up for it, whether it be a wonderful side character, a well-acted scene, a beautiful message, or a memorable story.
9	* Classic ''Doctor Who''. Sure the stories dragged and the special effects sucked, but it was all fun, cheese, and mind games, and was a hell of a lot more charming than most of the non-''Star Trek'' sci-fi drivel that was being pumped out in the '70s and '80s.
10	* Absolutely nothing in the universe compares to the sheer awesomeness of Tom Baker as the Doctor. To many fans, it's not a matter of 'best actor to play the Doctor' or 'favourite Doctor' or what have you - he simply ''is'' the Doctor.
11	** The sheer versatility of Tom's work as the show moved from borderline horror stories (Seasons 12-14) to LighterAndSofter (15-17) to near-philosophical (18) is amazing, if only because he ''never comes across as out of place''. No matter what came his way, this Doctor triumphed by just being his sweet self - strange, alien, ''beautiful''.
12	* The Classic Series, which has genuinely three-dimensional, likable characters. Throughout its 26 year history, it stands out as being unique, meaningful, suspenseful, chilling, hilarious, nightmarish, heartrending, all in one gigantic package of awesomeness. The effect of having a large and varied number of writers is also felt, with the Doctor's adventures being fresh and memorable every time. One of the biggest aspects that did it is the personality of Troughton's Second Doctor of being arrogant before his enemies but genuinely caring and likable when talking to those he trusts had a big impact on him. The writing in the Tom Baker years also managed to retain a considerable part of this aspect.
13	* "Love & Monsters" and "Fear Her" are great episodes.
14	* Sylvester [=McCoy=]'s first season is better than people give it credit for and his latter two are fantastic.
15	* All complaints about "Last of the Time Lords" are InsaneTrollLogic.
16	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E5TheKeysOfMarinus "The Keys of Marinus"]] is a great episode.
17	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E8TheChase "The Chase"]] is the greatest serial ever!
18	** Spitfires. JustForFun/{{IN SPACE}}.
19	* You do not mention ''Doctor Who'' without mentioning the Eighth Doctor's adventures in the audios and books. "Zagreus", especially. And you do not mention ''Doctor Who'' without grinning at the Tenth Doctor's [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMoA]] in his first episode: Driving away the Sycorax after shortly recovering from regeneration trauma! Lordy, you also do not mention ''Doctor Who'' without thinking of "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood". The show is jam-packed with SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome.
20	** Have to add to this. The ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' got me into ''Doctor Who'' after months of skirting the edges of the fandom, put off by ArchivePanic. Novels!Eight is funny, adorable, immeasurably compassionate, and above all, a certified badass.
21	*** Not only that, his companions have been, all of them (even Sam), amazing. Sam often suffered from poor writing but when an author got her right, she ''shone'', ''[[Recap/EighthDoctorAdventuresSeeingI Seeing I]]'' being a prime example.
22	*** Compassion was prickly and grumpy and, refreshingly, didn't hero-worship the Doctor and made her feelings known. And [[spoiler:after becoming a TARDIS?]] Compassion of the Remote proceeded to be an even more incredible JerkassWoobie and fight Time Lords, Faction Paradox and even the Doctor for control of her own destiny.
23	*** Anji Kapoor is perhaps the greatest unsung hero of ''Series/DoctorWho'' of all time. She is smart, capable, funny and complicated -- a woman who has her life together, and then, when tragedy (and insanity) strikes, she pulls herself together and rallies magnificently at every opportunity. This woman (so far the only companion of Asian decent in the entire franchise) [[spoiler: sky-dived down into Jupiter's atmosphere to rescue the Doctor only days after meeting him for the first time]].
24	*** Trix was funny and clever, a FemmeFatale who was introduced working for the villain and who started traveling with the Doctor because [[SmugSnake Sabbath]] bored her!
25	*** There's [[EnsembleDarkhorse Fitz]]. Where to begin with Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner? The one, the only, the irreplaceable? A LovableSexManiac, CowardlyLion and DeadpanSnarker, Fitz, like Jamie as mentioned below, is an excellent example of a non-traditional companion done absolutely right. He's arguably one of the most, if not ''the'' most realistic and fleshed-out characters in the franchise as a whole, and after seven years and fifty-five books traveling with the Doctor, the two become a magnificent dynamic duo. He's [[HoYay devoted]] to the Doctor (and vice versa) to the extent that their relationship is remarked upon as being that of an [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple old married couple]], he's had an incredibly rich (and confusing) backstory and series of character arcs, and he embodies SexDrugsAndRockNRoll [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] AscendedFanboy. Fitz Kreiner is easily a contender for best companion of all time.
26	* Smith makes the role fun and magical, Amy and Rory are great companions and Moffat and co's storys have covered all the bases that make the Doctor great. And now going back to not only the first 2 seasons of the revival but Davison's fifth doctor, ''Doctor Who'' is even more fantastic and its message of being yourself and standing out really speaks to you.
27	* MATT SMITH. MADE. OF. WIN.
28	** [=McCoy=] deserves some love. The Mysterious chess master who tricked Davros into destroying Skaro himself, strolled calmly away from an exploding circus and talked two enemies into committing suicide during his tenure. Oh, and Ace, one of the most awesome companions of the classic era.
29	* Every incarnation of the Doctor! They are all just so awesome in their own original ways!
30	* Matt Smith is awesome embodied, and a nice change from the [[TraumaCongaLine tragic]], if still very dramatic and well-done, Tenth Doctor.
31	** Matt's like bow ties and fezzes. Cool.
32	* Speaking of which, how has the 10th Doctor David Tennant not gotten his own entry here? He was incredible! Charming, personal, charismatic, fun, dashing, romantic, strong, heroic, moral, and incredibly bad ass. He is one of the most beloved Doctor's of all time, and benefited from a cast of great companions, and countless extraordinary episodes. His trenchcoat is awesome to.
33	* Then, a bit more about Nine. He was a [[OneSceneWonder one season wonder]], he played a man consumed by rage, grief and regret, but that not only still doesn't let them best him, but manages to be a sweet, curious and sincerely caring person, and Eccleston's acting was just [[CharacterCatchphrase fantastic, absolutely fantastic]]. And, as already noticed, it's thanks to him that the show was brought back and managed to go on (well, and thanks to his successors who kept the Doctor being awesome, but they wouldn't have had the chance without him).
34	* That scene from ''Journey's End'' when the Children of Time were piloting the TARDIS together, bringing the Earth back home, set to an utterly beautiful and rousing Ood chorus, is probably the most wonderful moment in the history of television. It also feels like a celebration of everything that Davies had done for the show.
35	* I just feel the need to say that my long-overdue discovery of ''Doctor Who'' is what finally convinced me to embrace my eccentric side that was previously hard to express and a slight source of shame. Turned out that I have several Doctor-ish qualities myself! It's a well-written, action-packed, hilarious, just plain ''fun'' show, the best I've ever seen...and it goes on record as being the first thing to make me legitimately {{Squee}}. Before this show, '''I never squeed.'''
36	* The Hartnell era. It could be a serious costume drama one week, an action-packed thriller the next, and a slapstick comedy farce the week after. All with a wonderful kindly-but-grumpy old man at the helm. Doctor Who has never been quite like it since.
37	* The Colin Baker era. Gets a lot of crap for uneven stories -- [[SarcasmMode because no era had those]] -- but is very underrated. Best stories? "Revelation of the Daleks", "Vengeance on Varos" and the whole "Trial of a Time Lord" arc. And he has some of the best audios on Big Finish.'
