Ranking Doctor Who #16: The Classic Era

[@gamingkill3r604]

For me jon pertwee and tom baker had the best era’s. They each brought something so unique to their character. Not to mention they had some of the best stories

[@gregsmith7949]

Yes. There's a reason the 70s are considered the "golden age". Ushered in by Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, it was taken to it's apex under Phillip Hinchcliff and Bob Holmes.

[@davidbarry9690]

I agree

[@angusmaxim3450]

Hinchcliffe/Holmes era is where it's at!

[@mrdoctorgilmore]

Really enjoy, Trial of a Time Lord. Recently I've been able appreciate how each section serves towards the 6th Doctor's arc.

[@gumdeo]

Shoutout to season 22. Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen, Varos, Troughton... awesome.

[@Nicksmith_j7r]

completely agree with season 22, such an underrated gem

[@marksweet8740]

Agree with most of that two stand outs though, season 22 I agree completly so underrated its a crime in Dr Who world I would have it a notch higher on my list. The Key to Time series a different matter though I would have it at Great in my opinion.

[@MarksAviationChannel]

Season 21 has Twin Dilemma and Warriors of the Deep so could not rate it as so high. Agree about season 22, apart from Timelash I really enjoy it.

[@TediousMilkshake]

17:10 The Twin Dilemma is in Season 21...

[@bluejaayway]

Pertwee is the golden age in my opinion!! Love all the classics though!!

[@MrLozza70]

Seasons 7 to 14 are the true golden age of Doctor Who.

[@sg-zd8eb]

I would say Tom’s early seasons are the greatest. The gothic horror style that Hinchcliffe and Holmes brought to the programme was genius.

[@Nikioko]

@@sg-zd8eb Pertwee's 00Who seasons were also great. The Brigadier and UNIT were just superb.

[@sg-zd8eb]

@@Nikioko not as good as Baker’s first few seasons tho.

[@GlennSkywalker2305]

Season 4 is my favorite classic season followed by season 8

[@thewhocritic]

Happy to see another Whotuber I’ve supported for years using my tier list template 😊 Great video!

[@FunK0Slap0GB]

Any chance you have a link, It'd be great to use it! :)

[@JJfromPhilly67]

It is so hard to rank the 26 series of Classic Doctor Who, but for me all of Jon Pertwee through Tom Baker's fifth (Key to Time) series are the best, the Golden Age of Doctor Who. After the Key to Time series, while still very good, Baker's Doctor went from a sense of Justice to a little more arrogance. But the talent of the main cast (Pertwee, John, Courtney, Manning, Delgado, Sladen, Baker, Jamison, Tamm), the producers (Sherwin, Letts, Hinchcliffe, Williams) and the script editors (Dicks, Holmes, Read) were superb.

[@lordofthereels6790]

Doctor Who episode pitch: Wannabe: A geeky guy (ideally played by Matt Berry) in the 1990's super into a failed legendary sci-fi TV show hearing rumors of a mysterious hero saving the universe has devoted a decade to bringing The Doctor to go on an adventure with him, but something more sinister follows The Doctor into the time stream. Make it a super meta adventure set during "The Wilderness Years" like a reverse Whovian Galaxy Quest?

[@slumdogjay]

Glad I’m not alone in finding the Peladon stories dull as a pair of John Major’s Y Fronts.

[@Tolstoy111]

Season 21 has “Twin Dilemma”

[@bryanjackson2807]

I really do not disagree. You pretty much nailed it.

[@davidbarry9690]

I agree s22 was a good season, and glad you liked the Android invasion I thought I was the only one that did

[@Nikioko]

The Android Invasion would be regarded better if the Brigadier was in it.

[@adriansherlockdamondark.1094]

Season 7 is awesome because UNIT gives the show an added level of realism and power, but try watching all four serials in a row and it is a bit less than the sum of its parts. Watched in isolation, each of the four serials are superb, however. Season 5 is surprisingly compelling, despite being a bit dated and low key at times, because the base under siege thing coupled with a slow burn equals some proper suspense. I always enjoyed seasons 12,13 and 14 as a lad, but these days, I'm a little over them. 19 and 21 are two all time favorites for me, featuring some of my most loved stories and happiest memories. The season that really does very little for me is 24, despite a nice performance from McCoy.

[@ftumschk]

Re "Seeds of...", the way I remember the order is that Death comes before Doom in the dictionary. Hope that helps!

[@Nikioko]

Death is Ice Warriors, Doom is Krynoids.

