Top Five Tenth Doctor Stories

I can not be the only one who can’t wrap their head around the 20th anniversary of the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. OK, technically, it was the tail end of last year (December 2025 marked 20 years since the Tenth Doctor’s debut episode, The Christmas Invasion). But the first episode that got this Doctor rocking and rolling with regular adventures was New Earth, which aired on 15th April 2006.

In any case, we are past the twenty-year mark, so it is worth celebrating.

And David Tennant’s dedication kept his incarnation relevant beyond regenerating in 2010, with countless Big Finish audios and a couple of highly regarded returns to the program for the big anniversaries. Meaning we well and truly have had twenty years full of converse, spiky hair, flirtatious charm and intense watery-eyed smouldering that this Doctor does so damn well.

We must celebrate this occasion (and take our minds off getting old) by looking back on some of the best episodes of the Tenth Doctor. Here are my top five stories from his tenure, which include selections from Series 2, 3, 4 and the Specials. Allonsy!

5. The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit

Written by Matt Jones for Series Two, this two-parter does not get talked about enough. It gets lost among the other gems in Tennant’s era, but it would be remiss of me not to include this. I love this story!

In an already precarious setting – a sanctuary base on a world in orbit of a black hole – the stakes are even higher because the threat beneath the planet’s surface might be the Devil himself. The actual Devel! I love the ambiguity of this story, which lends it different readings.

This could simply be an ancient alien being that possesses telepathic abilities (which give poor archaeologist Toby red eyes and byro markings all over his body), or it could be something darker and beyond even the Doctor’s understanding. The possibility of that being introduced in this episode is tantalising. A ballsy move to even attempt a story such as this.

It is a scary episode due to Toby being creepy when he’s possessed, the legendary Gabriel Woolf providing his wicked tones for the voice of ‘the Beast’, and the pursuit of the Doctor, Rose and the Sanctuary base crew by the red-eyed Ood.

Oh yeah, the Ood are introduced in this one. In the same episode as the Devil. Both have the same level of impact, in my mind.

The Doctor himself has some pivotal character moments in this one, but they are so understated that it makes sense that they aren’t often talked about among fandom. For instance, when faced with the reality that the TARDIS has fallen into the planet due to a quake, and he and Rose are stuck there, he considers what life would be like if he had to settle down, get a job, and no longer travel the universe.

It’s highly grounding for his character, and interesting to watch him have to face up to it (well, until they get the TARDIS back later and it’s all fine).

But furthermore, Tennant’s performance and Jones’ writing during the Doctor’s confrontation with the Beast in the story’s climax is some of the most stellar Doctor Who ever. For me, it’s the confusion and questions around what exactly the Beast is when he is shouting at it, which crescendos to him smashing jars to destroy it (who knew it’d be that easy?) and exclaiming how much he believes in Rose, even if he doesn’t quite believe in much else. Absolute poetry, I tell you.

This two-parter is an underrated, scary gem. But not quite as scary as another episode on a much smaller scale…

4. Midnight

Midnight is a shining example of Russell T Davies, unburdened by handling story arcs or writing out characters in series finales, getting to unleash some creativity in a stand-alone episode. I love Midnight so much that I’ve already written a whole article on it, so I will keep this brief.

What this episode highlights is that Doctor Who doesn’t need giant sets, lots of CGI, rubber masks, or a big complicated narrative to tell an amazing story. Midnight had one set, a handful of excellent actors, and a totally invisible monster.

The ‘thing’ outside the shuttle is never revealed; all we know is that it has the ability to possess people and a hankering to mould itself to their image through mimicking the Doctor and the other passengers. What would it have done if it got its way, managed to steal a body, and ventured out into the universe? We never find out. And that is terrifying.

Scarier than that is the reactions of the characters in this story. Distrustful towards the Doctor, who takes charge as he always does, flipping the status quo of a Doctor Who support cast who more often than not accept the main character’s authority.

On a rewatch, I can never stop my heart being in my mouth when Dee Dee, Jethro, Carol from Eastenders, Patrick Troughton’s son and co form a mob mentality, seemingly stopping at nothing to push back against the Doctor. When they go so far as to attempt throwing him out once he gets possessed by the entity, I honestly think the Midnight passengers end up being scarier than the monster.

Tennant gives one of his best performances here. Not only does he play the Doctor’s anxiety when losing control of the situation so well, but when he is DESPERATELY trying to fight the monster out of him when he gets possessed – the tension, the tears, those eyes – I challenge you to tell me it is anything short of extraordinary acting.

Midnight is an absolute banger. It would be a shame if this episode ever had its impact lessened if we found out any more about the monster, or worse, actually caught a glimpse of –

Oh, for goodness sake. I just remembered that The Well exists. Let’s cheer ourselves up with the next entry…

3. Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

Generally speaking, the series finales in this era are satisfying watches, effectively tying up loose ends from the series in big, epic payoffs. But I think this three-part showdown between the Doctor and the hotly anticipated returning villain, the Master, takes the crown for my favourite.