38	* The BadassAdorable Second Doctor! The cute little cosmic hobo had it's own quirks and knows how to rock a recorder. Where do you think Creator/MattSmith got the bow-tie idea from? [[Creator/PatrickTroughton PATRICK TROUGHTON.]] That's who!
39	** And plus most of Pat's episodes are missing, pretty much ''forever''. Tom Baker may be the best Classic Doctor but Patrick Troughton is awesome! Thank you, Pat. Thank you ever so very much.
40	** The above statement regarding Matt Smith isn't hyperbole; Smith acknowledged that it was Troughton who made the most impact on him when he was doing his research in preparation for playing the Doctor. Troughton's influence on Smith can be seen throughout his time on the series.
41	* The Twelfth Doctor, as played by Creator/PeterCapaldi, is the toughest Doctor you'll ever love. He's a broody ByronicHero with NoSocialSkills, a DeadpanSnarker who HatesBeingTouched, a GrumpyOldMan who embodies GoodIsNotNice. He '''also''' embodies -- beautifully -- DarkIsNotEvil, CreepyGood, and HumbleHero, as well as the depths that can lie BeneathTheMask with his NotSoStoic moments -- expressing childlike whimsy and wonder, playing an electric guitar to beat the band, and nicknaming himself such things as "Doctor Funkenstein". His CharacterDevelopment is extraordinary: As he slowly goes from frosty to fun-loving, the true depths of his aching soul also emerge. He becomes a TragicHero in Series 9 as he gives in too often to the grief and self-pity he's accumulated over millennia, even becoming TheUnfettered before being brought back to his best self, but he never stops being sympathetic. ''At last'' he's capable of giving and receiving love -- of all kinds -- more passionately and sincerely than any of his predecessors, culminating in a willingness to give up '''everything''' for others, to die for Good if it means he dies a '''kind''' man. (sob)
42	** The partnership between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald, played by Creator/JennaColeman, is on par with the classic companionships of the past like the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane, and goes places the series has rarely gone. Although fans will never agree on whether romance is acceptable in ''Doctor Who'', the relationship depicted between the Doctor and Clara, whether one sees it as a romance (both Coleman and Capaldi directly described it as such in an interview with Wil Wheaton beamed to cinemas across North America in September 2015) or simple friendship, allowed the series to address mature issues such as loyalty, grief, loss, morality, ethics, ageism, and numerous other topics that had rarely been touched upon in this series.
43	* The clip revealing Creator/JodieWhittaker's casting as the Thirteenth Doctor. The smile on her face at the end says it all, and as her predecessor said, she's going to be "fantastic". Also, we finally have a female Doctor, which is something the various showrunners and producers of ''Doctor Who'' have been trying to do since the eighties! 2018 can't come fast enough.
44	* Speaking of Jodie Whittaker, her choices playing the Doctor have been excellent. A lot of the time, she will be smiling, but there's an undercurrent of fury in it, which only really gets recognised as she goes full-on SlasherSmile. It's so clear that Thirteen is doing her best to honour the Twelfth Doctor's request for her, but she's still furious, and grieving, and it makes her second series all the sweeter, after having a mostly lighthearted first one.
45	* The Doctor sent the Atraxi scurrying for cover with a single phone call. And then he called them back for a scolding! Which he did while not even paying full attention, as he was getting dressed at the time. And they ''never, ever came back.''
46
47	!!Favourite Stories [[note]]You can also vote on and add your favorites on the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BestEpisode/DoctorWho Best Episode page.]][[/note]]
48
49	!!'''The Greats'''
50	In 50 years, the show has had many, many greats. The ones below are generally considered the best of the best.
51	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth "The Dalek Invasion of Earth"]] -- Creator/WilliamHartnell, 1964. TARDIS crew arrive in the 22nd century to see that not only have the Daleks survived their apparent extinction on Skaro, but they have conquered the human race and established themselves as a terrifying force to be reckoned with. The ending contains one of the most heartfelt moments of the entire series, as the Doctor says goodbye to his granddaughter Susan who departs to marry a freedom fighter from 22nd century Earth.
52	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen "The Tomb of the Cybermen"]] -- Creator/PatrickTroughton, 1967. The Doctor, Jamie, and new companion Victoria land on the planet Telos, where an archaeological expedition from Earth is hunting down the last remains of the Cyberman civilization -- and two of the explorers are hoping to find more than knowledge. The earliest surviving Second Doctor story, and highly influential -- on the rest of the Troughton era, on the series' later depictions of the Cybermen, and, curiously enough, on the Eleventh Doctor.
53	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E1SpearheadFromSpace "Spearhead from Space"]] -- Creator/JonPertwee, 1970. Jon Pertwee's introductory story also gives us the Autons, villains based on the concept of plastic come to life with the iconic image of shop dummies smashing through their windows and attacking passers-by. See also the following season's opener '''''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS8E1TerrorOfTheAutons Terror of the Autons]]''''', which brings them back ''and'' introduces the Master, the evil Time Lord who will cause trouble for the Doctor for years and years to come.
54	** Both written by Creator/RobertHolmes.
55	*** And, in true enigmatic Doctor fashion, introduces Nine to Rose in a future encounter.
56	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E4Inferno ''Inferno'']] -- Jon Pertwee, 1970. The first parallel universe story in Doctor Who puts the Doctor up against fascist counterparts of his usual friends, along with mutant humans. Can the Doctor stop the drilling project on the parallel Earth before the project destroys the planet? [[spoiler:No. And, having seen the results of his failure,]] can he get back home in time to save this Earth? A truly gripping story whose seven episodes fly past.
57	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors "The Three Doctors"]] -- Jon Pertwee, 1972-1973. The first and greatest of the multi-Doctor stories sees the Third Doctor reluctantly teaming up with his first two incarnations against Omega, one of the three founders of Time Lord society. Whilst the tenth anniversary special is a vital part of 'Doctor Who'' canon for elaborating on the Time Lords since their last appearance, its greatest strength is the chemistry between the Second and Third Doctors, who bicker constantly whilst trying to save the universe.
58	** How many people can say that they're VitriolicBestBuds...with ''themself?''
59	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks "Genesis of the Daleks"]] -- Creator/TomBaker, 1975. Quite a padded serial in places (six-parters can be like that), but the character of Davros is introduced here to great effect in a good story about Nazism and scientific progress. The scenes with the Doctor debating Davros about the moral implications of engineering a race bent on genocide, and then later agonising over touching two pieces of wire together to commit genocide himself are still the series' finest moments.
60	** A conundrum later revisited to heady effect in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays "The Parting of the Ways"]] -- Creator/ChristopherEccleston, 2005, with the Dalek Emperor legitimately calling for the Doctor to destroy him, and by extension all other known remaining Daleks... via means inescapably fatal for ''any'' form of life, Dalek or otherwise... just so he can have the potential satisfaction of watching the Doctor commit mass murder.
61	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars "Pyramids of Mars"]] -- Creator/TomBaker, 1975. Lovely story set in a Egypt-obsessed GenteelInterbellumSetting, with the Doctor matching wits with an ancient Egyptian God. From Mars. With robot mummies. A lot better than it sounds - tight, tense chase scenes, gorgeous period details and a cracking script.
62	** By Creator/RobertHolmes... he was the Creator/StevenMoffat of the Sixties and Seventies.