[@tishpish4939]

Yes. Season 22 love! Gawd bless 'ya.

[@tstockel]

"The Leisure Hive can fuck off". :D God how I love these videos.

[@charliethomas3740]

Love your videos wingy

[@themomentalist]

Mostly in agreement with you, although I think you’ve ranked Pertwee’s seasons a little higher than I would. Interesting to see you rank 25 over 26, most of fandom would disagree but like you, I rate GSitG, tHP and RoTD highly. Nice to see 22 and 5&6 getting some love.

[@alexhunter7978]

Where would you rank Doctor in Distress?

[@WingyMedia]

I don't think a category that low exists

[@laurencehalliday8838]

for me i dont think you could have any series as top level except for the two tom ones you picked!.in the main part agree with you and i think carnival of monsters is the classic series most under rated story.

[@thejacal2704]

Timelash is a masterpiece, compared to the last few seasons....

[@ftumschk]

Timelash isn't a masterpiece by any definition. Apart from a dreadfully written script, plodding direction, dodgy acting and poor production values, it commits what must be the ultimate sin for a SciFi show by making HG Wells look like a proper chump. I'd much rather rewatch a clunker like Orphan 55, to be honest.

[@thejacal2704]

@@ftumschk You saw the bit where I said 'compared to' ?

[@ftumschk]

@@thejacal2704 Yes, and what I said still stands. I think Timelash is bloody dreadful and, although I'm no great fan of the Chibnall era, most of the stories have been a lot better. Timelash might be a masterpiece compared to Time & The Rani, Underworld or Fear Her, but that's about it.

[@thejacal2704]

@@ftumschk Jeez, get over yourself.

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

@@ftumschk I agree

[@blacktower7777]

Season 13 is my absolute favorite classic who season.

[@DonNeutron004]

That’s my second favorite season it’s soooo good!

[@NPS2204]

My personal ranking would be: 1, 4th Doctor 2, 2nd Doctor 3, 7th Doctor 4, 3rd Doctor 5, 5th Doctor 6, 1st Doctor 7, 6th Doctor The Best Seasons would have to be Season 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 19, 23, 25 and 26.

[@danielbridger7113]

season 6 all the way! my favorite doctor patrick troughton going through great stories like mind robber, invasion, krotons, seeds of death and war games

[@robvegas9354]

100% agree!!! Great list!!!

[@Quantum1769]

Wingy can you review The Curse of Fatal Death and Dimensions in Time?

[@WingyMedia]

That's a great shout actually, don't know why I haven't already 🤣

[@Quantum1769]

Yes! Looking forward to it! Which one do you think you’ll review first?

[@timemechanic5055]

Justice for Peladon - I thought these stories were god! Mind you I was watching them when they came out and Pertwee was my first Doctor. I'd put 3rd Doctor stuff higher.

[@Nikioko]

The best Classic Season is 13. Without any doubt. A lot of masterpieces and no dud. And the Golden Era of the show is Seasons 7 -14.

[@Phoenix-bi9bn]

I surprisingly agree alot here. I think Hand of Fear is amazing, but I think the Leisure Hive also is. Five's first season is good too. A mixed bag. I didn't expect us to share so many views. But also interesting to hear your views on ones I disagree with, it is what it is. Diversity makes the fandom

[@benmiller3252]

Doctor Who did get a lot of Bad press during The Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy Years

[@s.b.g.8921]

I'd be interested to see your ranking on the writers of classic era. For me Douglas Adams was my favorite. For me the story is the most important part of the show despite how good the acting is. I quess that's why Capaldi is my favorite doctor of the modern era but my least favorite seasons.

[@aldothewarrior]

I notice you didn't mention Twin Dillema in S21 - that story is an utter insult to the rest of the season, especially after Caves

[@jessetorres8738]

Personally, of the 8 Classic Era Doctors, Pertwee is my favorite and Davison is my least favorite.

[@stephenchatterley3583]

Where would you have ranked the McGann movie?

