All 13 Seasons of Modern ‘Doctor Who,’ Ranked

By its very nature, and for over 60 years, Doctor Who has been about regeneration. Whether that be the central face on-screen or the leading force off it, Doctor Who has never been afraid to move with the times and evolve. Since the show was revived in 2005, there have been many chances to grow – 19 years worth – with the core of the series managing to stay true to its central beliefs without disrupting the thirst for change.

With change inevitably comes the ebbing and flowing in quality, with some of the past 13 seasons of Doctor Who remembered more fondly than others within the Whoniverse. So, with that in mind, and with Ncuti Gatwa’s iteration of the titular Time Lord ready to write his own story, the mind wanders to the past, and exactly which of the previous seasons was modern Doctor Who‘s best.

13 Season 11

Premiere Date: October 7, 2018

Considered by many to be the worst season of modern Doctor Who, Season 11 happens to not just be Jodie Whittaker‘s first time flying the TARDIS, but also Chris Chibnall‘s, as he takes over following the seven-year-reign of Steven Moffat. Unlike every other modern season, Chibnall and co instead change the mold in this outing, opting for a season full of one-episode stories that all consist of new monsters without any overarching plot besides the return of the first episode’s villain in the finale. Instead, Chibnall uses his penchant for gritty TV drama to try and tell character-driven narratives with all four of the mainstays in the TARDIS; The Doctor, Yaz (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh), and Ryan (Tosin Cole).

Contrary to what many may tell you, Season 11 of Doctor Who has plenty of redeemable features, not least its dedication to telling insightful historical stories, a trend lost during the previous era. With stories like “Rosa” and “Demons of the Punjab” detailing some of the more poignant moments in modern human history, Chibnall excels by providing both education and entertainment, a mission statement that was so important when Doctor Who was first pitched to the BBC some 60 years ago. However, poor storytelling, weak monsters, and a contradictory moral compass for our titular Time Lord left many feeling unsatisfied, with Chibnall and Whittaker’s reputations sadly struggling to ever recover.

12 Season 7

Premiere Date: September 1, 2012

Following the first two successful years of Doctor Who under Moffat, the world was watching eagle-eyed as the days edged ever closer to Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary. Split into two halves, Season 7’s first half details the final days of the Ponds on the TARDIS, with the second half picking up on the story of the Impossible Girl, Clara (Jenna Coleman), as the events leading up to her entering the Doctor’s timestream are uncovered.

The 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who, and all the extra content that was released around it, made this era an especially exciting time to be a fan of the show. However, it is possible that the hype surrounding the special celebration helped disguise some of this era’s worst episodes, with the second half in particular, besides “The Day of the Doctor”, struggling to ever find form. Whether it’s an unnecessary off-screen break-up for Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) or a poor attempt to revive the Ice Warriors, Season 7 of Doctor Who contains far too many skip-worthy episodes to even be worth comparing to other seasons under Moffat’s watch.

11 Season 13

Premiere Date: October 31, 2021

The pandemic took its toll on Doctor Who, with Chibnall’s initial bold and daring plans having to be scrapped for something shorter and easier to shoot, eventually becoming Season 13, or Flux as it’s better known. Whittaker’s last season on the TARDIS alongside old companion Yaz and new companion Dan (John Bishop), Flux tells the six-episode tale of the titular malevolent force set to destroy the entire universe and the Doctor’s attempts to stop it, all while trying to come to terms with her new identity following the events of “The Timeless Children”.

Sometimes great constraints can lead to genius through the necessity of innovation, with much of this season required to use CGI because of COVID restrictions, making for perhaps the best-looking season of Doctor Who yet. From the sweeping aerial shots of space to the desolate landscapes of far-flung planets, the season manages to impressively travel all over the universe (and even outside of it) despite its very real geographical restrictions. However, with such a short episode count compared to a normal season of Doctor Who, Chibnall’s attempts to tie up his many plot threads as well as find solutions to the plethora of actors that had already signed on board for the season left some of the episodes in a messy pile of clunky character moments and unresolved narratives. The final episode, in particular, is widely considered to be a disastrous letdown, but that doesn’t take away from the highlight of the season in the form of Episode 4, “Village of the Angels”, with director Jamie Magnus Stone bringing the fear factor to a villain with enormous pedigree.