63	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E3TheDeadlyAssassin "The Deadly Assassin"]] -- Creator/TomBaker, 1977. A fantastic political thriller set on Gallifrey. Whilst this story was reviled when it came out, it is now considered a classic for a variety of reasons; it was the first story that took an extended look into Time Lord society and culture, brought back The Master for the first time since his previous actor's death, and introduced the Time Lords' co-founder Rassilon. Written by Creator/RobertHolmes.
64	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"]] -- Creator/TomBaker, 1977. The Doctor and his [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy slightly feral]] companion Leela land in VictorianLondon and are promptly swept up in a supernatural murder mystery right out of a Hammer-horror flick, featuring giant rats, Chinese mysticism, and a bloodthirsty ventriloquist's dummy. Another terrifying six-parter by Creator/RobertHolmes, praised by Creator/RussellTDavies, declared the ''best story in the show's history'' by a fansite poll in 2003.
65	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E2CityOfDeath "City of Death"]] -- Creator/TomBaker, 1979. A four-parter co-written by Creator/DouglasAdams and later informing parts of the plot to his novel ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency''. The story is brilliantly paced, there's a natural chemistry between Tom Baker and Lalla Ward (who fell in love during the shoot), and brilliant comedy, including a cameo by Creator/JohnCleese and Eleanor Bron. Consistently ranked in the top ten by fans.
66	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock "Earthshock"]] -- Creator/PeterDavison, 1982. More than just the most famous demonstration that AnyoneCanDie in the whole show, and a brilliant unexpected return of beloved villains the Cybermen, Earthshock is a true classic. A dark, gritty, scary actioner not unlike the ''{{Film/Alien}}'' series, it still finds great character moments in the midst of tense scenes in the caves and on the freighter. The SenselessSacrifice of a certain character that closes the final episode (followed by SilentCredits) is still one of the most powerful moments in the program's history.
67	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani "The Caves of Androzani"]] -- Creator/PeterDavison, 1984. A bolt from the blue in that it is a cracking story in a lean period for the show, ''Caves'' has a tight story, two epic cliffhangers, a wonderfully human villain in Sharaz Jek and a HeroicSacrifice for the Doctor very much in keeping with Davison's quiet-but-noble portrayal.
68	** Also written by Creator/RobertHolmes and directed by Creator/GraemeHarper, declared the ''best story in the show's history'' by a fansite poll in 2007, and by a ranking of every story by [[http://io9.com/every-single-doctor-who-story-ranked-from-best-to-wors-1468104049 Io9]].
69	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks Remembrance of the Daleks]]" -- Creator/SylvesterMcCoy, 1988. The opener to the show's 25th season sees the Doctor and Ace travel back to 1963 and land in the middle of a Dalek civil war. Features the ORIGINAL SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome (Ace smashing up a Dalek with a technologically enhanced baseball bat), and is also remembered for introducing the Seventh Doctor's penchant for ThePlan and being one of the first hints at the [[StoryArc Cartmel Masterplan]].
70	** In turn funny, awesome, and even scary, this troper completely seconds this recommendation.
71	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E3TheCurseOfFenric "The Curse of Fenric"]] -- Sylvester [=McCoy=], 1989. [=McCoy=]'s earlier stories had been deemed "too silly" and blamed for falling ratings, but ''Fenric'' showed the Seventh Doctor GrowingTheBeard. There had been hints before this that he was really TheChessmaster, but this intriguing and well-executed story discovers new depths in both Doctor and companion. It's also damn scary when you're eleven...
72	** It could be argued he had grown the beard at the start of previous season. But this is still a great story for the Doctor in general.
73	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresTimewyrmRevelation Timewyrm: Revelation]]" was the best so far of the Virgin New Adventures and still one of the best DW books. It has great character and a great concept, taking place largely in the Doctor's mind. The first of many great stories from Paul Cornell.
74	* [[Recap/EighthDoctorAdventuresAlienBodies "Alien Bodies"]] -- What could be considered Growing the Beard for the Eighth Doctor Adventures. This troper may not consider it canon with the new series but you don't need to consider the EDA canon to enjoy them. This is a great story, introducing "Literature/FactionParadox", the Time Lords war, along with taking a poorly though of villain and [[NotSoHarmlessVillain making them a major threat]]. It provided inspiration for "The Name of the Doctor" and still stands as one of the finest DW books.
75	* [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho029TheChimesOfMidnight "The Chimes of Midnight"]] -- Creator/PaulMcGann, 2002. Why aren't there any Big Finish Stories here? This is Steven Moffat's favourite 8th Doctor story, a murder mystery in a Haunted House with an excellent mix of horror, humour, and tragedy. Moff has good taste.
76	* [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho034SpareParts "Spare Parts"]] -- Creator/PeterDavison, 2002. The definitive origin story for the Cybermen. A story like "Genesis" but more tragic in showing there is little hope for the people of Mondas. And of course plenty of Nightmare Fuel. Much of this was adapted into the Series 2 Cybermen episodes and, even more so, Series 10's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]].
77	* [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho048Davros "Davros"]] -- Creator/ColinBaker, 2003. ADayInTheLimelight for Davros. This is quite possibly the best story for Davros. It has the 6th Doctor, but doesn't feature Daleks or companions. It has Davros experience a whole range of emotions, and defines his character well. The interplay between Davros and the Sixth Doctor is also quite something to behold as well and another great example of how much Big Finish has helped the latter truly shine. It proves a great prequel to "Revelation of the Daleks" as well.
78	* [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho052Scherzo "Scherzo"]] -- Creator/PaulMcGann, 2003. A great and emotional MinimalistCast tour de force of a character study of both the Eighth Doctor and his companion, Charley, and their relationship, set against a background that blends horror and absurdism. What Steven Moffat would later attempt to really great effect in the TV series with "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]", Big Finish already pulled off incredibly well 13 years prior.
79	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E6Dalek "Dalek"]] -- Creator/ChristopherEccleston, 2005. Not only does the story amply demonstrate that showrunner Creator/RussellTDavies could breath new life into old concepts and update the show for the new millennium, it also shows writer Robert Shearman's talent for complex characters, making the Dalek in question highly sympathetic and showing the Doctor at his most vengeful. Plus, the special effects are amazing and Eccleston delivers a breathtaking performance.
80	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E8FathersDay "Father's Day"]] -- Creator/ChristopherEccleston. The most moving episode of the entire season. It's just a wonderful story of a daughter who just wants to save his dad. Most of the story isn't the treath of alien monsters, that's just an excuse fo characters interactions. And it's full of both hearthwarming and tearjerking moments, such as seeing for the first time how Pete and Jackie actual loved each other, despite them arguing, the Doctor comforting the people and insisting on how important the life of even an ordinary man is, the Doctor sacrificing himself to save everyone else, expecially when you find out that he knew that Pete dying again would have fixed that, but kept it secret not to force Rose to lose her father again, and Pete finding it out nontheless and chosing his death to save everyone else, even taking the fault for Rose saying it's what he has to do as a father, and apologizing since he won't be able to properly be a father for her, and having to leave her and her mother alone. And then it averts being a ShaggyDogStory showing that, even if Pete still died, thanks to Rose he didn't die alone this time. Jackie's telling Rose the new version of the story is one of the sweetest and saddest moment of the series at the same time.
81	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E9TheEmptyChild "The Empty Child"]] / [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E10TheDoctorDances "The Doctor Dances"]] -- Creator/ChristopherEccleston, 2005. The first ''really scary'' episodes of the new series. An ostensibly empty spaceship crashes into Blitz-era London and unleashes a plague of gasmask zombies. Meanwhile, the Doctor faces off with a member of Time Agency, played by Creator/JohnBarrowman. Equal measures witty, scary and atmospheric, these were the first episodes written by Creator/StevenMoffat, and won the show it's first Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) in 2006.
