Doctor Who: EVERY Modern Series Ranked Worst To Best

Placing this season was hard, and it's bounced around a lot. The low placement might suggest general dislike, but the truth is that every series from this point onwards is at least good – it's just that Season 1 isn't quite as good as the ones we'll be talking about next.

The most important thing is that, on balance, it was a return to form for the show. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are two of the most likeable actors we’ve ever had in the TARDIS, and their chemistry and individual moments of brilliance do a lot of heavy lifting. The season is far too short though – character development is almost nonexistent, and the growth of Fifteen and Ruby’s friendship doesn’t feel believable.

The episodes themselves are a mixed bag, with a 50:50 split of stories that nail it, and stories that don’t. Those middle four episodes though? What a run.

Boom is Steven Moffat’s grand return, with an electric premise and the best dialogue of the season; 73 Yards feels more like an artsy indie thriller than an episode of Doctor Who (not a complaint); Dot and Bubble is a Black Mirror riff that reveals itself to be far smarter than you gave it credit for; and Rogue, though the most 'traditional' Doctor Who adventure of the season, is an incredibly fun time.

The rest though? Yeesh. Space Babies was flat-out the wrong choice for a big series opener, The Devil’s Chord felt like a lame Saturday morning cartoon (and also wasted The Beatles), and while the finale is a fun romp, the answers to pretty much every mystery were either unsatisfactory or underexplained.

On the whole though, some of the best Who we’ve had in years, and a solid foundation to build off for Season 2.