10 Greatest Modern Doctor Who Episodes

It goes without saying that there are a lot of episodes of Doctor Who. The revival era alone has seen more than 150 episodes hit our screens, with hundreds more having aired during the original classic run too.

There are some obvious duds in the mix (Love & Monsters anyone?) but there are also so many gems. As such, it's almost an impossible task to determine which are the absolute greatest – everyone's tastes are different, and no-one is ever going to fully agree – but we're up for giving it our best shot!

From calculated risks that totally paid off, to monsters of the week that traumatized an entire generation of kids, these episodes are, for our money, the greatest achievements in Doctor Who's modern era.

Two quick disclaimers before we begin: we're counting two-part stories as one entry, because counting purely standalone episodes would take some deserving two-parters out of the running, and that's unfair! We've also decided to include at least one episode from every NuWho Doctor, in order to better represent the modern series as a whole.

The Haunting of Villa Diodati is a jump-scare-filled ghost story with a Doctor Who twist. Something Doctor Who does well is putting a sci-fi spin on a real-life historical moment, and this episode is one of the best to do it.

The implication that the Lone Cyberman was the inspiration for the famous story of Frankenstein is a fascinating idea, and the Cybermen have never felt as formidable and ruthless as they do here – they truly are a monster to be feared. That's not to say they haven't been scary before, but with Ashad driven by volatile emotions and the unwavering belief that he is right no matter what, he seems much more brutal and unpredictable.

It's funny that, for a monster that's all about stripping emotions away, it was the decision to make Ashad a bit more emotional than usual that gave us one of the most interesting looks at the Cybermen we've seen to date.

The Haunting of Villa Diodati also feels like a coming out party for the Thirteenth Doctor. Jodie Whittaker is finally given something compelling to chew on – her bubbly personality starts to chip away, and we see a darker, deeper side to the character which ultimately leads to a noticeable shift in the dynamic between our hero and her companions as she reminds them (and, frankly, the audience) that she is the Doctor:

"This team structure isn't flat! It's mountainous, with me at the summit, in the stratosphere, alone. Left to choose."

Throw in a fantastically atmospheric setting and an impressively fleshed-out supporting cast, and The Haunting of Villa Diodati is easily the Thirteenth Doctor's finest outing.