Doctor Who: 10 Worst NuWho Villains

2. The Dregs (Orphan 55)

Doctor Who Orphan 55 The Dregs
BBC Studios

One of the newest contenders for the "Worst Doctor Who Episode Of All Time" award, Series 12's Orphan 55 was an embarrassment for all involved.

With annoying, under-developed side characters ("BENNIIIIIII"), a nonsensical plot, and a message about climate change that was about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face, it's a stinker that wholly deserves to be skipped during a NuWho rewatch.

But since we're here to talk about villains, let's talk about the Dregs. Future humans who had mutated into monstrous beasts over time, they probably sounded rather fascinating at the scripting stage, but they completely fall flat on the screen because they're used in the most bland and uninteresting manner you could possibly conceive.

It isn't a stretch to say that all they do is stand around and roar. That's basically it. They exist to push our heroes from plot point to plot point without doing much of note themselves. They don't get any cool powers or standout moments. They're just... there.

The worst thing a Doctor Who villain can be is dull, but everything about the Dregs ticks that box. Even their colour scheme is mundane and grey - how fitting - and the word "dregs" is probably the most apt name they could've got.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for over ten years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. In 2022, he took charge of WhoCulture and has grown it into the biggest Doctor Who channel on YouTube, and one of the biggest Doctor Who communities on the web full-stop. He has been writing and video editing since his early teens, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers, off the back of a burning obsession with the Matt Smith era of the show. Like many his age, he first got into Doctor Who with the 2005 revival, but has since gone back and fallen in love with the classic years too. If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order, or to give you a random factoid about the making of Gridlock, Danny is the person to ask!