To begin, Utopia is a brilliant episode which starts solidly, with Captain Jack coming back and a sweet story of the Doctor being able to help Professor Yana save the last of the human race by fixing a rocket. Once Professor Yana is revealed as the Master, we have an enthralling ending where he kills his assistant Chantho, who shoots him before he dies, before he regenerates and escapes with the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor, Martha and Jack stranded at the end of the universe.

I remember being intrigued by the idea of an evil Time Lord when I first saw this, and watching again over the years, honestly, never lessens its impact. And Derek Jacobi, though he only had a few minutes of screentime as the Master, is an incredible incarnation of the character.

Parts two and three also feel distinctive. In The Sound of Drums, we have the main trio on the run while the Master is Prime Minister (such a bonkers scenario, which I love), and Last of the Time Lords focuses mainly on Martha, who has been on a trek across the world for a whole year to save it.

The Master is just so wicked, he is both a funny panto-esque villain that I like and a cruel bastard whom I utterly detest. And Martha saving the day is just the cherry on the cake of reasons why she is the MVP of Series Three (cake of reasons? I was reaching with that one).

Yes, there is a reset button ending to this one. Many fans understandably find this underwhelming. But for me, I don’t mind it too much. The way we got there, with Martha triumphantly beating the Master and proving she doesn’t need the Doctor, was satisfying enough for me.

And the events of the story were not without consequence either, as Martha’s family remember that year and is completely traumatised. So, not exactly a neat little bow; there are still repercussions, which I am all here for.

But most of all, I adore the Doctor and the Master’s relationship. The Doctor obviously wants to stop his diabolical plans, but he also cares for him deeply, and that’s so interesting to watch. I start to well up just thinking of the ‘This is Gallifrey’ music, and that final scene where the Master refuses to regenerate just to spite the Doctor (classic Master), and dies in his arms, and Tennant fully commits to this moment of the Doctor just completely breaking down. Without his childhood friend, the only other Time Lord. Completely alone…

Yikes, I’m gonna cry again, next!

2. The Waters of Mars

Oh, heck yeah, this is one of the all-time greats. Written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford, this Mars-set base under siege story pushes the boundaries of where a Doctor Who story can go for plot and character development.

For starters, the Time Lord Victorious arc was excellent to watch unfold on screen. I think as someone with as much darkness, trauma and experience with death as the Doctor, it makes total sense that he fell off the rails at least once. And the captivating part is you can totally understand why… he just wants to save a bunch of innocent humans who were always destined to die.

But then it dawns just how catastrophic this could be for the history of Earth, and then the Doctor starts being arrogant, talking about ‘saving little people’ with some messed-up superiority complex. And then this hero we know and love – and particularly Tennant’s version of him that we’ve grown to feel safe with – becomes unrecognisable.

And that moment, oh my goodness, THAT MOMENT where Adelaide shoots herself after the Doctor has dropped her back on Earth, to put things right… I get goosebumps and teary-eyed just thinking about it. The Doctor realises this is totally not what he stands for, and snaps right out of this stupor.

And I will say it again – David Tennant completely throws himself into it, bringing out the truth, the anger and the heartbreak from the material with such effortlessness.

The Time Lord Victorious was destined to be something that we discuss for years afterwards, and boy, did we! It even inspired its own multi-media Time Lord Victorious story in 2020 (I read the two books The Knight, The Fool and The Dead, and All Flesh is Grass; both were terrific. And I even met Brian the Ood at the immersive show Doctor Who: Time Fracture, which was a truly life-altering moment – this is a testament to how much impact this storyline had.

But that was definitely not the only thing this episode had going for it. It is a highly atmospheric story; I could fully believe that this was the Red Planet, and no one could hear you scream or choke on a watery carrot. The Flood – the parasitic water monsters (man, I love this show) – are super freaky, both in the design of cracked features and colourless eyes, and in the threat of even a tiny, tiny drop causing you to turn into an abomination.

I enjoyed all the characters in the Bowie Base One crew, including ‘Gadget-Gadget’. And throughout, the moral turmoil the Doctor wrestles with elevates this from being ‘just another base under siege episode’. We even have references to the Ice Warriors and the Daleks – nice.

I don’t think you can really ask for much more from a Doctor Who episode than The Waters of Mars has on offer. But there is just one more story that slightly wins out for me. But first, here are some honourable mentions…

Honourable Mentions

The Shakespeare Code

I am a bit biased because I do have an interest in the life and work of the famous bard. But Martha’s first trip on the TARDIS is a cool story in which the Doctor battles witches and makes friends with Shakespeare, going so far as to inform some of his future plays and to perform at the Globe Theatre. What’s not to like?! Always my go-to episode when I need cheering up.

