Doctor Who: Every Series 1 Episode Ranked Worst To Best
8. Aliens Of London/World War Three
When bringing Doctor Who back from the dead, it would’ve been tempting to fill the first series with as much iconography as possible, so applause must go to Russell T Davies and his team for having plenty of new stories, characters, and aliens.
Perhaps the most memorable new species from the first series of NuWho is the Slitheen family of the Raxacoricofallapatorian race… for better or worse.
The problem with Aliens of London and World War Three is the smorgasbord of ideas that don’t gel together. On the one hand, we have an event so seismic that it becomes worldwide news, the military and UNIT are both pulled in, and it culminates in the destruction of 10 Downing Street. However, at the centre of it all are the Slitheen - clunky, awkward, flatulent aliens that attempt to be threatening and funny, and achieve neither.
The two-parter feels like a juggling act that barely catches any of the balls it throws into the air.
It’s not all bad - Billie is on top form as Rose, we get to meet the warm, Motherly tones of Harriett Jones MP and any story with Jackie Tyler gets bonus points.