Doctor Who: EVERY Regeneration Story Ranked Worst To Best
3. The Caves Of Androzani
The Fifth Doctor’s swansong is held in such high regard by fans that it was voted best Doctor Who story of all time in a 2009 Doctor Who Magazine poll.
And there’s no denying that The Caves of Androzani is a stellar story, where the various elements come together much better than they do anywhere else in the Fifth Doctor’s era.
The central idea of throwing such a passive Doctor into such a grim, desperate scenario is inspired – as is the resolution, which sees him sacrifice himself for his companion for the first time. The cliffhanger to Part Three, which sees him crash a rocket onto the surface of the planet, is particularly striking.
Equally memorable is Christopher Gable’s turn as the Phantom of the Opera-esque Sharaz Jek, who is simultaneously skin-crawling and strangely sympathetic.
The whole thing is elevated by Graeme Harper’s energetic, filmic direction, which puts us right in the middle of the action. It all culminates in a vivid, psychedelic regeneration, which once again incorporates past companions (even Kamelion!).
It might not quite be the best Doctor Who story ever, but it’s definitely a top-tier regeneration story. Though the less said about the Magma Beast, the better.