Doctor Who Specials ranked from worst to best
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2:44 25 - Legend of the Sea Devils
4:10 24 - Planet of the Dead
5:01 23 - The Runaway Bride
6:06 22 - The Time of the Doctor
7:21 21 - The Snowmen
9:07 20 - Voyage of the Damned
10:19 19 - The Christmas Invasion
11:07 18 - The Next Doctor
12:41 17 - Revolution of the Daleks
14:17 16 - The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe
16:24 15 - The Waters of Mars
18:30 14 - Resolution
20:04 13 - The Star Beast
21:34 12 - The Church on Ruby Road
23:09 11 - The Return of Doctor Mysterio
24:31 10 - Last Christmas
26:22 09 - A Christmas Carol
27:44 08 - The Husbands of River Song
29:12 07 - The End of Time - Part One & The End of Time - Part Two
30:55 06 - The Giggle
33:04 05 - The Power of the Doctor
35:00 04 - Eve of the Daleks
36:18 03 - Twice Upon a Time
37:52 02 - Wild Blue Yonder
39:33 01 - The Day of the Doctor
I believe Last Christmas was originally supposed to end with Clara's departure. The rumour is that Jenna Coleman changed her mind about leaving after filming. I had booked a TARDIS set tour for November 2014 and we were contacted to reschedule. Apparently they needed the set for previously unscheduled reshoots. We believe it was due to filming a last minute new ending for this Christmas special where Clara actually didn't leave.
True. I think she than got Victoria but knew it takes a while till they start filming so she stayed for another season. Makes sense staying employed on DW until the next project starts
And Faye Marsay's Shona was supposed to be the next companion. Her introduction dance was so endearing. Amazing character introduction.
Series 8 was meant to be Clara's departure. Then Last Christmas although it got tweaked to make that not happen. Then JC stayed for Series 9
that's not rumour, it was confirmed that she changed her mind
For me, the strength of Waters of Mars isn’t the Time Lord Victorious. It’s watching these great characters we get to know and care about and realizing they’re doomed to die and there’s nothing the Doctor can do to stop it. And then being in the Doctor’s shoes, because we ALSO want him to do something. And then he does. And it’s incredibly well-written and exhilarating and triumphant. And then it’s bitter and disturbing, and off and wrong, and you regret even rooting for it in the first place. The Time Lord Victorious isn’t remotely interesting to me as a generic concept. It’s powerful to me for its function in this story alone. Because it is so motivated, it is so specific, it is so cathartic, then shocking, then depressing, and it’s a huge gut punch, and god it’s just so fucking good. The scene where the Doctor explains to Adelaide she’s destined to die and that she’s going to let him get out of that oxygen chamber and then she does because it’s the right thing to do and she hates it and he has to have that long walk into the moonscape as he hears them all dying, and there’s nothing he can do about it, that agonizing, minutes-long sequence, their screaming, their sobbing, him walking, impotent, then finally, after minutes of every single loss, every heartache, every death, every failure, all it running through his head, he’s had it, he refuses, he can’t do it. No more. It’s just phenomenal. I can’t comprehend watching that episode and not being gobsmacked. I just can’t comprehend it. It’s so fucking great. And it’s all so tightly written, him using the robot he saved earlier, he saves the day with ingenuity and craftiness and things established in the episode and it’s not the episode telling you he’s clever, he IS clever and only he could’ve thought to do all those things in that order and in that way, but it’s believable and it’s like watching an actual astronaut think on the fly and use the tools around them to save the craft, and his exhilaration, and then you land on earth and the survivors look at the TARDIS like it’s something out of a horror movie, and fuck, I’m amped just thinking about it, it’s amazing, it’s one of the best episodes of the show, I adore it.
Another thing I really like about the relation between the Christmas Carol and The Day of the Doctor is that there's a very good line I didn't realize they mirrored between them until recently.
Christmas Carol: "Nobody important" "900 years, I've never met anyone who wasn't important"
Day of The Doctor: "Stone dust..." "Is it important?" "900 years, I've never stepped in anything that wasn't"
I really thought that was just in Day of the Doctor until I rewatched the Christmas Carol with my family these past holidays. Beautifully characterizes him even if you've never seen the show before
I LOVE The Day of The Doctor!! The moment where we hear the first Doctor say, “Calling the war council of Gallifrey - This is The Doctor!” gives me chills and tingles and all the nostalgic feels!!
This!!!! And the "No Sir. All 13"
Oof!!! Shivers down my spine!!!
Honestly a very interesting list, even with placements I don't agree with I like that you don't have a conventional ranking and you explain your points really well so even if I don't agree I can see why you would place the specials where you do! Love it!
im so happy to see Twice Upon A Time get some of the love it deserve. I KNOW some of the dialogue is wonky but I genuinely think it has some of the best themes, dialogue and emotional moments in the whole of NewWho (most of it near the end when its the Doctor, Bill and Nardole)
For me, Doctor Who could have ended right here. In series 10 It felt like his time travelling days were ending or have ended and here he save a lot of lives from his arch enemy’s. This would have been a perfect ending for The Doctors character. beautiful
It’s a fine story, but I’ve personally lost some respect for it since I’ve been getting into the First Doctor’s era. It’s not even really the sexism (which is cringey but whatever), it’s just that there’s this conventional opinion that Hartnell was just a grumpy old man for most of his run and I just don’t find that very accurate. David Bradley’s good though.
