Doctor Who: EVERY Regeneration Story Ranked Worst To Best
1. Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways
NuWho’s first series finale wasn’t always going to be a regeneration story, with Christopher Eccleston only deciding to leave the show part way through production.
Regardless, Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways was always designed as a big finale – because at the time, no-one knew whether the show’s revival was going to result in a second series.
The result is a story that’s epic without being overblown, rounding off the Ninth Doctor’s era in a truly satisfying way. There’s so much to enjoy – from the dark and dangerous future game shows to the glorious shots of Daleks, and Dalek saucers, en masse (something which, at the time, had never been seen before), to companion-that-never-was Lynda with a Y.
The way it wraps up the series arc, with the Doctor and Rose both saving each other, is beautiful. Likewise, the way it draws plot points from practically every episode – including the Satellite 5/GameStation setting, Pete Tyler’s death, the Heart of the TARDIS, and the Bad Wolf meme itself – is genius.
The fact that we never got more of the Ninth Doctor will always be bittersweet. But the upshot is that this regeneration story has never been bettered.
To quote the man himself: “Absolutely fantastic.”