20 Worst Doctor Who Episodes Ever
Modern Doctor Who has clocked up 187 episodes, and let's just say not all of them were good.
Since 2005, Doctor Who has clocked up 187 episodes, with wildly varying degrees of quality.
Sitting down to watch each new episode can be a stressful experience, with everyone willing it to be the best episode ever, something to assuage any niggling worries about the show getting cancelled. That expectation can often lead to kneejerk reactions decrying episodes as the "worst thing ever."
However, quite often, a deep breath and a rewatch a few years down the line can open your eyes to the strengths of something you previously branded a turkey. Or, your eyes are opened to what a bad Doctor Who episode was trying to do, which only makes matters worse.
There can be many reasons why a Doctor Who episode doesn't work. Whether it's a big idea that's realized poorly, an unwieldy and confusing script, embarassing performances, or dodgy monsters. From the Ninth Doctor in 2005 to the Fifteenth Doctor in 2024, each of the following bad Doctor Who episodes contains at least one of those elements.
But which is the worst of the worst?
20. Empire Of Death
Russell T Davies' series finales have always been hit or miss. The Parting of the Ways and Doomsday were excellent, but Last of the Time Lords and Journey's End were a bit all over the place.
So there's almost something nostalgic about Empire of Death, RTD's first season finale since 2008, being the very worst one he's ever written.
Structurally, it's a mess. We witness all of UNIT dying in the opening minutes, so we never for a moment think anyone is truly dead. And then there's all that business with finding a spoon to power a TV so the Doctor, Mel, and Ruby can sit down and watch Pyramids of Mars. And let's not get started on Ruby's mother again.
It's more like a bunch of scenes hastily strung together than a coherent episode of Doctor Who.