"Hello Sweetie" River was pouring her heart out trying to contradict the cannibal bug in her last moment. As 12 tries to gently break in. I don't know how Peter held in all that joy and laughter. I cry, I laugh. It will be a favorite forever.
It is interesting what you said about the pantomime feel in the Christmas episodes with the British audience- sometimes I forget how big panto culture is in our Christmas culture, almost every single long iconic running tv series that have more than 6 episodes a year (if you’re british you’ll get what I’m talking about) has a Christmas special episode at some point. Some shows every year and some occasionally have a Christmas episode and ofc panto season is bigggg over here, I don’t think we actually even realise 😂
I still can't shake that "another man goes sauntering off with my memories" regeneration explanation from 10. Besides being a lackluster send off to the RTD era that line sinks that special to last place for me. People say it makes sense for 10. But he's not the doctor who fought in the time war or traveled with Sarah Jane.
It's a character flaw that makes him more interesting and believable. The problem was the people who took it seriously and acted like Matt Smith was a villain for changing the show for his entire first season.
@@ThanhTriet600 He was already interesting. It doesn't even make sense for 10 to even say that in universe. His whole thing is trauma and whining about the time war. A war a version of him fought in 2 regenerations before. And it comes outta nowhere. The entire interaction between Rose and him in the Christmas invasion makes good pov on regeneration even stupider and out of character.
"I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but... it's still me. I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything."
And how does it makes him more believable? What does that even mean?
That’s the point. It’s your list. So difficult. Mine would change every week. Tough to nail down’why?’ I enjoyed this. Thank you Vera. Happy New Year.
This is my ranking!
I've included a brief explanation for the placement of each one.
25. The Power of the Doctor
Chibnall ruined Sacha Dhawan,'s Master, ruined the Lone Cyberman, and overstuffed the episode with unnecessary cameos and nostalgia trips. The only special that is actively painful for me to watch.
24. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
Just white noise really.
23. Planet of the Dead
A very poorly written episode that is full of character clichés.
22. The Husbands of River Song
I find River Song to be incredibly grating, and with both Matt Lucas and Greg Davies being quite grating in this too I had a real rough time watching this one.
21. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
Doctor Mysterio and his love interest were far too self-righteous to be likable, and it wasn't anywhere near as fun as you'd expect for a superhero story.
20. Legend of the Sea Devils
I choose to believe Chibnall had just given up trying to write a good script by this point.
19. Revolution of the Daleks
The whole episode is a mess. A harmless mess, but a mess nonetheless.
18. The Snowmen
Unfortunately very cookie cutter and uninspiring, despite the acting talent on offer.
17. Twice Upon a Time
Haaaate the way the 1st Doctor is depicted in this, but I'm glad we got Rusty back.
16. The Runaway Bride
Donna was largely unlikable in this which was to the episode's detriment, but the moment at the end where Donna tells him he needs someone to help him get more in touch with his human side was a nice touch.
15. The Church on Ruby Road
Aside from the Goblin Song and the twist with Mrs Flood which were both great additions, I found the episode to be pretty uneventful.
14. Resolution
While the episode is passable, the whole appeal of the Daleks is while their shell makes them look tough, it hides how weak and pathetic they really are on the inside. The Reconnaissance Dalek completely flies in the face of that messaging.
13. The Giggle
There's a lot of individual great moments in this one, but in its entirety it doesn't quite click together.
12. The Next Doctor
The "Next Doctor" in question steals the show, just a shame his story ultimately goes nowhere.
11. The Day of the Doctor
The episode has lots of fun moments, but whenever the War Doctor is in shot he often puts a dampener on the the tone. Tennant and Smith have great chemistry though.
10. The Christmas Invasion
The episode does start weak, but 10s confrontation with the Sycorax leader, and then later with Bridget Jones, are for me two of the greatest ever 10th Doctor moments.
9. The Waters of Mars
Great concept, so so execution but made up for by Tennant selling his Doctor's inner turmoil so convincingly.
8. The Star Beast
A wonderful reunion of Tennant's Doctor and Donna, coupled with with a fun villain and satisfying conclusion to the Doctor-Donna arc.
7. The End of Time
David Tennant, Timothy Dalton and John Simm and give off massive The Good, The Bad and the Ugly vibes. In a good way.
6. Eve of the Daleks
The ever decreasing time loop does a great job at sucking you into the story and making you invested in watching the characters try to escape from it.
5. Wild Blue Yonder
Just a bonkers episode and I love it for that, even if the cold open and VFX are a little wonky.
4. The Time of the Doctor
After all this 100 words per minute rambles we've seen him do during his run, it was nice to see Smith's Doctor get a chance to slow down and show his tender side before his regeneration.
