DVD Corner

Top 10 Classic Doctor Who Episodes (1963-1996)

While we wait on word about the future of “Doctor Who,” I thought I’d take the time to pay homage to Classic Doctor Who (1963-1996) AKA the First to the Eighth Doctor. Some people label Classic Who as 1963 to 1989, but I think the 8th Doctor “Doctor Who: The Movie” qualifies as part of this era. Anyway, below I have listed my 10 personal favorite episodes. If you haven’t dived into Classic Who and are only familiar with New Who, these episodes are a good starting point (although I’d recommend just watching everything no matter how time consuming that may be).

1. City Of Death- Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor is at his best here. A superbly written sci-fi tale shot in Paris.

2. Spearhead From Space- Jon Pertwee’s (the 3rd Doctor) first and best episode felt like the start of a brand new era. This is a fresh and exciting adventure with the Autons.

3. Vengeance On Varos- Colin Baker’s 6th Doctor era gets a lot of flack, but this dark, topical, and clever story was ahead of its time in its satirical depiction of reality television.

4. Enemy Of The World- 2nd Doctor Patrick Troughton in dual roles! ‘Nuff said.

5. Earthshock- This Cybermen centric 5th Doctor (Peter Davison) episode is arguably the most heartbreaking episode in all of Who.

6. Remembrance Of The Daleks- Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor became quite the enigma in this dark and mysterious Dalek story.

7. The Dalek Invasion Of Earth- The last 1st Doctor (William Hartnell) and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) story is quite the epic.

8. The War Games- The 2nd Doctor’s 10 part swan song is nothing if not eventful all the way to the shocking ending.

9. Shada- Writer Douglas Adam’s 4th Doctor epic was sadly unfinished in live-action form. Thankfully a “complete” version with animation now exists. 

10. Inferno- This 3rd Doctor adventure is a perfect parallel world yarn.

August 1, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | List | City Of Death, Classic Who, Colin Baker, Cybermen, Enemy Of The World, Inferno, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Remembrance of the Daleks, Spearhead From Space, Sylvester McCoy, The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, The War Games, Tom Baker, Top 10 Classic Doctor Who Episodes (1963-1996), Vengeance On Varos, William Hartnell