[@WingyMedia]

Good

[@danieldowd6249]

Do a video on the batman

[@bookswithike3256]

It's interesting how I can agree with you 100% on some things, but disagree with you just as much on others. I can only rank the seasons I've seen, so that means no season 5 or 6. And personally I'm including missing stories in my analysis, as I've watched the Loose Cannon reconstructions. Here are my rankings: Season 1: Fantastic. Honestly one of the single best seasons of Doctor Who, imo. The Keys of Marinus is poor, but other than that there isn't a bad story here. Marco Polo, despite being missing, is my second favourite First Doctor story. The Aztecs is great, and I personally love The Sensorites. An Unearthly Child is a really effective introduction, The Daleks is good, and The Edge of Destruction is practically avant garde. The Reign of Terror is debatable, considering how it's terribly inaccurate, but if you look past that it's a fun story. Season 2: Good. I don't know if there's something wrong with me, but I find The Dalek Invasion of Earth terribly boring other than the final scene. Planet of Giants is also pretty bad. But Vicki is great, I love The Time Meddler, and every other story in there is good. Yes, even The Web Planet, which I find overhated. Season 3: Okay. Verging on bad, really. I hate The Massacre of Saint Bartholemew's Eve and The Myth Makers, and Galaxy 4 is also pretty bad. But this season also has The Daleks' Master Plan, which is fantastic, and The Savages, which I love. Every other story in here is pretty average. Ben and Polly's introduction is pretty good. Season 4: Great. I personally find Power of the Daleks overrated (though I still think it's good), and think Highlanders introduces Troughton's Doctor far more effectively. But this season also has The Tenth Planet (my favourite First Doctor story), The Moonbase, The Faceless Ones, and The Evil of the Daleks, which I think are all great stories. All the other stories are solid too. And I love Jamie, Ben and Polly as a companion trio. Season 7: Good. I think Spearhead is overrated, and I really can't stand The Silurians - at least I couldn't the only time I've watched it, which, granted was when I was a teenager. But Ambassadors of Death is really fun and I love Inferno. Really enjoy the UNIT setting. Liz Shaw is a great character and deserved better. Season 8: Great. I love every story this season, the introduction of the Master is fantastic, and while his presence does get a bit tiresome, I don't think it detracts from the quality of the stories. Jo Grant is incredible. Season 9: Good. I actually love The Curse of Peladon, and The Sea Devils. Other than that, there's not a single story here I don't like. Yes, even The Time Monster. Season 10: THE BEST. The Three Doctors, Carnival of Monsters, Frontier in Space, Planet of the Daleks, The Green Death. Yeah, this is fantastic. Season 11: Good. Sarah Jane is great. The Time Warrior is the best Third Doctor story. Invasion of the Dinosaurs is great too. But every other story here is just good. And Death to the Daleks and Planet of the Spiders are on the pretty low end of good. Season 12: Great. Genesis is amazing, and Robot is a really strong introduction to Tom Baker's Doctor. But the other stories in here are just good. I don't understand the adoration people have for The Ark in Space, personally. Season 13: Great. Yeah, blasphemy to not put it at the top, I know, but looking back on it I don't love it so much. Pyramids of Mars and The Brain of Morbius are both fantastic stories. The Seeds of Doom I love for the first four episodes, but find the last two pretty dull. Terror of the Zygons is overrated, it's just average, and I don't like The Android Invasion. Season 14: Fantastic. The Hand of Fear, The Deadly Assassin and The Face of Evil are incredible. Back to back bangers. And The Talons of Weng-Chiang and The Robots of Death are both really good. The Masque of Mandragora is a weak link, but it's not a bad story. Leela is great. Season 15: Okay. I love The Sun Makers and Image of the Fendahl, and The Invisible Enemy is pretty good. But Underworld is baffling, Horror of Fang Rock is boring, and I _despise_ The Invasion of Time. K9 is adorable. Season 16: The Key to Time: Okay. This season just goes downhill as it goes along. The Ribos Operation is probably the best story. The Pirate Planet has brilliant concepts but mixed execution. The Stones of Blood is pretty good. I enjoy the campy fun of The Armageddon Factor. But Power of Kroll is dull and Androids of Tara is the very definition of average. I liked Romana I at first, but grew to dislike her as the season went on, mostly because the story called for her to vocalise fear or shout, and for whatever reason Mary Tamm could just never do it convincingly. Season 17: Good. City of Death and Shada are fantastic, and like you I have a soft spot for Nightmare of Eden. Destiny is bad, but I don't hate Creature from the Pit or Horns of Nimon as much as most people do. I absolutely love Romana II, and her and Four are a great TARDIS team. Season 18: Okay. Meglos is dreadful. The Leisure Hive is also pretty bad. The E-Space trilogy is pretty good, but I don't think the execution of Warriors' Gate lives up to how interesting its ideas are. Traken and Logopolis are pretty good, but I also find Logopolis slightly ridiculous, and it's not a good introduction for Ainley's Master. Romana's departure leaves me feeling nothing, but I actually find the relationship between the Fourth Doctor and Adric pretty adorable. Season 19: Good. I love Castrovalva and Earthshock, The Visitation is great, Black Orchid is fine, and Time-Flight is overhated. It's far from the worst Doctor Who story. The only story I don't really like here is Four to Doomsday. I love Tegan, and personally I quite like Adric. Nyssa isn't much of a character, she's my least favourite companion because of that, but I don't hate her. Season 20: Okay. Snakedance is fantastic. The Guardian trilogy is a mixed bag - Mawdryn is disturbing, but just okay, Terminus is pretty bad, and Enlightenment is brilliant. Arc of Infinity is fine, and personally, I love The Five Doctors. I really like Turlough as a character too. The Tegan leaving/not leaving thing bothered me too, but it doesn't significantly harm this season for me. Season 21: Great. Warriors of the Deep is awful, but the back to back run of Frontios, Resurrection of the Daleks, Planet of Fire, and The Caves of Androzani is a god tier run. Androzani is the best story of the classic era, imo. And possibly of the modern era too. And I don't really mind The Twin Dilemma. Season 22: Okay. I love Attack of the Cybermen. Vengeance on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks are pretty good. Mark of the Rani is okay. But I really don't like The Two Doctors, and Timelash is the worst story in the show's history. Six is pretty obnoxious in this season, but unlike some people I actually quite like his chemistry with Peri. Season 23: The Trial of a Time Lord: Great. I actually love every story in here, except The Ultimate Foe, which I still don't think is that bad. The Doctor is much more tolerable and affable in this season than in his first. "You... killed Peri" is a gut punch. Denouncing the time lords is a defining scene for the show. I actually really like Mel and think she's fun. Season 24: Bad. Delta and the Bannermen is dreadful. Time and the Rani is pretty bad. But I quite like Paradise Towers and Dragonfire. I don't think they're amazing or anything, but they're okay. Season 25: Great. Remembrance is fantastic. The Happiness Patrol and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy are also pretty great. I don't hate Silver Nemesis, but it's not the best. Seven and Ace's relationship is of course incredible, and this is where I really started to fall in love with the Seventh Doctor. Season 26: THE BEST. Survival is the best final story we could have asked for. Curse of Fenric is great. I know Ghost Light is divisive, but I love it. Battlefield is a weaker link but still a good story. The character and relationship development for The Doctor and Ace is incredible.