3. Voyage of the Damned
A great example of why Tennant is at his best when he has to think on his feet, made even more tense by the Alien-esque ship with claustrophobic corridors.
2. A Christmas Carol
A fresh take on the story with a beautiful, tear-wrenching love story at its core.
1. Last Christmas
An exceptional blend of suspense and sci-fi madness that makes for one hell of a thrill ride.
Matt Lucas*
@@Venemofthe888 Thanks for the correction!
"Chibnall ruined Sacha Dhawan,'s Master, ruined the Lone Cyberman" what? how? And Power of the Doctor is an anniversary episode (specifically for the BBC's centenary) so the cameos and nostalgia trips weren't unnecessary and they were thematically effective to the story itself, the POWER of the Doctor!
True@@friendlyotaku9525
Wild Blue Wounder really gave me hope for this new era for Doctor Who.
War Doctor: Hello...
Tenth: I'm the Doctor...
Eleventh: Sorry about the Dalek.
Clara: Also the showing off.
'Day of the Doctor' is my absolute favourite.
When the Doctor does his over the top reaction with the tardis in the husbands of river song makes me laugh much more than it should
25: Legend of the Sea Devils
24: The Return of Doctor Mysterio
23: Planet of the Dead
22: The Doctor, the Widdow and the Wardrobe
21: Revolution of the Daleks
20: Resolution
19: Eve of the Daleks
18: The Next Doctor
17: Voyage of the Damned
16: Power of the Doctor
15: The Snowmen
14: The Church on Ruby Road
13: The Husbands of River Song
12: Twice Upon a Time
11: Time of the Doctor
10: The Star Best
9: Last Christmas
8: The Runaway Bride
7: The Christmas Invasion
6: The End of Time, Part 1 & 2
5: The Giggle
4: A Christmas Carol
3: Day of the Doctor
2: The Waters of Mars
1: Wild Blue Yonder
The fact that the half of the bottom half has been all the episodes we've had for 2 YEARS is something.
Yeah, I feel like in general the specials got better as time went on
This seems like you're just warping a certain statistic to say something completely absurd.
For example: "We polled 1000 people and out of them, 3 choked (not died) on a potato chip. Same 1000 people, 1 person choked on a pretzel"
And so:
"Pretzels, the snack 3x safer than potato chips!"
(Don McMillan)
@@landlighterfirestar5550 I’m sorry but was this in response to something else here? I have a hard time trying to figure out what’s being said… unless I’m being trolled and are too stupid to realize that.
@@HankbotYour original comment (half of the bottom half has been all the episodes we've had for 2 years) just isn't true, and even if it was, why does that specific statistic matter?
@@HankbotAdditionally, 4 out of the top 6 have been the specials we've had most recently.
Unless I misunderstood your comment? I thought you meant that the most recent specials we've had are filling up the bottom of the list, i.e. the most recent stuff is the worst
Edit: I think I did misunderstand. I thought you meant bottom half as in 25-12 but you meant bottom end as in 12-1 didn't you?
I agree on Day of the Doctor. Tennant and Smith had such a great dynamic, and that's what made it work for me. Both willing to goof off, but also calling each other out on their Doctor-isms. Also I loved the very ending with Tom Baker as the Curator. The implications of that ate at me until this year, because I feel like the bi-generation gives me an answer to who the Curator is after all this time.
" gives me an answer to who the Curator is after all this time." How so? The Giggle pretty much tells us that 14 will eventually regenerate into 15 and be brought back to the point of the Bigeneration. When it comes to the Curator I feel like it's always been obvious that he's supposed to be the Doctor at the very end of their life.
Exactly! Thanks for pointing that out; I also feel the Curator must be a bi-generation of Tom Baker's Doctor.
@@friendlyotaku9525 You said it, "eventually". There's no way they laid out specific rules and guidelines for something that up to that moment was mythologically impossible. There's nothing stopping them from saying he goes through any number of regenerations to resolve his issues. The Curator himself said it "And in years to come you might find yourself revisiting a few... but just the old favorites, eh?" To me that sounds exactly like what's happening with the bi-generation.
@chrisblake4198 nah I think it's just this incarnation. And then he becomes Ncuti's Doctor.
This was enjoyable! I agree for the most part. I must be one of the few people in the world that didn’t mind when Chibnall did away with the Christmas specials, I’m not a grinch or anything, but I don’t enjoy Christmas themed-movies or shows for the most part. The Dalek specials were some of Chibnall’s best writing, I enjoyed the recognizance Dalek concept as well as the idea that it would build itself a new casing, loved that design. Of the new specials, Wild Blue Yonder was my fave too, not just because it was creepy and weird. This is where the Fourteenth Doctor first appears for me. In Star Beast, the Doctor could’ve been the Tenth. But here, it’s like the weight of the universe just landed on his narrow shoulders, and I see how devastated he feels inside, and just as he is about to confide in his best friend, it turns out it’s not her. It crushes him, and for a moment, he looks defeated. He steels himself and recovers, but not fully. That weight is even heavier in The Giggle. Still, he pushes forward. I agree with you about the bi-generation, it works perfectly for this Doctor, but I don’t want to see it again, unless it’s to rejoin 14 with 15 (no clue if that’s how it’s going to work). Having rewatched some of series 3 and 4 recently, I can appreciate how Tennant played these two Doctors very differently.