10 Season 8

Premiere Date: August 23, 2014

Matt Smith‘s Eleventh Doctor was always going to be a tough act to follow, with many of the onboarded fans from the previous four years starting to tune out now their favorite Time Lord had hung up his bow tie. With a season arc revolving around the identity of the mysterious Missy (Michelle Gomez) and the Doctor’s own internal moral battle (am I a good man?), Moffat and co wanted to take the show on a more introspective and somewhat darker route, especially considering the ‘Time War’ narrative arc had been neatly ended in the 50th Anniversary Special.

Season 8 of Doctor Who simply fails to get going, with many of the episodes resigned to the ‘skip’ section on many people’s watchlists. From the fun but forgettable “Robots of Sherwood” to the unnecessarily controversial “Kill the Moon”, Season 8 struggles to boast any sort of consistent string of strong episodes like many other seasons of the show. However, both Clara and the new Twelfth Doctor do have instant chemistry, much more than Clara and the Eleventh incarnation had, and Peter Capaldi is most definitely the perfect actor to take the show in the new direction Moffat had envisaged, with the early signs of the Scottish actor’s eventual success certainly visible.

9 Season 12

Premiere Date: January 1, 2020

Chibnall had to tear up his newly written rulebook in order to bring back some order to Doctor Who in Season 12. After the unique attempts to restructure the show in his first outing failed, Chibnall decided to reintroduce fond faces and return to the tried and tested season-long narrative arc and two-parters that had found such success since the 2005 revival. Beginning with the high-budget two-part Bond rip-off “Spyfall”, Sacha Dhawan‘s new incarnation of the Master is revealed, one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies, leading to whispers of a canon-altering discovery finally realized in the finale.

By some distance, this is Chibnall and Whittaker’s best season of Doctor Who. Despite a couple of forgettable additions, as is customary with Chibnall in charge, this season boasts the likes of the important “Fugitive of the Judoon”, the energetic “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror”, and the brooding “The Haunting of Villa Diodati”, with the latter a real throwback to Doctor Who at its best. Truthfully, the season was winding neatly towards a retrospective success. However, the finale, “The Timeless Children”, simply let the fandom down, with a plot twist that didn’t just subvert the show’s illustrious past, it broke its canon, with many complaining that Chibnall and his team had disrespected the entire history of Doctor Who. Alas, one disaster aside, this season has enough quality to be well worth a re-watch.

8 Season 2

Premiere Date: December 25, 2005

Doctor Who meets Romeo and Juliet in this season, which pits the new Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in a will-they/won’t-they relationship with his companion, Rose (Billie Piper). Despite their age and universal gap, the two spend the majority of this season flying the stars and struggling to contain their romance, with beaming grins and implied glances across some of space’s strangest rooms. However, a painful reality is clear – this partnership is doomed to tragedy, which strikes in the season’s two-part finale, “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday”.

The definition of a mixed bag: the highs are incredibly high and the lows scarily low in this season, with the gorgeous and brooding “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit” two-parter sandwiched between the frustrating “The Idiot’s Lantern” and the somewhat underrated but certainly silly “Love and Monsters”. However, it is this season’s greatest asset that is also its biggest downfall, namely the relationship between the Tenth Doctor and Rose. Normally, such chemistry would be celebrated in a show that often fears doing something this bold, but, alas, that fear was correct, with the sickly-sweet and often uncomfortable nature of their romance proving to be too difficult to watch at times, with fans missing the enigmatic and asexual nature of their favorite Time Lord.

7 Season 6

Premiere Date: April 23, 2011

Following the huge triumph of Doctor Who Season 5 in the US, the show would capitalize on its across-the-pond success and take its opening two-parter to The Oval Office and beyond. Split into two halves and featuring the most ambitious season arc yet, the true identity of River Song (Alex Kingston), Amy and Rory’s pregnancy, and the impending death of the Doctor would dominate the narrative, leading to a season finale, “The Wedding of River Song”, that would simply give itself far too much work to do.