82	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E4TheGirlInTheFireplace "The Girl in the Fireplace"]] -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2006. All the classic elements of ''Who'' -- a spaceship, time travel, clockwork robots - but with a genuinely touching love story at its heart that was new to the series. Creator/StevenMoffat again.
83	* [[Recap/DoctorwhoS28E13Doomsday "Doomsday"]] --Creator/DavidTennant, 2006 A perfect season finale. A well written story where the Doctor meets Torchwood for the first time, and army of Cyberman invade and clash with the Daleks, who have also invaded. In a very sad ending, the Doctor says good bye to a friend.
84	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature "Human Nature"]] / [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood "The Family of Blood"]] -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2007. The Doctor literally becomes human and loses his memories to throw off pursuit. Very good on several levels, but most remembered for two scenes: The moment "John Smith" realizes that for the Doctor to return, he must "die", and the Doctor's vicious (but chillingly still in-character) [[LaserGuidedKarma Karmic Revenge]] on the beings that put him in that situation. (See also its source material, the popular ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresHumanNature Human Nature]]'', which was about the Seventh Doctor -- its author, Paul Cornell, adapted it for TV. That is also one of the best DW stories.)
85	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink Blink]]" -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2007. What a coincidence, another episode by Creator/StevenMoffat. This uses a different narrative technique as it is told from the point of view of a civilian who receives a message from a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, and must work with him from decades apart to create a StableTimeLoop. It also introduced what are commonly considered the most terrifying ''Who'' monsters yet -- the Weeping Angels. The best episode of the best of the revived series.
86	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia Utopia]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums The Sound of Drums]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords Last of the Time Lords]]". A satisfying finale to the best of the revived series. There may be quite a DeusExMachina but it is still one of Ten's better finales; for the most part the plot is well written, Captain Jack returns, and the return of the Master is just so incredibly awesome in every way. One of the best season finales in the series.
87	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight Midnight]]" -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2008. A BottleEpisode where the Doctor is [[LockedInAFreezer trapped in a bus]] with a group of tourists and an invisible, [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] monster who turns all of the passengers against each other and utterly psychologically breaks the Doctor. Considered to be [[NothingIsScarier as scary]] as "Blink" at the very least, and Creator/RussellTDavies' best script that series.
88	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth The Stolen Earth]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd Journey's End]]" -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2008. The epic two-part finale to arguably the best of the rebooted seasons managed to bring together ''every single companion'' in the new series, show how all these wonderful, damaged, brilliant people had become a genuine family, include references to all the love stories (even the one on the spinoff), and give some of the most emotionally stunning moments ever.
89	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E16TheWatersOfMars The Waters Of Mars]]" -- Creator/DavidTennant, 2009. The best of the 5 "gap year" specials with a truly terrifying threat in the form of The Flood, a fantastic group of secondary characters (including [[OneSceneWonder One Episode Wonder Captain Adelaide Brooke]]), probably the best examination of the true impact and consequence of a time-traveller arriving at a "fixed event in time" the series had offered, and a truly chilling (albeit brief) breakdown from the Doctor that's also completely believable, plus one of the most mature and sobering endings of any story presented in the series thus far. It's often considered to be on the same level as episodes like "Human Nature/Family Of Blood", "Blink" and "Midnight" and for ''very'' good reason.
90	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels The Time of Angels]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone Flesh and Stone]]" -- Creator/MattSmith, 2010. The action-packed ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to "Blink"'s ''Film/{{Alien}}'', this episode takes the already-creepy Weeping Angels and makes them ''just'' that much scarier by getting a whole cavern full of them and explaining that not only can't you blink, you can't open your eyes either. Reintroduces River Song, and implies a much longer game for Creator/StevenMoffat's tenure as showrunner.
91	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E10VincentAndTheDoctor Vincent and the Doctor]]" -- Creator/MattSmith, 2010. This episode is lovable for three reasons. First off, [[spoiler:Rory has just been erased from time]] so the Doctor takes Amy to an art museum to cheer her (or maybe himself) up. Just seeing that each FreudianSlip (including a subconscious one by Amy) shows they still remember Rory [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments warms my heart]]. Seeing something strange tips them off to go talk to Creator/VincentVanGogh, which leads to point number two. The way it appeals to an art buff. Spotting all of Vincent's best work in his house is fun. The sky morphing into ''Art/TheStarryNight'' is an impressive effect. Hearing Vincent talking about color and art might have caused a lot of artists to jump up and say "I get that! I totally see where he's coming from!" Last but not least, seeing the Doctor and Amy give new meaning in Vincent's life by showing him the exhibit and hearing the museum tour guide gush about him. [[spoiler:It doesn't change much, he still commits suicide, but]] had they seen this episode, a lot of people who felt depressed or maybe even suicidal may have found inspiration in this episode.\
92	Also awesome for its realistic portrayal of mental disorders. [[spoiler:Van Gogh still commits suicide because while seeing how he would be revered in the future gave him temporary hope, he was still suffering from depression and hallucinations that weren't understood in his time period. The Doctor even says that mental illness is a complicated phenomenon that doesn't have an easy cure.]] It's a remarkably mature handling of the complexities of mental illness -- there's no magic, instant cure, but it's also possible to find bright moments even in the darkest times.
93	--->'''11th Doctor:''' The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.
94	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E11TheLodger The Lodger]]" -- Creator/MattSmith, 2010. A LighterAndSofter PerspectiveFlip that centers around [[spoiler:future companion]] Craig as he [[CannotSpitItOut navigates his friendship]] with a woman he fancies, while the Doctor investigates a mysterious anomaly in the flat above, that may or may not be related to [[spoiler:[[InnocuouslyImportantEpisode River Song and the following series']] BigBad]].
95	* "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoNEDAS4E9LucieMiller Lucie Miller]]"/"[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoNEDAS4E10ToTheDeath To the Death]]" -- Creator/PaulMcGann, 2011. A GrandFinale to the ''New Eighth Doctor Adventures'', with a great plot, great acting, and a dramatic ending. One of the greatest ''Doctor Who' stories ever made.
96	* "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E4TheDoctorsWife The Doctor's Wife]]" -- Creator/MattSmith, 2011. A fan favorite for two reasons: being written by Creator/NeilGaiman, and giving ADayInTheLimelight to [[spoiler:the TARDIS herself, getting a human form and working with the Doctor to defeat an alien that's possessed the regular TARDIS and escape an AlternateUniverse]]. She proves herself to be a ManicPixieDreamGirl and even bigger {{Cloudcuckoolander}} than the Doctor himself and finally gets the opportunity to voice her love and loyalty for him, which she does in [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments the sweetest of ways]]. 2012 Hugo Award winner for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
97	* [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor "The Day of the Doctor"]] -- Creator/MattSmith, 2013. A masterpiece from Moffat, a marvellous commemoration of 50 years of Doctor Who, with [[spoiler: thirteen Doctors despite Creator/PeterCapaldi not being here yet]], which does homage to the past and looks to the future. One of the finest pieces of TV ever done.
98	* [[Recap/NewSeriesAdventuresEnginesOfWar "Engines of War"]], War Doctor novel, 2014 -- An exciting read that to brings to mind the scale of the Time War and has a great original character in Cinder. Serves as a great prequel to "TDOTD".