But nothing beats Day of the Doctor for being just plain fun! Totally deserves the #1 spot.
I think Time of the Doctor could have been a bit higher, and I understand your reasoning that it was a regeneration episode, but I think about it a bit differently.
Yes, Eleven regenerates this episode, but he was supposed to die here, and the episode itself played it up to be the proper end, not just to Matt Smith, but the doctor himself, which is why I like all the callbacks and past enemies appearing.
To sum it up, this felt more like a series finale to me up until he got the new regenerations. More of an episode that happened to have a regeneration, as opposed to a regeneration episode.
Sometimes, I feel like I am the only fan who likes The Time of the Doctor.
Ill just give my top 10
10 christmas carol
9 last christmas
8 power of the doctor
7 wild blue yonder
6 husbands of riversong
5 End of time
4 day of the doctor
3 Twice upon a time
2 Waters of Mars
1 Time of the doctor
Twice upon a time is probably bottom ten for me. The total misrepresentation of the First Doctor is too much for me to overlook. Before I watched the first couple seasons of classic it was much higher for me too
Having some Chibnall episodes above Waters of Mars is wild. But, your opinion. For me it would be an easy first place.
Re "the Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" I think it's a lot better in my head than it is in reality. I can imagine a brain of it in my head that's close to what we saw, but better in a couple of important ways
Love your #1, cannot be denied. All the others, esp yr top 10, swim vaguely about the same for me.
Personally love the Widow & the Wardrobe, as a mom & Narnia lover (& Matt Smith stan)
Also adore Last Chrisrmas bc that was actually my dad’s last Christmas, which was beautiful, and some lines in there still make me cry. Also Nick Frost is amazing. The whole story is gorgeous, timey sci fi weirdness especially. Whether it’s Clara’s last is totally aside the point. I’m glad it has a happy ending tho. Works for me!
Obvs personal attachment can really make an ep, eap at Christmas maybe, if that’s your thing.
My main issue that really sours The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe for me is the kind of out-of-place female empowerment message. I get it, and normally I’d be all for it, but having the whole “he is weak, she is strong” mothership thing in the same episode where her husband is presumed dead because he had to comfort his comrades while he thought they were flying to their deaths in the middle of a brutal war just really sours it for me. Otherwise, I like pretty much everything else in the episode
27:24 best part of that line is if he had ever met someone unimportant, that would make them important , because they’re the only one
Day of the Doctor suffers from a huge Christopher Eccleston shaped hole
It does, friend. It does. And it aches...
And the 60th specials have a lot more holes
Id also point out one of my favourite parts of Resolution and the recon dalek is when Lynn fights back against the dalek, when it screams 'stop' it sounds like the original dalek voice. Neat and fun detail.
Yeah, you definitely let your love of Capaldi dictate some of these positions.
The Husbands of River Song being ahead of A Christmas Carol is criminal 🙃
Firstly, I know that the Clara fake exit from Last Christmas was due to it actually being written as her ending, and then Jenna Coleman stayed. However, if that had been her exit, her growing old would have been such a good one! We know that Moffatt based Amy and the Doctor originally on Wendy and Peter Pan (or at least, he saw the potential parallels), so I don't think it would be a stretch to suggest that Clara being too old to travel now might have been another Wendy nod. Although it might have been a better exit for Amy, which I suppose it kind of is. And then the Doctor, much like Peter Pan, goes off on adventures with her daughter, River!
The Snowmen is one of my comfort episodes. It came out when I was in a bad place mentally, and I feel like that episode represented me more than most other episodes did at the times of their originally airings.
Can't disagree with you here tbh. I do have to point this out in relation to Bernard Cribbins. He is childhood to my generation. This guy read to us. every night of the week. Basically we love and adore him and we miss him.
My top 5:
1. A Christmas Carol... I just really enjoyed this in all it's sappy glory
2. Voyage of the Damned cause...Kylie Minogue
3. Last Christmas A true mind f_ck
4. Husbands of River Song. I love River Song and I cried at the end
5. The Doctor, the Widow, and The Wardrobe This doesn't get much love...but I really enjoyed it along with it's message.
My favs have to be
1: The Waters of Mars.
2: The Wild Blue Yonder.
Yeah... I like horror movies 😅
FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO APPRECIATES TWICE UPON A TIME.
I enjoyed it because after the all-action, manic energy of The Doctor Falls, we got a slower, more "chill" episode about letting go and coming to terms with change.
