Doctor Who: 9 most unforgettable episodes from the classic series, ranked

Doctor Who is a sci-fi show that debuted way back in 1963. It has been this wild, unpredictable trip through all of time and space. Blame (or thank) Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson for unleashing this on the BBC. The Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord from alien from Gallifrey, who zips around time and space in a ship disguised as a British police box called the TARDIS.

The best bit is that the Doctor cheats death by regenerating — new face, new vibe, same relentless curiosity. That is why you have got everything from William Hartnell being all grumpy granddad to Sylvester McCoy doing whatever it was he was doing in the late ’80s. Every actor brings their own energy, and that’s how the show keeps dodging the axe and reinventing itself instead of just fading away.

The classic run — 1963 to 1989, plus that 1996 TV movie — serves up a buffet of bizarre plots, rubbery monsters, and big ideas. Some of it is genius, some is bonkers, and sometimes it is both at once. Seven Doctors, nearly 700 episodes, and enough cliffhangers. Whether they are in the French Revolution or dodging Daleks on some radioactive wasteland, the Doctor and their crew always find trouble.

Let’s not forget the villains: Daleks screeching “EXTERMINATE!,” Cybermen clanking around like haunted refrigerators, and the Master being… well, a drama queen with a death wish. It has all become British pop culture gold, and Doctor Who has never shied away from asking big questions about right, wrong, and what it means to be human — or not.

Back in the day, stories stretched over weeks, building up tension and letting the characters breathe. That slow-burn style is kind of unique for the time. Additionally, the classic series laid down all the weird lore — regeneration, Time Lords, the whole cosmic fight between good and evil. Basically, if modern Doctor Who is a fancy cocktail, this is the strong, slightly dubious spirit underneath it.

And look, it’s not just a UK thing. The fingerprints of Doctor Who are all over sci-fi, from books to comics to endless conventions where people argue about which Doctor was best. The classic episodes are especially beloved for just going for it, even if it meant risking a total trainwreck.

Now, picking just nine of the most unforgettable classic stories from Doctor Who, it’s almost impossible. But we shall try.

So, here’s a list of Doctor Who episodes that left a mark. Whether you are into timey-wimey ethical chaos or just love a good rubber monster, these episodes are the ones that made Doctor Who a legend.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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9 unforgettable Doctor Who episodes

Genesis of the Daleks (Fourth Doctor, 1975)

The Time Lords send the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Harry out of their comfort zones and drop them into Skaro with a mission to stop the Daleks from ever being a thing, or at least alter their origin story. The Doctor ends up toe-to-toe with Davros, this bonkers genius who created the Daleks in the first place, and it is all about this brutal, spine-tingling question — does anyone really have the right to wipe out an entire species, even if they are Daleks?

So, why does this story just stick in your brain? Genesis of the Daleks isn’t just another Doctor Who episode—it’s *the* episode people keep bringing up. It is all tangled up in deep stuff: What does it mean to do the right thing? How far would you go to stop evil, and whether meddling in history is ever justified?

Plus, Davros shows up and just completely owns the screen, and then there is the Doctor, standing there with that famous “Have I the right?” moment. The whole thing rewrote the rules for Doctor Who, made the Daleks way more terrifying, and left the Doctor haunted forever.

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The caves of Androzani (Fifth Doctor, 1984)

The Doctor (Peter Davison) and Peri basically stumble into the mother of all messes on Androzani Minor — a planet where they find life-extending substance. There is double-crossing, shootouts, backstabbing, and both of them get poisoned. The Doctor has got to scramble, risking it all, just to save Peri’s skin.

Why is this one burned into fans’ brains? Simple: It is a banger, dark, gritty, and everyone is just a little bit awful.

Davison, in his swan song, absolutely crushes it. He brings some real pain and heroism. Additionally, Graeme Harper’s directing feels more like a blockbuster than old-school TV. If you are only gonna watch one classic Doctor Who, this is the one to check out — no contest.

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City of Death (Fourth Doctor, 1979)

In Paris, we have art heists, time shenanigans, and a green-faced alien named Scaroth who is the last of his kind. The Doctor and Romana just wanted a nice holiday, but now they are knee-deep in a plot that is about to alter the whole timeline.

The “City of Death” is a classic. Douglas Adams sprinkled his trademark snark and genius all over the script. The whole vibe is just electric. You have got Paris looking gorgeous, guest stars chewing scenery, and sharp dialogues. No wonder fans keep banging on about it — it is the Doctor Who episode that’s impossible to top.