99	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen "Listen"]] -- Creator/PeterCapaldi, 2014. The first great Twelfth Doctor story: He's obsessed with finding a creature capable of "perfect hiding", the source of the universal nightmare about what's under the bed...but does it even exist? Clara has her doubts, but his determination to unravel the mystery will profoundly affect their lives ''and'' that of her new boyfriend Danny Pink. Scripted by Moffat, it's splendidly spooky and tender, with a final sequence that takes a gamble by journeying into [[spoiler: the Doctor's childhood]] and comes up aces. Nominated for the 2015 Hugo Award, and recommended as a good first story for newbies by the official ''Doctor Who'' Tumblr.
100	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E8MummyOnTheOrientExpress "Mummy on the Orient Express"]] -- Peter Capaldi, 2014. A trip on a spacefaring luxury train sees the Doctor face off with a creature that's invisible to all but its next victim -- who dies '''66 seconds''' after seeing it -- and Clara, who sees this adventure as the last she'll have with a man she no longer understands, reconsider her friendship with him. A clever setting, fantastic and frightening antagonists, and thoughtful relationship drama made this an instant fan favorite that managed to WinBackTheCrowd after the substantial misfire of immediate predecessor "Kill the Moon".
101	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E7TheZygonInvasion "The Zygon Invasion"]] / [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E8TheZygonInversion "The Zygon Inversion"]] -- Creator/PeterCapaldi, 2015. Two years after "The Day of the Doctor" comes a globetrotting continuation of its B-plot as an uprising of renegade, shapeshifting AliensAmongUs threatens Earth. Highlights include a startling [[TheReveal reveal]] leading into a classic "How will they get out of ''this'' one?" {{Cliffhanger}}, the triumphant return of [[spoiler: fan-favorite Osgood (one of her, anyway!)]], delightful comic dialogue to ease the tension, provocative RippedFromTheHeadlines plot points, and Jenna Coleman at her best as Clara faces off with [[spoiler: her evil Zygon double Bonnie -- so, ''two'' excellent performances]]. The Doctor's climactic monologue is a {{Tearjerker}}, masterfully played by Capaldi, that remains one of Twelve's signature moments.
102	* [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent "Heaven Sent"]] -- Creator/PeterCapaldi, 2015. Perhaps THE most audacious effort from Creator/StevenMoffat yet, if not televised ''Doctor Who'' as a whole. In the second part of the three-part Series 9 finale (sandwiched by "Face the Raven" and "Hell Bent", both more conventional stories), the Twelfth Doctor is TrappedInAnotherWorld with only a voiceless monster and his own thoughts to keep him "company" in the wake of heartrending betrayal and disaster. While the total effectiveness of this three-parter is debatable (between [[spoiler: Clara's death/return to "life", the Doctor's return to Gallifrey]], etc.), this episode justifies the whole effort. Gorgeous visuals, poetic dialogue, and another brilliant Capaldi performance -- in what's '''very''' close to a one-man show -- reveal the Doctor's hearts and mind as never before. Nominated for the Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) Hugo Award in 2016 and voted the greatest ''Doctor Who'' story of '''all''' time in the ''Radio Times'''s [[https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-fans-have-crowned-the-best-episode-do-you-agree/ 60th anniversary poll in 2023]].
103	* The Twelfth Doctor's GrandFinale arc spans a SeasonFinale and beyond:
104	** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough And Time"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]] -- Creator/PeterCapaldi, 2017. The Twelfth Doctor's seeming swan song is without a doubt the best story Series 10 has to offer, one of the best of Capaldi's tenure, and one of the best Moffat's written. Heartbreaking in so many places and heartwarming in many others, we reach the end of an era as the Twelfth Doctor tries his hardest to bring his oldest friend, Missy, back on the side of the angels. Creator/PeterCapaldi's performance is enthralling, with his speech in the second part quite possibly being his Doctor's defining moment. Missy's inner conflict is well-portrayed, with Michelle Gomez doing a superb job of portraying someone who indecisive about wanting to be noble or evil. Bill's TraumaCongaLine is heartbreaking, but she [[spoiler: eventually receives her happy ending with Heather from "The Pilot", with the kiss the two share being one of the sweetest moments in series so far]]. A montage of companions is tearjerking, three generations of Cybermen together look completely badass, and Creator/JohnSimm is as delightful as always as TheMaster. Rachel Talalay did an amazing job directing this finale, as she did with the two previous ones, and Murray Gold's score is as majestic as always. Truly a crowning achievement of the revival and of the show in general, a majestic ending to Twelve's era...'''and then the First Doctor appears''', revealing it ain't over 'til it's over. (The #2 story of all time according to the ''Radio Times'' 60th anniversary poll -- yes, that means the Twelfth Doctor managed the top two positions!)
105	** [[Recap/DoctorWho2017CSTwiceUponATime "Twice Upon a Time"]], 2017. So how do Moffat, Capaldi, Talalay and company top Twelve's epic FinalBattle? '''They don't.''' Instead they go in a different direction with a multi-Doctor adventure, ChristmasEpisode, ''and'' regeneration story that breaks several of the "rules" for such episodes: No universe-changing revelations, no gigantic ContinuityCavalcade, no A-list guest stars, no grandiose battles, ''and no [[spoiler: antagonist]]''. It's a story with only five major speaking roles, about how ''each'' Doctor comes to make the last important decision of their life -- to live, change, and grow despite all the heartache ahead -- and how that affects a WWI captain whose own life hangs in the balance. It's about the Doctor and franchise's evolution over 50+ years, it's about the importance of memories, it's about how BeingGoodSucks and how HopeIsScary, it's about the power of a single person to be a HopeBringer and the moments of grace humans can create in even the darkest times. It's laugh-out-loud funny, it's tearjerking, it's got wonderful [[Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime and meta]] guest work from David Bradley (as the First Doctor) and Mark Gatiss (as the Captain), it's got lots of thoughtful {{Call Back}}s and {{Continuity Nod}}s and more than a few {{Bookends}} for Capaldi ''and'' Moffat's tenures, stretching all the way back to "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" in the latter's case. And it concludes with the best regeneration scene since Nine's, featuring one last should-have-been-patented Twelfth Doctor monologue and doozies of a first line and {{Cliffhanger}} for Jodie Whittaker as Thirteen. A 2018 Hugo Award nominee.
106
107	!!Characters, Villains, and Monsters
108	* The Doctor himself. How many times has he saved the world, and sometimes the universe, by now? The man is a legend. Read the ''Awesome/DoctorWho'' section of SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments if you need convincing. Or consider this fact: he has saved the entire universe, everything that is, was, will or could be. '''He has done this more than once.'''
109	** Not to mention the fact that the Doctor has been played by [[TheNthDoctor twelve actors]], each one giving him a distinct character, and each of them being ''completely awesome'' in their own unique way.
110	*** John Hurt may have appeared briefly but he made a great impression and should still be counted among the Doctors!
111	*** As of 2017, the fourteenth actor to officially portray the Doctor is Creator/JodieWhittaker, marking the first female incarnation of the Doctor!
112	* Captain Jack Harkness. ExtremeOmnisexual, but unlike most characters he's actually ''successful'' due to being the biggest StupidSexyFlanders this side of [[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake]].
113	* The Master. Who else could be such an ObviouslyEvil CardCarryingVillain, a MagnificentBastard of cosmic proportions and a prime example of sex appeal all at the same time?