Human Nature / The Family of Blood

A lovely and spooky story in equal measure. It is a clever concept that Paul Cornell adapts from his Virgin New Adventures novel, featuring a tragic love story and walking scarecrows. I suppose the only reason it isn’t higher is that the Doctor himself isn’t technically in it that much. But Tennant’s performance of John Smith is enough to bring a tear to your eye…

Blink

Again, not really viable for a Top Five list of Tenth Doctor stories because he is barely in it. But this episode is awesome. Timey-wimey stories and terrifying Weeping Angels have never been done better. The number of people who have told me, “I haven’t seen much Doctor Who, but I love the one with the Angels”, shows the impact this masterpiece had on pop culture.

The Fires of Pompeii

Modern Art! I love this episode. This is the first time that Catherine Tate shows Donna as not just a wise-cracking, assertive companion, but a character with immense empathy and humanity, which I think is the reason we all love her. It warms my heart (poor turn of phrase, given its Volcano Day) that the Doctor at least saves one family from dying in the Mount Vesuvius eruption.

It’s nice to know that, though there are laws of time and stuff, compassion will always win. Great to see Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan in this episode, too.

OK, my number one spot is…

1. Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead

I had a hard time picking what would be number one in the amazing roster of stories. But there are some important reasons why this story comes out on top.

Fundamentally, I love the concepts. The idea of a Library planet is so cool; I would love to visit this place. The production team in 2008 could have so easily avoided doing this because it was too difficult to realise on the budget they had, but they did it anyway!

And I think it comes across brilliantly on screen, with a perfect balance of CGI and actual sets (expertly used rooms in Cardiff that pass off as parts of the Library world). And throw in their ideas like a computer where people’s consciousnesses are uploaded to live out a dream world, and the Vashta Nerada, you’ve got a good soup of ideas.

Speaking of the Vashta Nerada – these are one of my all-time favourite Doctor Who monsters, largely because they are one of a few that have ever truly frightened me. It’s not just the imagery of the hobbling Spacesuits with Skeletons inside them, and the haunting repetition of the final words of the people they’ve taken, but it’s the intense violence of these aliens that still freaks me out to this day.

Invisible Pirahnas that lurk in the dark and will tear the flesh from your bones in a second. I’m going to need a brighter light…

I would love it if the Vashta Nerada made a return (besides Big Finish and the Doctor Who Adventure Game they appeared in), but I would be perfectly happy if this were it. This story is memorable and scary enough; any more Vashta Nerada stories are just the cherry on the already perfect cake of fear (cake of fear? Can’t decide whether or not this is worse than cake of reasons…).

Once again, I love the Tenth Doctor in this story, and I think it really has a bit of everything that makes me love this incarnation of the character. He is both charming (always banging on about a little shop) and a force to be reckoned with (“You just killed someone I liked, that is not a safe place to stand!“).

But also, it’s the vulnerable moments when he is saddened by Donna’s face being plastered on one of the library nodes, and the gusto with which he runs what feels like the length of the planet to preserve the consciousness of a mysterious woman he’s just met…

This leads us towards a great set of support characters in this expedition of explorers led by archaeologist River Song, in her first-ever appearance. At the time, I think it was just intriguing to have a character who seemed to know a huge amount about the Doctor, having known him in his future, but he, of course, knows nothing about her.

How did she get a screwdriver? Why is she talking to him like they’re married? Who the blooming heck is Jim the Fish?

But I think what makes this story exceed any other in the Tenth Doctor’s era is that it’s aged like a mighty fine wine. This meeting between Ten and River was already good to watch. But with the hindsight of many capers in the wrong order, a whole fiasco with an astronaut suit sent to kill the Doctor, a wedding which may or may not have been official because the Doctor was a Teselecta, and a truly lovely ending where the Doctor and River finally get their happily ever after on the Singing Towers of Dirilium… Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead act as the perfect epilogue to Doctor Who’s most prominent love story.

Call me a big ol’ softie, but I am enamoured with Alex Kingston’s performance back in 2008, with the knowledge that River just said goodbye to the Doctor after a lifetime being properly together, and is saying a permanent goodbye to a version of him that doesn’t know her. And to extend that, I am enamoured with Tennant’s performance of the Doctor, who must know she is someone special because she whispered his name in his ear. It is heartbreaking but also hopeful because the Doctor has all of that ahead of him.

Say what you will about the plot holes and characterisation of River Song along the timeline, but I think the way they ended it at the very start (wibbly wobbly timey wimey) is utterly flawless storytelling. I love it so much.

We still don’t know who Jim the Fish is, though. I need this answered, never mind why the Doctor looks like Billie Piper now.

I don’t wanna go…

So there you have it. My top five Tenth Doctor stories. It was a tough list to whittle down, and it’s subject to change probably every week. But right now, this is it!

Do you agree with my list? What are your personal top five Tenth Doctor stories? Let us know on our social media; shout up on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky or Threads!

I think I’d like a piece of cake after all of that…