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Remembrance of the Daleks (Seventh Doctor, 1988)

Back in swinging 1963 London, the Doctor and Ace drop in the middle of a Dalek civil war. Two Dalek gangs are beefing over the Hand of Omega — a Time Lord device that is fundamentally a cosmic nuke. It is a callback to where Doctor Who kicked off, mashing old-school vibes with new tricks.

Why does it stick? Well, for starters, it gave the Daleks a much-needed tune-up and let the Seventh Doctor flex in ways we hadn’t seen before. It has got laser fights, sly digs at real-world prejudice, and many nods to Who history. The whole serial just crackles with energy — one of the high points before the classic run wrapped.

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Pyramids of Mars (Fourth Doctor, 1975)

The Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane Smith just pop into 1911 England — all proper, all downtrodden, until ancient alien Sutekh crashes the party. The guy is a nightmare ripped from Egyptian mythology, hellbent on busting out of his tomb and trashing the whole planet.

So, you have got the Doc versus killer robot mummies, a moody mansion, and the fate of the world dangling by a thread.

What makes “Pyramids of Mars” unforgettable? It is the whole package. Creepy direction, Sutekh being terrifying, and the back-and-forth between Baker and Elisabeth Sladen.

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The War Games (Second Doctor, 1969)

The Doctor and his crew land in the middle of total chaos — literal war zones everywhere. Except it is not Earth, but some random alien planet. Soldiers from every timeline you can think of are all just fighting each other.

For what? Turns out, these shady folks called the War Lords are running a messed-up Hunger Games, trying to mash together the ultimate army from history’s greatest hits. Things get so out of hand that the Doctor has to phone home for backup. They even snatch him up and exile him.

You don’t just watch this one, you survive it. Ten parts! It completely blows open the Doctor’s universe — first time we meet the Time Lords, first look at Gallifrey. The scale is wild, the choices are brutal, and the Doctor getting exiled just to save his friends is the kind of twist that made Doctor Who a legend.

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The Tomb of the Cybermen (Second Doctor, 1967)

The Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria are tagging along with some archaeologists on Telos. They stumble on super sketchy frozen tombs packed with Cybermen. And someone pokes the wrong thing, and metal nightmares wake up, and all hell breaks loose.

Why is this one legendary? Well, firstly, people thought the whole serial was gone forever until it miraculously resurfaced in the '90s. That alone makes it feel like a treasure out of a lost vault. But, it is the mood — tense, shadows everywhere, and that vibe that something is about to go horribly wrong.

The Cybermen are not messing around. And, Troughton’s Doctor is weird, clever, and you get these moments where he is both a total oddball and surprisingly warm.

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The Curse of Fenric (Seventh Doctor, 1989)

It is the middle of WWII, everyone is stressed out, and the Doctor — Sylvester McCoy, rocking his umbrella and question-mark sweater — shows up with Ace at some gloomy British naval base. Turns out, there is this freaky Norse god called Fenric messing with literally everyone. He is trying to bust out of his ancient prison while the Doctor and Ace scramble to keep up. Meanwhile, Ace has got a suitcase full of emotional baggage, and this drags up secrets she would rather torch than talk about.

This one is not just the monsters or the foggy graveyards. It is the way the story actually treats you like you have got a brain — faith gets tested, family skeletons go dancing, and war has ugly consequences, just keep piling up.

Moreover, you finally see the Doctor’s darker side, pulling strings and nudging people. Ace gets real depth, too. The episode feels like it is paving the way for the emotional gut-punches you get with the new series. It is horror, mythology, and mind games, all wrapped up in a story that doesn’t let you off easy.

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The Mind Robber (Second Doctor, 1968)

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie, and Zoe get pulled out of regular space and time. Next thing you know, they are wandering around the Land of Fiction. You have got storybook characters popping up, weirdos from every myth, and reality itself just sorta shrugs and lets anything happen.

And, of course, there is this man called the Master of the Land. The gang has to puzzle their way through all this literary craziness, or else they get stuck forever as someone’s bedtime story.

So, why does “The Mind Robber” stick in your brain? It is properly weird, and the story just tosses the rulebook. They break the fourth wall, play with reality and fiction, and visuals make it one of the most avant-garde serials in the show’s history. Plus, they had barely any budget, so they got scrappy — turns out, that only made everything weirder and more creative.