Russell T. Davies is the writer that revived Doctor Who and turned it into a sensation in the UK again. Now, after leaving the show for more than a decade, the acclaimed television producer is coming back to reclaim the reins and take the long-running sci-fi series down a new golden age.
Davies has presided over a number of critically lauded stories in modern Who. He was the man who brought back the show with his unique vision, after all, so in a sense, everything we see in those earlier seasons is ultimately his brainchild, even if they don’t necessarily originate from his personal typewriter.
That being said, this list solely goes through all the episodes written specifically by Russell, not just to revive some fond memories for Whovians, but also to remind them of what they can expect from the man’s upcoming second tenure.
10. Midnight (season 4, episode 10)
If there’s one thing we can say about “Midnight,” it’s that this solo adventure starring only David Tennant as the 10th Doctor isn’t for the faint of heart. It also fails to deliver that conventional Doctor Who experience where the titular character visits an awe-inducing new alien planet or goes back in history to fix a certain problem.
More than anything, “Midnight” is a social commentary on how mass hysteria can lead to disastrous predicaments. The Doctor has to face the darker side of human cognition and get out of the experience with his sanity intact, though how successfully he does that might be a debate for another circle. “Midnight” is certainly a peculiar Doctor Who story, but it’s also the perfect reminder that one of the show’s strengths is that it can be whatever it chooses to be.
9. Rose (season 1, episode 1)
“Rose” was the first Doctor Who episode to premiere after its cancellation in 1989, barring the 1996 television film. A lot was riding on this reintroduction, but Russell T. Davies, with the help of Christopher Eccleston (9th Doctor) and Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), knocked it out of the park.
Doctor Who is never simply about the Doctor. The show has always relied on powerful side characters in the form of the Doctor’s companion to retain that sense of awe in the face of all of time and all of space, and Russell choosing “Rose” as the title of this pilot perfectly encapsulates that philosophy, while also reassuring fans that the IP is in good hands.
8. Dalek (season 1, episode 6)
As an arch-nemesis, the Daleks have always been a contentious creature design in sci-fi history. Doctor Who fans absolutely adore them and understand that they can be a terrifying force of nature, but to a lot of newer audiences, especially the younger generation, Daleks will evoke the image of a very inefficient salt shaker with a plunger for its hands.
But Doctor Who isn’t Doctor Who without Daleks regularly showing up to make trouble for our fugitive Time Lord. “Dalek” doesn’t bring back an armada of the creatures, nor does it involve an elaborate plan by their masterminds to take over the world.
“Dalek” tells the story of a stranded Dalek who doesn’t appear to be all that threatening despite shaking the Doctor to his very core. Then, the episode unleashes him on the world, and reminds every kid why they cried in terror and sought the relative safety of the couch’s back whenever the Daleks reappeared in classic Who.
7. The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas special)
Russell T. Davies has always had a flair for the melodramatic, so you can always count on him to surprise the audience with every tool at his disposal. Whether it’s announcing a new Doctor prematurely and completely out of the blue, or bamboozling the viewers into believing something is true until the narrative is turned on its head, you can always count on Davies’ episodes to at least keep you at the edge of your seat.
“The Next Doctor” has the characteristics and the absurdity of a perfect melodramatic RTD outing, and for that reason alone, we think it deserves a place on this list. Besides, getting the opportunity to visit Victorian London will always be a joy as far as worldbuilding and settings go.
6. The Waters of Mars (2009 Holiday Special)
Doctor Who will have its titular character running around and casually saving everyone for a whole season, and then spring something like “The Waters of Mars” on the audience, leaving them completely terrified at the notion of a man such as the Doctor, with unimaginable power, roaming the universe at will and getting up to God-knows-what.
“The Waters of Mars” would’ve otherwise been a completely forgettable story, if not for those final moments that always send chills down our spines. The Doctor defies history to save the life of a very important human being, but in doing so undermines his own rules and forgets what it really means to be the Doctor. He even declares in ominous tones that he thought he was a survivor but is in fact “the winner. The Time Lord Victorious.” Imagine an alternate reality where the Doctor is the villain. Yeesh.