114	** Especially John Simm's version. LargeHam has never been so delicious.
115	** And then there's Roger Delgado, who defined AffablyEvil. You can tell that he isn't really trying to kill the Doctor too much-he'd miss him. They're really not that far off from being VitriolicBestBuds, and all the scenes where they work together warm this troper's hearts. Sorry, heart.
116	** Missy. EvilIsHammy, yeah, but she takes on the job of being the first female Master and runs with it.
117	** The Sacha Dawan Master is a truly scary performance, made even better by the excellent plot in his debut. You feel why he's the Doctor's arch-nemesis.
118	* Ace: Best companion ever, bar none. Wailed on a Dalek with a baseball bat and went toe to toe with other nasties armed with nothing more than a bad attitude and a backpack full of home made explosives. Also had a slightly sweet student/mentor relationship with the Doctor.
119	** Fine taste.
120	** This woman ''inspired the Crowning Moment of Awesome.''
121	* While we're on the subject of Daleks, them and Davros. Read [[NightmareFuel/DoctorWho Nightmare Fuel: Doctor Who]] for convincing.
122	* Sarah Jane Smith: Beautiful, spunky, and irresistibly charming. She was voted as best companion ever several times and still is. She wasn't a ScreamingWoman, and she managed to get her own spin-off decades after she appeared on the show.
123	* Rose Tyler (Creator/BilliePiper, 2005-2006; 2008): Rose was the first companion for the new series, and in many ways combines the best of both the 'Sarah Jane Smith' style companion and the 'Ace' style companion. She's something of an everygirl, with an interesting backstory giving her plenty of room for character development, who's spunky and intelligent. She's also probably the first companion to have overt romantic tension with the Doctor.
124	** Rose Tyler still damn awesome, HypeBacklash be damned. She was a perfect match for the ninth Doctor in particular and showed new audiences exactly why the Doctor needed a companion, and why they didn't have to be the stereotypical screamer.
125	** She put Nine back together and then got godlike when he was in real trouble, she had the time of her life with Ten, got cut off from him altogether and then? She decided to get Totally. Fricking. Awesome. On her own, no help available.
126	--->"One word in the wrong place could blow an entire causal nexus."
127	* And of course Barbara Wright, who had more awesome in her first few episodes than some companions had their whole career.
128	* Donna doesn't need to be turned into the Doctor to be awesome, either: she's basically awesome in every appearance. She's the one who pays attention enough to work the part of the plot which the climax hinges on in "The Doctor's Daughter", as well as doing something similar in "The Sontaran Stratagem". Oh, and in her re-introduction episode, "Partners in Crime", she manages to infiltrate the same building the Doctor does on her own, but infinitely better. No sonic screwdriver, no psychic paper: just her wits and innate awesome. Win. No wonder she turned from TheScrappy in "The Runaway Bride" into a fan favourite on that episode alone.
129	** Plus, she gets more character development than practically anyone besides the Doctor himself.
130	*** Which is made more amazing by the fact that Donna was only on the show for one season, and actually only had three or four episodes in which she was not competing with Rose, Martha and River!
131	* Romana is fucking awesome. Both of her. The consummate companion: a survivor, tougher than she looks, tougher than she herself once thought...spars verbally with the Doctor and physically with their enemies, truly committed to the cause of justice in the multiverse, intensely moral, a snappy dresser, has great CharacterDevelopment, a massive dose of DeadpanSnarker, a hint of CovertPervert, loads of {{Shipping}}, even a nice spot of NeverFoundTheBody!
132	* Turlough stole the [[TheBrigadier Brigadier's]] car, tried to kill the Doctor after making a DealWithTheDevil, double-crossed just about everybody at some point before finally deciding to do a HeelFaceTurn...and this is only in his first three serials.
133	* Speaking of Turlough, the fandom seems to have the most epic love/hate relationship with the Fifth Doctor's entire set of companions, so I'm going to give the rest of them some love:
134	** Adric: Really not nearly as bad as [[TheScrappy a lot of people make him out to be.]] Yes he has a great number of flaws and suffers from inconsistent writing, but ''real people are flawed.'' Plus, he does have a number of good traits. He cares about his friends, he endures ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E1Castrovalva an entire serial]]'' strung up in a hole in the wall and [[MindProbe Mind Probed]] by the Master (note that the next companion to get a similar treatment from the Doctor's best enemy made it through because he was ''immortal''), he actually flies the TARDIS once [[note]]and with more accuracy than most Classic Doctors, landing it in the same room as the people he's trying to rescue[[/note]], has a nice little budding-apprentice rapport with the Fourth Doctor after Romana leaves and, perhaps most importantly, he's willing to [[TearJerker sacrifice his own life]] to try and save Earth.
135	** Nyssa: Very intelligent, practical, good-natured, (and Creator/PeterDavison's personal favorite). She's the one who keeps the most level head when all hell is breaking loose and when the situation calls for it, she can kick serious ass. Like [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity that one time she]], oh I dunno, ''threatened to shoot the Time Lord President.''
136	** Tegan: When you've got a TARDIS full of alien geniuses, it's good to have someone human aboard to identify with. And, let's be realistic here: if you accidentally wandered into a police box that was not only bigger on the inside but ''labyrinthine'' '''''and''''' magically went to other planets and had an unreliable driver who wasn't sure if he could ever get you back home again, you would probably be pretty freaked out too. In a way, she was almost like the Donna Noble of her era. She was loud and feisty, she spoke her mind, she took crap from no one (especially the Doctor), but she gradually warmed to her surroundings and her situation and when the Doctor came into her life a second time, she gladly hopped along for the ride.
137	* Martha. Fuckin. Jones. Full stop! Smart, check. Funny, check. Badass, triple check! And she's inspired more PSL than anybody else on this list. Hell, even Shakespeare thought she was hot stuff!
138	** She's practical, keeps her calm, has a bottomless well of patience and yet knows when to put her foot down (and calls the Doctor on his BS when she tells her brother to hide in "The Sound of Drums"), runs in heels and vaults desks in skirts, saves the world twice, knows when to walk away, and then went on to REMAIN awesome in series 4. A lot of people seem to dislike Martha because she was 'personality-less', but it wasn't that at all. She was a woman who may not have taken over a room when she walked into it, true, but she got shit done awesomely. Oh, and she talks like ''this'' to the man she's head over heels, puppy-dog eyed for and hasn't known for long at all, and who is showing her the universe:
139	---> '''Doctor''': Oh, right, are you staying, then?
140	---> '''Martha''': Until you talk to me properly, yes. 'The last of your kind' ... what did he mean by that?
141	---> '''Doctor''': It really doesn't matter -
142	---> '''Martha''': You don't talk! You never say!
143	** Martha was mature, responsible, and independently capable. She thought before acting, generally considered the welfare of others besides herself and the Doctor, and chose to be where she was needed (with her family and UNIT) over where she might have wanted to be (exploring the universe with the guy she was head-over-heels for.) I'm not trying to dis Rose here, she was a nice girl, but until her return in series 4, that was all I ever really saw in her. I was first introduced to Doctor Who with the new series, so for me Martha was the first companion I actually admired.
144	** The reason much of the fandom didn't like Martha was because they couldn't cope with Rose leaving. If they look at Martha they can see she is perhaps the best companion of New Who. This video really shows how great Martha is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW_xiQtGqHk Something pointed out here is that Martha is the only one of the New Series companions who leaves on her own terms. She doesn't need the Doctor to have an awesome time, as series 2 Torchwood showed. Certainly one of the most underrated characters.
