10 Best Episode Runs In Doctor Who History

10. The Halloween Apocalypse - Village Of The Angels

Doctor Who always responds to adversity with a plucky go-getter attitude. When faced with a global pandemic, the Chibnall-era production team opted to go bigger, not smaller, and gave us the show’s first series-long story in over 30 years.

And for the most part, the results were really quite good.

From the moment The Halloween Apocalypse opens on the Doctor and Yaz suspended upside-down on an acid planet, Flux is a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up. The serialised format opened up some fresh possibilities for the show (a recurring cast of characters, ongoing plot threads, weekly cliffhangers) and it worked so well that you have to wonder why it took so long for the revived era to give it a go.

War of the Sontarans and Village of the Angels are widely considered the standouts of the series, serving as terrific showcases for the Sontarans and the Weeping Angels. But kudos must also go to The Halloween Apocalypse for setting everything up so skilfully, and Once, Upon Time for being such a unique, trippy chamber piece. And throughout it all, Sam Spruell and Rochenda Sandall are exceptional as new villains Swarm and Azure.

Unfortunately, Flux’s two closing episodes are far less remarkable than what came before. But those first four parts don’t really drop the ball.