My DW specials ranking
1. The Waters of Mars
2. Day of the Doctor
3. Wild Blue Yonder
4. End of Time
5. The Giggle
6. Christmas Carol
7. Power of the Doctor
8. Last Christmas
9. Voyage of the Damned
10. The Star Beast
11. Resolution of the Daleks
12. The Church on Ruby Road
13. The Runaway Bride
14. Eve of the Daleks
15. The Next Doctor
16. The Christmas Invasion
17. Husbands of River Song
18. Twice upon a Time
19. Revolution of the Daleks
20. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
21. The Snowmen
22. Time of the Doctor
23. The Doctor, The Widow and, The Wardrobe
24. Planet of the Dead
25. Legend of the Sea Devils
As someone with sometimes bad mental health issues, the quote from A Christmas Carol has really helped in dark times. And the sincerity in his delivery makes me cry every time. Forever grateful for that episode 🤍
Excellent ranking. Its hard to say what my ranking would be, I would have Capaldi's specials up high, but also I haven't seen all of them, I did understand your choices on them.
My list:
25. The Return Of Dr. Mysterio
24. Legend Of The Sea Devils
23. The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe
22. The Next Doctor
21. The Husbands Of River Song
20. Twice Apon A Time
19. Planet Of The Dead
18. The Giggle
17. The End Of Time
16. Voage Of The Dammed
15. Christmas Invasion
14. The Church On Ruby Road
13. Time Of The Doctor
12. The Star Beast
11. The Runaway Bride
10. Resolution
9. Eve Of The Daleks
8. Power Of The Doctor
7. The Snowmen (Sue Me)
6. A Christmas Carol
5. Wild Blue Yonder
4. The Waters Of Mars
3. Revolution Of The Daleks
2. Last Christmas
1. Day Of The Doctor
Husbands tops them all for me. The lighthearted comedic tone of the front end makes the punch to the gut even more impactful when the leads finally realize what’s happening
I enjoy last Christmas. I like the brain crab idea and the dream with in dreams idea was fun. I’m not against the idea of twisting a Xmas story to be a bit more tense or a horror idea. I mean, my favourite Xmas specials of everything are Xmas story from Futurama, the American dad specials, and road to the North Pole from family guy.
I'll be honest, Day of the Doctor is my favorite episode of the shows history. Unfortunately I despise Eve of the Daleks with a passion, to me it was everything wrong with Chibnall's era, it had mediocre at best side characters, I am so tired of the Doctor and companion having a romance of any kind (I prefer when the Doctor is presented as ace), and it made the Doctor stupid. One single moment entirely ruins that episode as a whole for me. It's when, at the start, the Doctor is facing a Dalek, there are 2 dead bodies (sad) and a Dalek blocking the front door (uh-oh) however there are still 2 hallways to her right and left, as well as an elevator behind her (maybe not the best exit at that moment, but still an option) so what does she do? She tries to use her Sonic Screwdriver on it (which has *never* worked on Daleks because that would be dumb, despite the claim she makes there) and when that doesn't work she just stands there, she doesn't use any exits, she doesn't try to avoid the Dalek she just stands there and dies, keep in mind, she doesn't know about the time loop yet, she just lets a Dalek kill her, just the one Dalek, a creature sbe has faced thousands of times, a creature she went to war against, a creature that has been genetically engineered to not feel fear yet still fears her. Yet she let it kill her. I also completely don't buy that the Daleks would have had an elite hit squad for however long and not sent it at her, she's the Doctor! Dalek enemy number one, you shouldn't have needed a specific "crime against the Daleks" to send this after her, she has nearly wiped your species out more times than I care to count, ypu are SCARED of her, she was there when you were made and she will probably be the one to unmale you at the end of your species's time. Flux is not the worst thing she's done to you. Also, very minor point to end this, but a Dalek that needs a gatling gun is an ineffective Dalek, because it can't hit its target with one shot.
Can you do a video on one of your channels about what’s on the shelves behind you? I’ve been curious for a long while now…
Oooooooh... That'd be nice... ❤
ua-cam.com/video/zkzqd0-DAh4/v-deo.html
I love the ranking of A Christmas Carol. It grows on me more every time I watch it.
For me:
Ones I actually LOVE:
1. Waters of Mars
2. Wild Blue Yonder
3. Power of the Doctor
4. Resolution (of the Daleks)
5. The Giggle
6. The Christmas Invasion
7. Revolution (of the Daleks)
9. Last Christmas
10. Eve of the Daleks
Ones that are pretty flawed, but I still like:
11. Voyage of the Damned
12. The Star Beast
13. Church on Ruby Road
14. End of Time (parts 1 and 2)
15. The Next Doctor
16. Day of the Doctor
17. Christmas Carol
18. The Snowmen
19. Legend of the Sea Devils
Ones I acrively dislike:
20. Twice Upon a Time
21. Runaway Bride
21. Time of the Doctor
22. Husbands of River Song
23. Planet of the Dead
24. The Doctor The Widow and the Wardrobe
25. Return of Doctor Mysterio
Great list! Definitely feel like the specials can either give Doctor Who’s highest highs and lowest lows. With the exception of legend of the sea devils, I’d probably say 13th Doctor had some of the strongest and most consistent specials for that era, with some even being the best episodes of the era period!
