1. The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit
Matt Jones Series 2 Episodes 8 & 9 This is without a doubt one of my favorite Doctor Who stories of all time. I love the second of the two-parters to feature in each of the Russell T. Davies series - they all feel as though the writer has been asked to think of the most fascinating, dark ideas that they can and then just go crazy with them. Silence in the Library, Human Nature and The Empty Child are all great stories and yet I still love The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit the most. There are many side characters in this story, and each one of them feel real and memorable. In only a few lines the guests are each very clearly defined as people Zachary Cross-Flane is the Captain who shouldn't have ever been, Danny is the naturally clever wastrel and Ida Scott is the kindly matriarch. They are each played expertly by television actors who would never have the chance to play such unusual people in their day jobs, so are making the absolute most of their time among the fantastic environs of Doctor Who. It's worth mentioning the Ood too, for they are probably the first original monsters in modern Who to actually make it into the canon of returning creatures. Like the Daleks before them and the Weeping Angels after The Ood are part of the pantheon of creatures to regularly return to the show over and over again because they can give you narrative magic. They somehow, after 45 years of Doctor Who they find a way to fit into the universe by becoming synonymous with a certain archetype. The Daleks are the Nazi-esque killer, the Cybermen the stomping progress of mechanically-influenced evolution, and the Ood far less dramatically are the lowest, most sh*t-upon creatures in the universe and a series barely goes by without the distinctive tentacle-faced creatures appearing. The world of the Impossible Planet is incredible too. This was the first alien planet for the Russell T. Davies Dynasty to attempt creating and the result is incredible. With only a couple of sets and a few costumes, they're able to put across a truly vivid and believable impression of what living in this culture is like. It's so good that they returned to the same time period for the seventh episode of the following season. Overall, however the details add up to one scary story wrapped in the most incredible atmosphere. It tries the Doctor's beliefs as much as it test David Tennant's acting skills, proving once again that he was possibly the best choice for the timeless role of The Doctor. So that's what I think. What do you think? Feel free to comment!