10 Best Cliffhangers Of Modern Doctor Who

The cliffhanger ending was a staple of the classic Doctor Who series, but one that has been used more spasmodically since the 2005 reboot. Chris Chibnall's first season in control arguably had no cliffhangers, a hangover of the choice for standalone episodes.

But this isn't to say that NuWho hasn't left us on the edge of our seats desperately waiting for the next week's episode to come upon us. Just like the classic series, the resolution of the cliffhanger hasn't always been perfect, but the actual moment has had us gripped.

From the return of an old foe to what appears to be the death of a companion, or even the Doctor himself, the conclusions to these episodes have got us coming back for more. Each of the current Doctors have managed at least one entry here, but Mister Tennant registers the most with six.

So grab your sonic screwdrivers, kick back and reflect on the greatest cliffhangers from the modern era of Doctor Who.

The concluding moments of the first two parter of the Whittaker era is a perfect example of why there should be a lot more cliffhanger endings. The first episode kicks off well enough but loses its way when the spy aspects take over, the motorbike chase proving both underwhelming and silly.

Then in one line, the whole episode turns to brilliance once more. With the Doctor, companions and Agent O all boarding a plane containing the villainous Daniel Barton, a seemingly innocent question towards Agent O is met with the most unexpected response. It is soon revealed that the man in question known as Agent O is actually The Master. The revelation works because it comes as a total shock, while also making perfect sense on a second viewing.

The Doctor is soon vanquished from the plane and trapped in an alien world with seemingly no escape, while her companions are trapped on a crashing plane after the Master detonates a bomb in the cockpit. On top of this, the alien threat introduced earlier remains on the loose while The Master is revealed to be in cahoots with them and Barton, who escaped before the plane took off.

Unlike so many episodes of the 12th season, the episode actually engages the audience and leaves us wanting more. If only we could receive more episodes like this and less preachy nonsense like we've received so far with Whittaker.