12 Biggest Game Changing Moments In Doctor Who

Considering the rather dark times we are currently sitting through, the terms travesty and disaster have taken on a new context. This was however the language being used by diehard Whovians having witnessed one their favourite show's biggest and most divisive game changing moment ever.

This was of course not the first 'big moment' that the show has had in its lusty tenure, and no doubt there will be plenty more to follow. The game changing moments on this list were put in place by various show runners for a number of reasons and were often a means to an end rather than a deliberate choice.

Outside of the writer's want for interesting and engaging narrative choices, reasons for these big moments occurring include a companion who just wasn't working, the ill health of an actor, failing ratings and anniversary celebrations. The flow on effect though has always been significant, but the effectiveness of these change ups has definitely varied.

The list is not cast in order of quality or impact, but instead has been listed in chronological order. While it could be argued that the first episode itself was a 'game changer', we are more looking here for those moments that changed what we already knew about the lore, characters, companions or our own expectations.

So sit back and prepare for a trip back through the show's epic run as we look at the 12 biggest game changing moments in Doctor Who history.

This was the first big game changing moment in the show's history, with the shock death of one of the Doctor's companions. The death occurred to Katarina, a companion who made just five appearances over two different adventures. Overall Katarina was a largely forgettable companion, but her exit was anything but.

In the 1965 episode The Daleks' Master Plan, Katarina found herself held hostage by a prisoner Kirksen, who demanded to be taken to a planet occupied by the Daleks. In an incredibly brave but unexpected act, the companion managed to open an airlock which released herself and Kirksen into space, killing them both.

The reason for Katarina's death was primarily that her character was, well, a little annoying. The character was designed to be someone of low intelligence who would learn in front of the viewers eyes, but the writers soon realised that they had dug themselves into a corner.

The character was too simplistic to begin with, not knowing what a key was and worshiping the Doctor as a God even though she was repeatedly told by the Timelord that this wasn't the case. Remarkably she wasn't the only companion to die in the episode, with another newbie, Sara, also dying.

The idea of killing off a companion definitely raised the stakes, but it has been used only occasionally since this episode. Adric, a companion of the 5th Doctor was perhaps the most notable, dying while defending the Earth from a Cybermen invasion.