10 Criminally Underrated Doctor Who Stories

2. Time Heist

Time Heist
BBC

An early offering from the 12th Doctor’s run, this ambitious instalment is supremely smart and endlessly rewatchable. One of Doctor Who’s greatest strengths is that it can mould itself into any genre, and this particular story takes the form of a heist movie with a time travel twist.

At the start of the episode, the Doctor and Clara wake up in a room with their memories wiped and a mission briefing from a mysterious overseer: to rob the Bank of Karabraxos. Two mercenaries - shape-changing mutant Saibra and cyborg hacker Psi – will assist them in the heist. This intriguing setup paves the way for a tense adventure filled with sci-fi hijinks.

Standing in the way of the Doctor and co. is the alien security system that protects the bank, known as The Teller. This telepathic terror is one of the most memorable alien designs ever to appear on Doctor Who. It’s not only a formidable monster with the unnerving ability to melt people’s brains, it’s also crucial to the central mystery of the story. The fact that this creature is accomplished with prosthetics and animatronics rather than CGI makes it even more impressive.

So many aspects of this episode are expertly executed: the stylish cinematography, the snappy editing, the tightly-written narrative, the beautiful costume design, the incredible sets, the awesome visual effects, the star turn from guest star Keeley Hawes, and best of all the immensely clever and uplifting ending. If you’re looking for a story that pays its debts, you can always bank on Time Heist.

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Patch is a pop culture enthusiast and purveyor of puns. He writes about media in a vague attempt to justify the alarming amount of time he spends consuming it. Nobody's convinced... but nobody's told him that yet. He spends his spare time working on Portal 2: Desolation, an ambitious fan-made sequel to Valve's beloved puzzle games.