8. The TV Movie
Lets be honest for a second- there are few episodes of Doctor Who lamented as much as the TV Movie. Why have I included on this list, then? Well firstly, there isnt much in the way of choice in Paul McGanns story roster, this being the one solitary televised adventure he starred in during the year of 1996. More importantly, though, McGann ensures that this remains a thoroughly compelling watch, packed with indications as to the route that the series would take when it did ultimately make a full return nine years later. Once we look past the rather careless slaughter of McCoys Doctor and the slightly too fantasy-esque possession of the Master as a snake, we reach a story thats brimming with potential and only restrained by its continuity. McGanns incarnation is every bit as mysterious and ancient as his past selves (Was he really half human? It was hard to tell whether his mind was playing tricks here), yet younger too, echoing David and Matts portrayals in this sense. The resolution was a supreme rendition of the epic final confrontations that Who once couldnt manage due to a lack of CGI effects, a classic Doctor-Master battle whose significance will not soon be forgotten. Its all too easy to remember the TV Movie as the story that killed Doctor Who (again). Instead, we should focus on the fact that its various strengths in reality build to form a product thats more than the sum of its parts, warts and all.