[@josephnash2081]

I think the episode you could not remember in season 21 is "The Twin Dilemma" since its star is Colin Baker but it is in Davison's final season. Coming off "Caves of Androzani" it just seems as awful as a turd in the center of the table at a dinner party. Of course, all of this is a matter of taste. But with Classic Who even the greatest seasons have terrible or dull episodes. Sometimes terrible episodes can be fun ("The Time Monster" with it man in a chicken suit monster). I will take terrible over dull (as are almost all of the "historicals" in the B&W era esp. "The Smugglers")

[@Nikioko]

The good thing of having the Master in every story in Season 8 is that we now have so many stories with the Master. What if some of the stories were planned for Season 11 and couldn't be made due to Roger Delgado's death?

[@ronaldmurray7416]

For me it's: Season 1- Good Season 2- Great Season 3- OK Season 4- OK Season 5- Good Season 6- Fantastic Season 7- Fantastic Season 8- Great Season 9- Good Season 10- Good Season 11- OK Season 12- The Greatest Season 13- The Greatest Season 14- Fantastic Season 15- Good Season 16- Bad Season 17- OK Season 18- Great Season 19- OK Season 20- Good Season 21- Good Season 22- OK Season 23- Awful Season 24- Awful Season 25- OK Season 26- Good

[@Nikioko]

Season 6 has The Dominators, The Krotons and The Space Pirates...

[@gazzadona]

can you link the list please

[@Nikioko]

There isn't a good story in Season 24? And what about Paradise Towers? Replace Mel by Ace and you get The Happiness Patrol.

[@ianbuckley2347]

I reckon season 13 is the best story wise but season 19 is my favourite. The 5th Doctors era turned me into a fan of the show rather than someone who just watched it.