145	* [[TheBrigadier Brigadier]] ''Sir'' Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. BadassNormal extraordinaire who has traveled with more Doctors than anyone else put together. Still [[FiveRoundsRapid kicking ass]] and taking names in his seventies. Alien scum? Get the hell off his world, if you know what's good for you.
146	** TropeNamer for TheBrigadier. If that doesn't tell you how badass he is, what will?
147	* He was only in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E8FathersDay one episode]], [[note]][[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen this version, any way]][[/note]] but Pete Tyler really made an impression. He was smart enough to see through Rose's (admittedly paper-thin) lies, didn't spend the whole episode agonizing over the fact that his daughter had time-traveled, realized what needed to be done, and did it with a smile on his face.
148	* Wilfred Mott. Coolest of {{Cool Old Guy}}s. One minute, he's shooting down homing missiles, ''Franchise/StarWars'' style, the next he's [[TearJerker breaking your heart]]. Bernard Cribbins is the fucking ''man.''
149	* Amy Pond. She's so different than the previous 2005-era companions. Where they were the everygirls, she's, well, a bit mad. And Karen just makes her so likeable even when she's so wonderfully flawed. Brilliant.
150	** The previous three main New Series companions are JustForFun/MadeOfWin in their own rights, but Amy isn't just a companion. She's as much a part of Eleven as the TARDIS, the sonic, and the angry horde of Daleks. Amy Pond is why Eleven is who he is, and vice versa.
151	* No love for Jamie [=McCrimmon=]? He was spectacular!
152	** Yes. Yes, yes, yes -- brave and sweet and funny and fantastically, unswervingly loyal.
153	* IronWoobie Rory Williams! This guy is the best companion so far. Rory is basically JustForFun/MadeOfWin. This is one PapaWolf you do NOT mess with.
154	** Seconded! The man is a MemeticBadass who took about a gazillion levels in badass and CharacterDevelopment!
155	-->"I have a message and a question. A message from the Doctor, and a question from me. WHERE. IS. MY. WIFE?!"
156	* Again, only in one episode-but Commander Adelaide Brooke. Showed in every moment she was on screen her concern for her crew-tough, tough lady with a dreamer's heart. When the Doctor's PTSD [[spoiler:overcame him and he pulled her and two of her crew out of Bowie Base before its destruction]], she did what she had to do to correct the timeline. [[spoiler: And it was horrible, and powerful, and glorious. Peace to you, Commander Brooke.]]
157	* Sergeant Benton. Unflappable, cheerful, unfailingly loyal, and into ballroom dancing. The first person to see the inside of the TARDIS and just accept it for what it was, because "nothing about you surprises me anymore."
158	* One of ''Doctor Who'''s spinoffs, Literature/FactionParadox, has a few. Most are perfect {{Magnificent Bastard}}s, but that doesn't make them any less awesome. Cousins Eliza and Justine for one. How many people, aliens or deities are there willing to take on what essentially amounts to a psychotic TARDIS ([[FromBadToWorse or a living timeline]]) with all of the Master's deviousness and evil, confront her for control of Gallifrey and ''win''?
159	** No discussion of Literature/FactionParadox is complete without the CrazyIsCool [[LargeHam hammery]] of Godfather Morlock.
160	* River Song? She is magnificently fascinating and badass.
161	** Not only that, but she's such a {{Woobie}}! [[spoiler:Daughter of Amy and Rory, kidnapped from them as a baby and raised to be a living weapon. Not much is known about her upbringing yet, but we know that she was kept in an extremely creepy orphanage as a child (along with an insane caretaker and frightening aliens) before being locked in a space suit where she was clearly terrified. She is hardly fazed when she regenerates in an alley, with only a homeless guy to worry about her well being. And she was arrested for "killing the best man she ever knew". Technically wrongfully. All this while she is moving along the timestream opposite to her beloved Doctor, and we know that when they meet for the first/last time, she will die in a HeroicSacrifice.]]
162	* Same universe as the above, but different show: Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper and Toshiko Sato of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''.
163	** On that note, [[Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay Miracle Day]] was fantastic! Excellent actors and great writing.
164	* ''Doctor Who'' has a multi-universe of amazing characters, not least of which is the enigmatic, often {{Adorkable}}, sometimes InsufferableGenius of a time-travelling, face-changing, universe-saving and running-a-lot [[CrazyIsCool Madman with a Box]] of a main character himself.
165	* Rory "The Last Centurion" Williams has basically just two settings {{Adorkable}} and badass and he's brilliantly awesome in both. An amazing EnsembleDarkhorse whose CharacterDevelopment was so well done (by both actor and writers) that he believably went from being a ButtMonkey boyfriend that most [[{{Shipping}} Shipper fans]] wanted out of the way, to becoming the [[TheHeart True Heart]] of the current TARDIS team while simultaneously [[TakeALevelInBadass taking so MANY Levels in Badass]] that he now has his own MemeticBadass meme to rival [[Website/ChuckNorrisFacts Chuck Norris's]]. Nurse-Boy done good!
166	* Clara "Oswin" Oswald is an incredibly refreshing and enjoyable companion--she's special and knows it, is totally happy with her life and job, enthusiastically throws herself into every adventure with the Doctor, and is exuberant and confident almost to the point of cockiness. It's really quite fun to watch her run around like mad, throwing out witticisms and sass, but still paying attention to the little things like the girl in "The Rings of Akhaten".
167	** And her character development over her 2 1/2 seasons was profound and amazing. You can actually see how she grows in confidence, in her ability to accept what the Doctor does and embrace it (after her major wobble in Series 8). Some fans complained about her becoming too much like the Doctor, but that was the ''entire point'' of the character. And this was not an AssPull by Moffat; you can see this from her very first episodes in late 2012, most notably The Snowmen. Much of the credit has to go to Jenna Coleman and her intense and amazing chemistry with both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, the latter of which rather obviously caused the writers to pivot away from their plans to eliminate romance between the Doctor and Clara; in fact, putting aside TheILoveYouStigma the series abides by, the old-fashioned romance between the Doctor and Clara (as described by Capaldi) led to some of the most intense moments this series has ever had, and culminated in the trilogy that concluded Series 9 which tackled the topics of grief, loss, and "if you could save a loved one with a time machine, would you?" head on.
168	* The very underrated Lucie Miller, who I think still tops all New Who companions. Like Donna, not interested romantically in the Doctor. She may seem BookDumb, but she's resourceful, brave, has great chemistry with 8, and like Martha leaves on her own terms. Her adventures are a joy to listen to. [[spoiler:And she has one of the greatest [[HeroicSacrifice companion endings]] I have ever watch... experienced! Crashing a spaceship into the Dalek mines before they can turn Earth into a plague planet and defeating the terrifying Dalek Time Controller.]]
169	* The Dalek Time Controller itself is one of the greatest villains in all Doctor Who! A Dalek who understands time and directs their time travel strategies, with a delightfully evil voice that sounds like Blofeld's cat speaking as a silky Dalek. According to 8 the most dangerous Dalek, carefully manipulating the timelines to bring about Dalek control. A character who causes trouble for New and Classic Who, in reverse order!
170	* Rassilon, as portrayed by Creator/TimothyDalton, is an amazing villain. An awe-inspiring LargeHam, he delivers some fantastic narration. He also demonstrates the chilling fact that the Time Lords have become as evil as the Daleks.
