5. The Caves Of Andronanzi
Much like David and Matts modern-day eras, I was spoilt for choice in terms of picking a Peter Davison story that defined the consistently high story quality of his run on the show. In the end, I went with The Caves Of Andronanzi, a gripping story that surpasses expectations of its basic base-under-siege format with the building tension surrounding the steps towards the Doctors next regeneration. Right from the off, Andronanzi dares to surprise viewers, placing companion Peri in immediate danger with no foreseeable happy ending anywhere in sight. The stakes were truly higher than they ever had been before, as the Doctor battled across caves, spaceships and alien planets to discover a cure to the affliction that plagued his friend and his own body, all with the desperate knowledge that not everyone would necessarily make it out of the adventure alive. Were teased with a fake shooting of the two leads as early as Episode 1, and by the penultimate cliff-hanger we get to see the Doctor at his most volatile, ready to risk permanent death by crashing through the atmosphere if it means the safety of the latest human hes put in mortal danger by wanting to impress her with the TARDIS wonders. Fans voted Andronanzi as the greatest Doctor Who story of all-time in a recent issue of DWM: I would wager thats something of an overstatement, as the format of the story does copy many of the age-old traits of the show in a way thats ever-so-occasionally grating. Nevertheless, the cast performances are sublime, the narrative gripping throughout and the conclusion a starkly impressive contrast to past regenerations. If you want to know just why fans make such a big deal out of the episodes that prompt the transition between Doctors, then there really is no better place to start than here.