5. The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords (season 3, episodes 12 & 13)
The last two episodes of season three are why many people fall in love with Doctor Who in the first place. The Master has made a completely shocking return, and he’s being portrayed by the endlessly charismatic John Simm in this incarnation. The Doctor, meanwhile, has to race through time and space to save the world from his insane childhood friend, culminating in an epic confrontation that takes a year to unfold.
“The Sound of Drums” and “Last of the Time Lords” are the very definition of epic sci-fi television, and they’re also counted among the more acclaimed of the Master’s appearances in Doctor Who.
4. Utopia (season 3, episode 11)
I know what you’re thinking; Why would we put the setup to that final climactic act in season three ahead of the climax itself? “Utopia” isn’t one of the best Doctor Who episodes because it sets up “The Sound of Drums” and “Last of the Time Lords,” it’s one of the best because it adheres to a perfect narrative pace that builds up the tension throughout the episode, culminating in the mind-numbing reveal that the professor is, indeed, the Doctor’s sworn frenemy, the Master.
The post-apocalyptic setting is also a plus in our book, with the remnants of humanity struggling to leave the alien planet with a makeshift spaceship. “Utopia” is the perfect trap for the Doctor, and when the Master springs it, the episode leaves us with our jaws on the floor and our minds completely blown by Russell T. Davies’ storytelling brilliance.
3. Army of Ghosts / Doomsday (season 2, episodes 12 & 13)
Some Doctor Who writers brave the storms of writing a Dalek story, others go for their easier counterparts, the Cybermen, but it is only Russell T. Davies who’ll write a story to incorporate both species in a single story. “Army of Ghosts” starts with an enigma that involves the afterlife, but by the end of the episode, we realize these apparitions that have suddenly appeared on Earth aren’t ghosts, but Cybermen.
At the same time, the Daleks make a play for world dominion and the two species inevitably end up clashing, with Planet Earth stuck in the middle and the Doctor using the scant resources at his disposal to save the day yet again.
Except for the fact that “Doomsday” packs an emotional punch – the likes of which you rarely find on television. Doctor Who had spent two seasons building up a reputation again, but a lot of people weren’t aware of just how emotionally invested they’d become in these new characters.
So, when Rose leaves the show in those final moments, and she and the Doctor don’t even get that last chance to express their feelings toward one another, you’ll be left with a sinking feeling in your stomach, a wound that will never quite heal. At least not for a little while yet.
2. The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End (season 4, episodes 12 & 13)
By now, we begin to realize something incredible about Russell T. Davies. Whatever his flaws, and they are numerous, the man knows how to end a story, because all of his climactic conclusions are among the best modern Who has to offer.
The last two episodes of season four are no exception in this regard. One could even argue that this is RTD’s biggest accomplishment through his long tenure as showrunner. “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End” essentially round up four seasons of television storytelling in a single narrative. All characters and companions who are still alive and left standing make a comeback, and Rose is among them.
We always knew our girl would return and get the happy ending she deserves, but “The Stolen Earth” will still bring you to tears when the Doctor and Rose reunite after two seasons apart. Then there’s the return of Davros, who is the other elephant in the room.
“Journey’s End” concludes Davies’ unhinged madness with three different versions of the Doctor and all of his companions from the modern era present, underlining the writer’s accomplishment in weaving all of these plot threads together in a way that keeps your blood continuously pumping until it’s time for those credits to roll.
1. The End of Time (2010 New Year Special)
“The End of Time” was Davies’ last story in Doctor Who. This is also where he retired David Tennant’s extremely popular 10th Doctor. Russell then handed the reins to Steven Moffat, who replaced Tennant with Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor. The rest, as they say, is history.
The two-part New Year special is the ultimate swansong for the Doctor that won us over with his unrelenting charisma as early as his first appearance in 2005’s “The Christmas Invasion.” It also highlights why the Doctor is the ultimate hero, and why Doctor Who is an immortal story.
While there are a lot of great stories to choose from, “The End of Time” is Russell T. Davies at his most powerful, so unless he manages to dazzle us again in the upcoming run, it will retain its spot as one of the best Doctor Who stories since its revival in 2005.