10 Best Doctor Who Episodes Written By Russell T Davies
3. Midnight
While his ability to create strong story arcs from the beginning has never been questioned, Davies' ability to write strong standalone episodes was something that definitely developed over his tenure. This is best exemplified in 'Midnight,' a wonderful episode that is dramatically and tonally perfect.
The episode is set on a space cruise liner in which The Doctor, along with several passengers and crew, travel across the 'uninhabitable' planet of Midnight. The episode is extremely light-hearted to begin with, The Doctor disabling the in flight entertainment system so he can engage in casual banter with his fellow travellers.
The transition into psychological horror sneaks up on the viewer gradually, with the engines stopping, leading to a dark figure being spotted in the distance. Unexplainable noises are heard within the cabin, then leading to an explosion. One passenger then begins to repeat the words being spoken to her, and a truly horrifying nightmare ride through space had begun.
The most remarkable feat of this episode is the way it not only displays the darker aspects of the human passengers, but also the negative traits of The Doctor himself. The climax of when the majority of the passengers try to throw the defenceless Time Lord out into space is as tension filled as a Doctor Who episode has ever been.