Doctor Who: EVERY Regeneration Story Ranked Worst To Best

Writing out a Doctor as popular as David Tennant was always going to be a daunting prospect.

As such, his regeneration was treated as a major event, taking place in a dedicated, bumper-length special rather than a standard series finale.

And The End of Time absolutely delivered. It’s one of the grandest, most epic regeneration stories so far, full of heart, shocking moments, and laughs aplenty. It really does feel like the perfect culmination of Russell T Davies' first stint on Doctor Who... even if that does also mean we get the usual silly moments and over-indulgence.

Though many Tenth Doctor plot points had already been wrapped up in the Series 4 finale, it nevertheless manages to feel like a proper conclusion, incorporating characters as eclectic as Donna, Wilf, the Master, Lucy Saxon, the Ood, and the Bannakaffalatta-adjacent Vinvocci – not to mention the long-awaited return of the Time Lords and Gallifrey!

Of course though, it all comes down to something so simple and tragic, with the much-fated “four knocks” turning out to be a cry for help from Wilf. Forcing a Doctor with such a god complex to give his life to save one man was a brilliant way to do it, really highlighting the compassion and selflessness that makes the Doctor such a unique hero.

The companion farewell tour is a lovely touch too. It’s perhaps a bit long, but for a Doctor and an era this beloved, it still feels deserved.