My list would probably be
25. Planet of the Dead
24. Legend of the Sea Devils
23. Voyage of the Damned
22. The Next Doctor
21. The Doctor, Widow and The Wardrobe
20. The Christmas Invasion
19. The Time of The Doctor
18. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
17. The End of Time
16. The Runaway Bride
15. The Star Beast
14. The Church on Ruby Road
13. Revolution of the Daleks
12. Resolution
11. The Day of The Doctor
10. The Snowmen
9. Twice Upon A Time
8. Wild Blue Yonder
7. The Giggle
6. Waters of Mars
5. A Christmas Carol
4. The Power of The Doctor
3. Last Christmas
2. Eve of the Daleks
1. Husbands of River Song
My ranking:
25. Twice Upon a Time
24. The Snowmen
23. Planet of the Dead
22. Legend of the Sea Devils
21. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
20. The Next Doctor
19. The Time of the Doctor
18. The Runaway Bride
17. A Christmas Carol
16. Last Christmas
15. The End of Time
14. Eve of the Daleks
13. The Return of Doctor Mysterio
12. The Husbands of River Song
11. Wild Blue Yonder
10. Revolution of the Daleks
9. The Christmas Invasion
8. The Power of the Doctor
7. Voyage of the Damned
6. Resolution
5. The Star Beast
4. The Church on Ruby Road
3. The Giggle
2. The Day of the Doctor
1. The Waters of Mars
I think my favorite specials would be Wild Blue Yonder, The Day of the Doctor, The Waters of Mars, The Husbands of River Song, and The Giggle... not necessarily in that order. I'm happy to see some love for Eve of the Daleks though, because I actually really enjoy that episode. I'd say it's one of my favorite episodes of the Chibnall era overall.
I hate to admit I'm not a fan of A Christmas Carol though. A lot of fans seem to love that one, and it just doesn't do much for me. Hard to pin down exactly why.
Even if it isn’t included in this list, I’d love to see your thoughts on the 20th anniversary special “The Five Doctors”.
I'll get around to a classic review of it eventually (though it'll go up over on the Break Room of Geeks when it happens).
999@@CouncilofGeeks
Maybe 14's retirement leads to The Curator from the 50th Anniversary Special.
It amazes me how much we can agree and disagree at the same time. I'm totally not oka with a great portion of the top, but you put The Day of The Doctor first and Wild Blue Yonder second and I love you for that. Those are my absolute favorites too. And even if we have very different opinions on probably half of the episodes, I really apreciate how honest and loyal to your own thoughts you are. You're quite coherent with yourself and you stick to it no matter what, and it's a pleasure to hear you explaining with such detail and passion every choise you made.
So glad you think Waters of Mars is over-rated too. I used to think it was a masterpiece but on a recent rewatching I realised that my imagination had done a lot more of the work than the story did.
I think it's got great potential in it's ideas but really doesn't realise it fully. The supporting cast are great but (other than Adelaide) have really tacked on character beats. And there was brilliant potential for the paranoia of "who drank the water, who is safe" but instead that tension is never really realised because they realise they're safe too quickly. The pacing and structure of the story while fine never quite lands either.
The timelord victorious was interesting but again doesn't feel like the most natural progression (for the character; yes, but in this story the way it's written; no)
It's good ideas- great infact - but just lackluster execution. It feels like both writers for this just couldn't quite gel their ideas and story style so they were both compramising and taking the easiest solution.
26:06 The thing is: they were gonna give her this gorgeous sign off because Jenna was gonna leave but at the very last minute she changed her mind so they reshot it by adding the scene where the is young again. So it doesn’t come completely out of nowhere.
I don’t know why they didn’t change the whole scene outright…probably because they didn’t have the time, I don’t know.
I wasn't that keen on the time loop one but remember very much looking forward to it. I love a good time loop. (Outer Wilds anyone?) It being so high on your list makes me want to rewatch it. Sometimes things don't click for me the first time when expectations are so high so perhaps will appreciate it more on a second viewing.
I remember lacking a real explanation for the time loop shortening, and too many "Daleks do not [X]" jokes, but I think it was among Chibnall's best episodes. One of the few I genuinely enjoyed lol
Legend of the Sea Devils being such a standard episode for a Special is a shame because I really do like it as a standard episode, but it just had to be a Special...
I love husbands of River Song, probably my favorite, but The Day of The Doctor deserves the top 1
I personally think the CGI in wild blue yonder works. Yea, it does look real, and that works for those characters, they shouldn’t exist in the universe, so why would they look real. Only think I thinks failed on cgi for the episode was some of the shots of the hallway
So, did anyone else respond to "But which of the specials is truly special?" in the intro with "The Chimes of Midnight"?
Two things I disagree with you on;
1) I do think that how Christmassy or how celebratory a special feels is relevant. In my mind anniversary special should feel like it is celebrating the show as a starting requirement, and Christmas episodes are best when Christmassy.
2) I think of ‘A Christmas Carol’ as the gold standard/platonic ideal of Christmas specials. I think it is the perfect culmination of strong episode and strong celebration of Christmas that no other special quite manages.
