Doctor Who: Every Doctor's DEFINITIVE Episode

13. Inferno (The Third Doctor)

If there's a classic Doctor Who story that best sums up any incarnation of the character, it's Inferno. The Third Doctor tries desperately to save the parallel Earth from destruction, even though it's run by a nightmarish fascist regime. Decades later, Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor would do something very similar on the planet Finetime!

However it's the perfect Third Doctor story because it defines that era purely by showing us what it isn't. The Doctor may feel constrained by being stranded on Earth and his role within UNIT, but by interacting with the fascistic Brigade Leader, he understands that our Brigadier is definitely more of a friend than an enemy.

It's also the Pertwee-era story that best taps into his skills as both a comedian and an actor. The Doctor's wry contempt for the Republican Security Force is delivered by a man who knows exactly how to deliver a punchline or a witty retort.

And it's just a corker of a story to boot!