Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi/fantasy series that first aired from 1963 to 1989 (an era often referred to as "Classic Who"), then returned to the BBC in 2005 ("NuWho"), where it's been running ever since. I take a look at the eleven actors who've played the Doctor for more than one full-length story, and assess their best and worst performances. I also take a look at thirty-three companions and judge their best and worst. And I recount the glories of the underrated Series 8, which I consider the pinnacle of NuWho, here.

Elsewhere, in a 16-part series, I rank all 158 Classic Who serials -- and serve up capsule reviews -- starting here. (If you want to zero in on one serial in particular, there's an alphabetical listing of all my Classic Who reviews.) I also take an affectionate look at the William Hartnell era; cast a critical eye towards the Jon Pertwee era; and dote on the Peter Davison years.

My loving look back at the Second Doctor’s missing serial “The Abominable Snowmen” quickly rose to become my most popular Doctor Who essay ever. I revisit two other missing serials of which I'm equally fond: "The Savages" and "The Smugglers." And finally, I offer up reviews of seven stories that I consider unfairly neglected or maligned: "Terminus," "The Ark," "Delta and the Bannermen," "The Wheel in Space," "Attack of the Cybermen," "Death to the Daleks and "The Leisure Hive."