I could go over other thoughts about other individual specials, but then this would be a mini essay. Nice choice for the #1 spot btw.
So you like cosmic horror? I think in Wild Blue Yonder, the villains were heavily cheapened by being rational enough to have a conversation and be tricked by superstition. I liked the episode for other reasons but didn't find it scary. Midnight seems like the deepest they've ever gone into cosmic horror, and I'm all for them making more episodes like that. The issue obviously is keeping it family friendly.
My list is so much different to yours but it's interesting to hear your positive opinions on stories I don't really like and negative opinions on stories I do. My list is almost a reverse of yours haha.
I agree with your final 1 but some of the others I'd do differently. I must be the only person who really didn't like Power of the Doctor. It was just more of the FLUX "lets throw everything at the wall and see what sticks whether it makes sense or not" kind vibe to it that really just isn't good storytelling to me. Also retreading Tegan & Ace story beats that have already been covered in extended media, just feels lazy to me. You want to make me happy for a companion return, make it be Romana post Time War, make it Sgt Benton helping out UNIT again, or Mike Yates. This to me was a wasted used of Ace and Tegan, it was like Chibs just picked two who knew The Master.
My 25 would probably bump up Husbands of River Song up to 5 to replace Power, then Time of the Doctor to flip with that again, to put Power at 22nd.
Fun video! If I sat down and really thought about it, my rankings would be very close to yours with a few exceptions. Enjoyed it! ❤
My guess is legend of the sea devils will be bottom but you do like pirates so who knows
My top 3: 1) Waters of Mars, 2) Husbands of River Song, 3) Wild Blue Yonder; and the three worst ones are Sea Devils, New Doctor, and The Time of the Doctor.
Special chibnall being so good compared to series showrunner chibnall is so bizarre, but I do tend to agree that besides sea devils they are all largely very good.
Twice upon a time is so emotinal and like it a lot!
My favourite of the Christmas specials is probably A Christmas Carol. Mostly drawing on my love for the Dickens story and I love how it was reworked into a Doctor Who context, rather than just inserting the characters and elements into the A Christmas Carol template like a lot of shows do. I don’t really care for a lot of the specials to be honest, especially the Davies-era.
Finally someone who agrees with me on the runaway bride. Love Donna love Christmas but this special I don’t like
This is gonna be delicious.
Edit: As fortold. It was delicious. 😊
Speaking of Last Christmas, every time I've seen it I've been really impressed with how well Jenna Coleman plays the older Clara. She's doesn't just *look* old, she speaks like an old lady, she uses the intonation and mannerisms of an old lady while still clearly being Clara. It makes me think Coleman is a significantly better actor than she gets credit for.
I saw Day of The Doctor as a 3D cinematic release in a packed house at my local cinema, so it's bound to rank especially highly with me - and I agree on the Number 1 slot for that special. I don't have any issue with the list as you have it, but I ranked The Star Beast just above ...Ruby Road (the sing-song bit grated on me). The list is, of course, YOUR list, and stands as it is just fine, needing no challenge.
We agree that Day of the Doctor is the best so everything else is automatically correct teeheehee.
I guess biggest disagreement is I love The Snowmen and the Chibnall specials I have trouble remembering just because I can never remember what happens through a disconnect I have while watching that probably isn’t fair. Eve of the Daleks is the big exception, I love that one. Another thing I didn’t like is The Giggle, not because bi-generation, which I agree with you on, but because of the final battle with the Toymaker. It didn’t feel climactic. Playing with balls doesn’t feel like the Doctor using his skills to outwit the villain, just because since when was he really known for being able to play catch that well?
Does David Tennent’s Doctor from “The Giggle” eventually become the Curator from “Day of the Doctor”?
Its nice to read rankings where its clear that the personal likes/dislikes of the reviewer are front and centre in an honest...I don't like these type of things so thats why its low... fashion. It promotes reflection and discussion and as someone who does rate the fairytale style and certain likes Snowmen far more than the Wardrobe, its nice to listen and still disagree, but enjoy the discussion.
My least favourite special is probably Planet of the Dead.
It's really, really boring, and Christina isn't great. That alone would be enough to put it really low on my list - but what makes it the worst are the aliens.
Not just the fact that they're yet again a human animal/bug but on two legs, but the noise they make. It is unbearable. I watched it recently and I just... I couldn't cope with it. Every time they were in a scene, my hands were immediately over my ears to try and block it out. It's probably made worse due to my autism, but I can't imagine that being appealing to anyone...
Although Legend of the Sea Devils was also rubbish. Easter specials really have it rough, don't they?
For me, Planet of the Dead at least has good performances by David Tennant and Malcolm (I forget the actor's name...). Those are enough to make it more enjoyable for me than a couple of the later ones, but yeah, it's fairly weak
@@klop4228 Malcolm is played by stand up comedian Lee Evans. 🙂
I don't understand the hate for planet of the dead. It's just a mid tier episode that isn't super good or super bad.
@@ThanhTriet600 There's nothing really to understand, it's just different opinion.
