5. The Mind Robber - TARDIS Explodes
The TARDIS is pretty much indestructible so weve been told. It has resisted attack from the Daleks and would survive an awful lot since then. If you asked someone when the TARDIS was destroyed, they will probably say The Pandorica Opens but The Mind Robber did it first, way back and it actuality did it considerably better. In an episode where nothing seems to make sense, the TARDIS lands in a white void and Zoe and Jamie are tempted out of the ship by images of their home. Equally the Doctor comes under attack from a mysterious force from outside reality. At the earliest opportunity, the Doctor tries to take off only to be dragged back before ultimately the TARDIS breaks up, with Jamie and Zoe clinging onto the console and the Doctor spinning into the black void. This is the first time this had ever happened. We have been lead to believe the TARDIS was the one safe place and to have that torn apart, suddenly nothing is safe. The universe suddenly feels a lot more dangerous.
4. Inferno - End of the World
A problem faces pretty much immediately by the production team on Doctor Who during its exile period was the issue of having Earth threatened every week and yet it cant actually be destroyed or have the aliens win because we know that cant happen. So the production team had to be extremely creative in establishing genuine jeopardy. How do you destroy the world without destroying the world? Parallel world thats how. Inferno had that privilege and episode six did a pretty good job of showing the potential effects of the Inferno Project when it reaches its target. The Earth pretty much breaks apart and the Doctor has to get back to his universe and at the same time persuade his parallel world counterparts to stay put. They do all they can to get the TARDIS console working again however episode 6 ends with the Brigadier or Brigade Leader being shot and a wall of lava fast approaching the Doctors hut while the TARDIS console groans and wheezes. Death seems inevitable, but we dont get to see if the Doctor made the escape, until hes found on the floor in his world. That was the time Doctor Who destroyed the world.
3. The Tenth Planet - Doctors Regeneration
This of course had to be in the greatest moments. After all, its the moment that ensured Doctor Whos longevity. In the beginning, it was the companions who were more of the focal point of Doctor Who and the Doctor and the TARDIS were the enigmatic catalysts got getting them in and out of terrible situations. With companions of course its easy to let people get on and off, but with all the comings and goings, the Doctor and the TARDIS were pretty much the only constants left so its the last rock we have to cling to, and being the foundations, you never expect them to change or go away. With William Hartnells declining health visible on screen there must have been a considerable amount of unrest and curiosity about how this will culminate. The moment that thankfully still survives in the archives shows the moment the TARDIS goes haywire, the controls begin operating themselves and the Doctor himself, who has been unwell for the majority of the story, crumples onto the floor unconscious. His features blur in a magnificent white light and then fade in the form of another man. The Doctor has disappeared. Has he gotten younger? Or is it a different man altogether. Back then none of the viewers knew and the writers played on that. It is a tremendously exciting moment.
2. Caves of Androzani Everything
Its all good. There is not a bad part of Caves of Androzani, apart from maybe the bit with the Magma monster. However its thrilling from start to finish. Its got an atmosphere and tension not seen in Doctor Who for many years and probably wouldnt be seen again. Its got top notch direction from Graeme Harper, its not floodlit for once and there is a beltingly good enemy in the form of Sharaz Jek. Also the story is really pretty dark, with themes of drug dealing and gun running and its all the better for it. The Fifth Doctor, the nice one finally gets to snap and be heroic, and whats remarkable is that hes actually dying from the start of the story, which begs the question if he will see it through until the end. Its a story that would still be regarded highly by todays standards. On top of that you get one of the most successfully executed regenerations ever and its a high point before The Twin Dilemma.
1. An Unearthly Child - The TARDIS First Flight
This has to be the greatest moment in Doctor Who history because it is so iconic and so pivotal. I for one still find this exciting each time I watch it, and its actually one of the most impressive effects in Doctor Whos early years, and by far the TARDISs most spectacular take off. November 1963, everything is brand new. We have just met our lead characters Ian and Barbara who have been lured into a junkyard by the mysterious schoolgirl Susan. They confront the enigmatic Doctor and force their way into a Police Box, which they believe Susan to be inside. Only they find the most curious thing, its bigger on the inside. The Doctor and Susan are not of this world and with this new knowledge, Ian and Barbara can not be allowed to leave. Susan manages to persuade the Doctor to open the ships doors, only he activates the take off controls, the lights on the console and in the walls begin flashing and the ground begins shaking. Ian and Barbara are rendered unconscious and the city of London is seen to get smaller and smaller and shrink away and the Doctor and Susan appear against the swirling vortex, both unsure what is about to happen or where theyll end up. Finally, the Police Box appears in the middle of a desert very unlike contemporary London. The Doctors adventures in time and space have begun! So there you have it, the 100 Greatest Doctor Who Moments Ever. It's certainly been a marathon but at the same time there are so many great moments that didn't make it to the list. If your favourite moment isn't in the list, or you think your favourite moment should be higher, leave a comment below. Here's to 100 more great moments.