1. The 7th Doctor - The Curse Of Fenric
"The Wolves of Fenric shall return for their treasure, and then shall the dark evil rule eternally." - The Doctor The Sylvester McCoy era was a short one, troubled by the budgetary downfalls of the previous era, but there really are quite a few great episodes to choose from. The greatest of these is The Curse Of Fenric. The TARDIS materializes on a military base in World War II, where a scientist has created a machine to break German military codes. But the codes aren't German, and they release Fenric, and an army of Haemovores, vampiric creatures bent on the destruction of humanity. The World War II setting with "vampires", Celtic mythology, above par special effects, and the brilliant relationship between the Doctor and Ace set this one above the rest. There are some great cliffhangers, and the Haemovores are really quite creepy. Sylvester McCoy shines as the Doctor, balancing the perfect mix of darkness and whimsy. This serial, and this season, give a much deeper look into Ace's back story, and develops her into one of the Doctor's greatest companions. Honorable mentions for the 7th Doctor: Remembrance of the Daleks (a great Dalek story), Silver Nemesis (Cybermen!), Ghost Light (a period ghost story), and Survival (the unfortunate last episode of the classic years). Those are eleven must see classic Doctor Who episodes, and as you can see from the honorable mentions there really are a lot more must see episodes than that. But I couldn't just leave it like that, not without at least mentioning...
Honorable Mention: The 8th Doctor
"These shoes fit perfectly!" - The Doctor Admittedly, a story with many faults, but the TV Movie has enough truly brilliant moments to get it a mention. The Master has been exterminated by the Daleks for his crimes, and the 7th Doctor is requested to transport his remains to Gallifrey, but things don't quite go to plan. The Master isn't actually dead, and is roaming around the TARDIS. The TARDIS lands in San Francisco, the Master escapes, and the Doctor is trapped between two warring gangs, and apparently killed. Can he regenerate in time to stop the Master and save the Earth before the New Year begins? Widely considered a misstep for many years, this one-off movie, despite its myriad problems, is now considered canon. I think that comes down to Paul McGann's fantastic portrayal of the Doctor. He approaches the role with such whimsy and abandon, that it's hard not to fall in love with his version. His portrayal is still so popular that he continues to this day through the Big Finish audios. The TARDIS control room is fantastic in all of its steampunk glory, all hard wood and brass. And we finally get a regeneration for Sylvester McCoy's Doctor. Now if we could just get an on screen regeneration from McGann to Eccleston.
Every fan has his or her favorite episodes. What are yours, and why? Let us know in the comments section below.