Why do you think "least favourite" translates to hate? Nobody in this thread expressed hate for it, nor do most fans outside of this. 🙂
@@ThanhTriet600 Like I said, I would agree if the noises the aliens made weren't as bad as they were. As a result, it is the only Doctor Who episode I find to be literally unwatchable - I need to skip it.
Personally I'd rank 10 and 14 together, I view 14 as a retroactive epilogue for 10 rather than a separate incarnation.
I would have had Voyage of the Damned at the very bottom and the Husbands of River Song higher. But, you know, not my list.
I do wish you had stated in chronological order at the beginning (or presented a list so you didn't have to state) the specials you were ranking. You just said 25 and I panicked wondering if I remembered what all the specials were.
Have you ever done a ranking of regeneration episodes/stories? That would be fun
Doctor Who Regenerations RANKED!
ua-cam.com/video/AYzpZxFXKrQ/v-deo.html
Time of the doctor is the only episode I've fallen asleep to
I am so excited for this video.
Classic who specials would get messy very quickly considering we all just adopted rememberence of the daleks as the 25th anniversary and tried to quitely forget about silver nemesis lmao 😂
Hard agree on #10. Indeed, a beautiful ending for Clara.
My own rankings:
The best:
"The Day of the Doctor"
"The Giggle" = "The Star Beast"
"Wild Blue Yonder"
"A Christmas Carol"
Still re-watchable
"The End of Time - Part One"
"The Christmas Invasion"
"The Snowmen"
"Planet of the Dead"
"Last Christmas"
Ok-to-Boring:
"The Waters of Mars"
"The Return of Doctor Mysterio"
"The Time of the Doctor"
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"
"The Next Doctor"
Less enjoyable:
"The Runaway Bride"
"Voyage of the Damned"
"The Husbands of River Song"
"Resolution" = "Revolution of the Daleks" = "Eve of the Daleks"
"Twice Upon a Time"
(Almost) Unwatchable:
"Legend of the Sea Devils"
"The End of Time - Part Two"
"The Church on Ruby Road" = "The Power of the Doctor"
(I'd argue for classic/wilderness years Who the specials are The Five Doctors, The TVM, The Curse of Fatal Death, and... _sighs_ Dimensions in Time. Not sure that's going to impact the rankings too much. Well, maybe except for The Five Doctors)
Finally some love for the doctor the widow and the wardrobe! I love that episode!
The only special from the 20th century run of the show is The Five Doctors, I would have said. The Three Doctors opens the tenth season, but it's much closer to the 9th anniversary than it is the 10th. Obviously, you're not doing spinoffs, so K-9 and Company wouldn't count. I can't remember if you've seen The Five Doctors, but it would interesting to know where you'd place it.
Does Dimensions in Time count?
@@Xavier.living.life. I wouldn't have thought so, as they were two short charity episodes.
Tend to agree.
I had some enjoyment of the new specials, especially Wild Blue Yonder, but all of them would be lower in my ranking having gone back to them.
Agree with Power of the Doctor, Twice Upon a Time and Day of the Doctor all being near or at the top.
Adding the classic series into your ranking is really easy. There are only 2 stories that aren’t part of a regular season: The Five Doctors, and the TV Movie.
Snowmen had a good ending as well. I'd have put it higher than xmas invasion. Actually i'd have put them all higher than xmas invasion.... Widow and wardrobe doesn't get the love it deserves. Him blundering in trying to help followed by the chaos is a lot of fun.
Lovely episode. Don't agree with everything, but really enjoyed your takes. :)
Good video. I agree with number 1. But I really love the Christmas Carol episode!
Your thoughts on The Power of the Doctor helped me realise the cognitive dissonance that I had with that episode. There are very few things I liked about the Chibnall era but I LOVED this episode. It was so much fun and so many incredible aspects of it but it came in such a terrible era that it felt weird to me
#11: ...I will readily Grant you...".... OK did you do that on purpose?!?! Boy, that was an amazing pun! Twice!
I like The doctor, the witch and the wardrobe and I love Madge but the whole time I can only see and heart the mum from outnumbered
Good to see some love for eve of the Daleks. Very good story!! Same for twice upon a time and power of the doctor
Honourable mention to The Five Doctors, the 20th Anniversary 'Special', it's probably not gonna be on the video but still. Also Dishonourable mention to Dimensions in Time, may it burn in the deepest depths...
I would give Dimensions in time a little slack being it was made for children in need and not for the the actual show since it wasn’t being made in1993 that doesn’t mean I think it’s good but it’s on par with the quality of doctor content that was being made for children in need until that point
I loved The Five(ish) Doctors. The best special? Maybe... 😂
Interesting hearing you talk about the individual stories, but a ranking where you mash Christmas, Anniversary, Regeneration and 'we couldn't get a full season, so we'll call these specials' together is just jarring, so as a whole this didn't quite click for me.
Can't argue with your #1 pick though.
Great video!
Still surprised there has never been a Halloween special
Halloween apocalypse has entered the chat haha
@@nathanielfarkas4431 Oh, you right😂
BOOO on the Church on Ruby Roses ranking!!😊😊😂❤