[@ghostlightx9005]

Best to worse before watching: 13, 14, 8, 12, 10, 5, 11, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18 and the rest in whatever order

[@mattpearson6947]

My list in my personal opinion: 26. Season 24 25. Season 20 24. Season 18 23. Season 16 TKTT 22. Season 23 TTOATL 21. Season 19 20. Season 17 19. Season 15 18. Season 25 17. Season 14 16. Season 26 15. Season 21 14. Season 3 13. Season 1 12. Season 9 11. Season 11 10. Season 2 9. Season 6 8. Season 22 7. Season 8 6. Season 4 5. Season 12 4. Season 7 3. Season 13 2. Season 5 1. Season 10

[@thelegendthemyththeman4772]

Season 11 is fantastic. Fight me. Time warrior Planet of spiders Invasion of the dinosaurs all great Death to the daleks is hilarious Monster of peledon is bad but it’s not the worst thing of all time.

[@SGMiner21]

I agree with a lot of your rankings but also disagree with a lot as well which is to be expected haha, when you ranks seasons as a whole it shows that most of the seasons have both outstanding and awful stores in them which makes it so much harder to have a definitive ranking, unlike the new who seasons which, on the whole, tend to be all outstanding or all awful haha. Anyway cba putting all 26 on here so my favourite season for me is Series 5 purely as I love all the stories and there is honestly not a bad story in there and is consistently great unlike a Series 12 or a Series 10 which have a dud story (Revenge of the Cybermen or, to a lesser extent, Carnival of Monsters) whereas my leave favourite is Season 16, no this is a little harsh on my account since I have never seen the series but from what I have seen of it and from what other people have said, I have absolutely no intention of watching it, just seems like a poor season with no stand out episodes really

[@rangedlime]

I know people say the golden age started with Pertwee, but personally I think season 4 until the start of season 15 is the real golden age. To be more specific tenth planet until horror on fang rock, bad stories were few and far between, after that it felt like a season with mostly good stories was a bit rarer

[@martincook1412]

If we look at viewing figures though, I think it tells a different story. Pertwee's first season kind of saved the show. And of course, viewing figures peaked in Tom's era.

[@rangedlime]

@@martincook1412 ah yes that’s true but I’m thinking more quality wise

[@MrPaulmorris7777]

Season 7 is the best

[@benflay6038]

5 Dr's bad? it's the most rewatched story for me it's the one i show none who people it's a fun simple story with multi Dr's not great but what it is great coliin is way down for me good stories not enough

[@Nikioko]

It is a great fan service, but not a great story.

[@benflay6038]

@@Nikioko I need no more

[@bananasaregood8655]

I’m really not a fan of season 26, easily mccoy’s weakest imo, only curse of fenric works for me. Season 9 is also my least favorite pertwee season.

[@Nikioko]

Curse of Fenric - Great Ghostlight - Great Survival - Great Battelfield - Good That makes Season 26 easily the best 80s season.

[@bananasaregood8655]

@@Nikioko well its good we all hav vastly different opinions, otherwise it would be boring 😋

[@davidscholesphotographer]

IMO Season 25 is the best one. Pertwee had some of my favourite stories and Tom Baker, but the season with Revenge of the Cybermen is ruined by this story. It's so boring and the Cybermen are rubbish in it.

[@thomasstevens2746]

My favorite seasons 1 2 24 26

[@Cruithneach]

I prefer S24 to S23. S24 only has one real stinker, the other stories are just bland or banal. S21 is good, but not fantastic for me because of *The Twin Dilemma*

[@benbastianiartmusic1421]

Seasons 25 & 26 are the pinnacle of Doctor Who for me. Ambitious, emotional, batshit insane at times, progressive, fast paced and has arguably the best Doctor / companion relationship ever. I know what you mean about the stories feeling incomplete; big concepts like the Gods of Ragnarok, Fenric and pretty much everything in Ghostlight are thrown at us with no real elaboration, but that's what I love. Always enjoy that 'wtf was that about?' feeling.

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

You must be of a certain age or have not seen any other era's of WHO to believe the last two seasons are "the pinnacle".

[@bookswithike3256]

@@normandavidtidiman9918 Or they just have a different opinion to you.

[@martincook1412]

I would agree that Key to Time is Tom's weakest season. After watching it all the way through once, I got to the beginning of the next season, beginning with Destiny of the Daleks. And it just seemed like a step up in quality. And we know the poor reputation that Destiny of the Daleks has.

[@Nikioko]

Key to Time has Ribos Operation and Pirate Planet. And none of the other stories is as bad as Creature from the Pit, Nightmare of Eden and Horns of Nimon.