171	* The Great Intelligence first appeared in classic Second Doctor episodes, establishing him as a chilling villain. In his return in the revival, he's even better. With a breathtaking performance from Richard E. Grant, and the terrifyingly designed Whispermen as his servants, he is one of the scariest monsters in the show. His plot to defeat the Doctor at every point in his life puts him alongside the Master and Davros as a contender for the Doctor's arch-nemesis.
172	* Irving Braxiatel. He's basically [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Thrawn]] as a Time Lord, with everything that entails.
173
174	!!'''The Greats'''
175	* '''Jamie [=McCrimmon=]''' (Creator/FrazerHines, 1966-1969; guest appearances in 1983 and 1985): Jamie is in many ways an exception to several of the rules listed above. He's male, originates from well before the twentieth century (being a Scottish piper at the Battle of Culloden in 1745), and yet not only did he appear in the most episodes, (117 in total), but to this day remains a popular, well-loved companion. Proof that playing with the formula can pay off.
176	* '''Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart''': TropeNamer for TheBrigadier. A man who despite all he went through remained courageous. One of the Doctor's best friends and the only man who was ever his Boss (when he worked for the Time Lords he was unwilling).
177	* '''Sarah Jane Smith''' (Creator/ElisabethSladen, 1973-1976; guest appearances in 1983, 2006 and 2008): The fact that Sarah Jane Smith has reappeared in the show more than any previous companion and has had two spin-offs built around her (''Series/K9AndCompany'' in 1981, which failed to make it past the pilot stage, and ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' in 2007, which was a bit more successful) should suggest something. She's usually considered the archetypal companion; a human journalist from twentieth and twenty-first century London, she embodies a lot of the traits listed above. Katy Manning, who played companion Jo Grant, called her "the quintessential ''Doctor Who'' girl", which is about as accurate a summation as you're gonna get. You could do worse for role models. Lis Sladen sadly passed away from cancer in April 2011. The entire fandom, old and new, grieved her ''hard'' - but as Creator/RussellTDavies said, "Sarah Jane will go on forever." She is, as she will always be, ''our'' Sarah Jane.
178	* '''Romana''' (Creator/MaryTamm, 1978-1979; Creator/LallaWard, 1979-1981): Romana is, if not the first, then at least among the first of the companions who were also arguably the Doctor's equal. A fellow Time Lord, she was demonstrated to be his rival and possibly even superior in the intelligence stakes (if still rather naive and sheltered, thus enabling her to perform a lot of the traditional roles of the companion). This enabled her to generate a chemistry with the Doctor unlike that seen with previous companions, based on a more even keel; Romana was quite capable of [[DeadpanSnarker snarking]] at the Doctor and upstaging him if necessary. With Romana, we also see the beginnings of {{UST}} between the Doctor and companion (helped by the fact that Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, the second Romana, were off-camera involved in a relationship). As she was played by two actresses, both contributed in making the character a memorable success. She even had her own sonic screwdriver (which the Doctor tried to nick)!
179	* '''Ace''' (Creator/SophieAldred, 1987-1989): As mentioned above, Ace single-handedly inspired the entire SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome list; not bad.[[labelnote:summary]]She once went to town on a Dalek with a superpowered-baseball bat.[[/labelnote]] She's a key influence for the modern-style companion, precisely because she's a complete break from the "screamer" cliché; she's a tough, savvy, snarky kid. However, she's also one of the few companions in the classic series who were given any real sort of character depth and CharacterDevelopment beyond a fairly shallow backstory; the 1989 series is essentially all about the Doctor helping Ace resolve her childhood issues as much as it is about fighting monsters, which was quite novel for the series at the time. She still has some of the best character in the whole series.
180	* '''Charley Pollard''': The Eighth Doctor's first audio companion, an Edwardian adventuress with a lot of character -- so much so that the Doctor risks the web of time for her (her death is part of a fixed point in time, but he saves her from it anyway). Smart, adventurous, and brave. Although their relationship ends with [[spoiler:an emotional fallout and a tragic misunderstanding]], she also gets to travel with the Doctor before she first meets him!
181	* '''Donna Noble''' (Creator/CatherineTate, 2006; 2008; 2009): Originally appearing in the 2006 Christmas special and returning as the companion of Series 4, Donna was the first female companion in the new series who ''didn't'' fall in love with the Doctor. She started off as TheScrappy, but her CharacterDevelopment made her incredibly popular. Throughout the season, she constantly calls the Doctor out when he's being hypocritical. In contrast to the Doctor's ability to see the big picture, Donna's good at noticing the details that he often overlooks or thinks insignificant.
182	* '''Wilfred Mott''' (Creator/BernardCribbins, 2007; 2008; 2009-2010): Originally intended as a one-off character in the 2007 Christmas special, Wilf was later rewritten to be Donna's grandfather. Adorably obsessed with all things extraterrestrial, Wilf is the first family member of a companion in the revival series to ''not'' freak out when he learns the Doctor is an alien and instead sees the immense good that the Doctor's influence has on Donna, encouraging their friendship. He has no fear about standing up to various aliens (including Daleks and even the Master) and, when he finally becomes a true companion, the Doctor enhances the honour by admitting that he'd be proud to have Wilf as a dad and even declares it an honour to die for him. Wilf is even one of only two characters who gets to salute the 10th Doctor without the action being snarked about and/or dismissed. Within the span of about 2 episodes, Wilf (and Bernard Cribbins) became beloved of the fandom to the point where Cribbins' death in 2022 sparked almost as big an outpouring of grief as Lis Sladen's had over a decade earlier.
183	* '''Rory Williams''' (Creator/ArthurDarvill, 2010-2012): Rory is the first long-term male companion in the new series, and quickly became a fan-favorite. Starting out as just a bumbling everyman, Rory turned into an extremely loyal, plain BADASS character who manages to surpass the Doctor in terms of awesome moments on occasion. In some ways, he is almost a male Ace, albeit with a more sweet disposition. The fact that Rory is on this shortlist and ''not'' his wife Amy Pond, who's been on twice as many adventures with the Doctor, is saying a ''LOT''.
184	* '''River Song''' (Creator/AlexKingston, 2008; 2010-13, 2015) Her first appearance in the two-parter episode "Silence In The Library"/"Forest of the Dead" painted her as not only a possible love interest for the Doctor, but as someone he would come to trust enough by his side to tell her his name. Her appearances in Series Five and Six only prove this more and more. She ''was'' a weapon to kill the Doctor and "did". But she's also saved his life. Also she's the daughter of the above badass, is able to make a Dalek beg for mercy ''three times'', and shoots a Silent dead from behind without even looking at it... meaning she didn't know it was behind her or that it existed. And... She's the Doctor's wife! (No, not ''[[CargoShip that]]'' one, though [[LivingShip they do get on quite well]].) Most recently, she was the CharacterFocus of a ChristmasEpisode ("The Husbands of River Song") which reveals all the awesome hijinks she gets up to when the Doctor's not around ''and'' brings touching closure to their complex relationship.
185	* '''Evelyn Smythe''' (Maggie Stables). The Sixth Doctor's Big Finish companion, and a doctor in her own right (of history). She's a middle-aged woman who doesn't take any of Sixie's crap and features in some of his best adventures, such as "Jubilee".
186
187	!!Website/TVTropes Hearts ''Doctor Who''
188	* Awesome.DoctorWho
189	* Heartwarming.DoctorWho
190	* Funny.DoctorWho
191	* AwesomeMusic.DoctorWho
192	* TearJerker.DoctorWho, because even the saddest moments can be the best.

Context Gush / DoctorWho