Brimming with possibility, the opening few stories in Season 6 were almost too promising to ever reach fruition, with the suggested death of the protagonist simply impossible to neatly get out of. Season 6 should be praised for its daring ambition, especially in the form of the big-budget two-parter “The Impossible Astronaut” and “The Day of the Moon”. However, its unfulfilled potential sadly removes from its legacy, with many often remembering the stumbling plot threads and strange storytelling structure over the stunning sci-fi stories like “The Girl Who Waited” and “The God Complex”. Truly, this is a season of Doctor Who that has to be seen to be believed, warts and all.

6 Season 9

Premiere Date: September 19, 2015

Capaldi is officially in business in Doctor Who‘s ninth season, with Moffat choosing to turn every episode of this outing into a two-parter, making for one of the show’s more unique seasons. With an unfulfilling season arc following the mysterious hybrid and the hunt for its identity, the strongest narrative thread this season offers is that of Clara’s downfall, as her attempts to become like the Doctor end in tragedy with her brazen confidence leading to the end of her life, almost.

High-octane and high-budget, Season 9 of Doctor Who is a wild ride from minute one, with the opening two-parter “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar” perhaps the most ambitious opening to a Doctor Who season ever. Despite some stories that fail to deliver on their premise, the season winds towards its final three episodes with a true sense of intrigue, with the events of “Face the Raven” and Clara’s untimely demise followed by one of the best episodes in the entire series, “Heaven Sent”. A terrific exploration of grief wrapped up in a Capaldi performance for the ages, this episode is perhaps the pinnacle of modern Doctor Who, managing to blend both horror and sci-fi with a deep understanding of the human experience, although the less said about its follow up “Hell Bent”, the better.

5 Season 3

Premiere Date: March 31, 2007

Season 3 of Doctor Who brought a brand-new challenge for a 21st century audience, with the loss of Rose meaning viewers would have to get used to a new companion – Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). The sound of drums is echoing in the Doctor’s mind, with the whispers of one Harold Saxon (John Simm) leading to a season finale in which both his and the Doctor’s identity as the last of the Time Lords are put into question. This arc is the perfect next step in the journey of the war-weary modern Doctor, with the rug pulled from beneath his feet as soon as he has finally come to terms with his actions during the ‘Time War’.

Despite many in the audience being unsure as to how the beloved Rose could ever be replaced, Agyeman’s performance as Martha is beautifully balanced between a confident young woman training to become a better professional and a doting companion yearning to have the same love from the Doctor that he gave his previous partner. Despite some of the Doctor’s pining for Rose undercutting his new central partnership, the pair strike a wonderful chemistry that allows for a great friendship to blossom throughout many a great episode, with the run from Episode 8, “Human Nature” and Episode 11, “Utopia” the best four-episode run in the entire series, bolstered in the middle by the inclusion of the iconic “Blink”.

4 Season 10

Premiere Date: April 15, 2017

The Twelfth Doctor’s character arc is the most detailed in the modern era of the show, with this, his final season in charge of the TARDIS, the perfect amalgamation of his journey from a man unsure of his identity to one confident in who he is – a lesson that will never grow old. Now a teacher at Duke’s University, The Doctor encounters Bill (Pearl Mackie) and takes such a shine to her enigmatic thought process that he takes her on board the TARDIS.

The best of Season 10 comes in the relationship between the Twelfth Doctor and Bill, with their teacher/student relationship perfectly capturing the true nuance that comes with a thousand-year-old alien and a human becoming friends. However, this duo is, in fact, a trio, with Matt Lucas‘ Nardole a wonderfully comical addition to the TARDIS, with Moffat offering a breath of fresh air in between some of the series’ most tense and emotionally challenging episodes. From a criticism of modern consumerism in “Oxygen” to the tearjerking fate of Bill in “World Enough and Time”, Season 10 might just be the most mature of all the modern seasons of Doctor Who, making Nardole a cleverly realized neutralizer for much of the pain.

3 Season 5

Premiere Date: April 3, 2010

When Tennant and Russell T. Davies‘ time on Doctor Who was announced to be ending in 2008, there was such sadness within the fandom that even the executives of the BBC seriously considered ending the show. With that in mind, expectations were that the series would onboard a major star to take over the titular role, leaving the world agasp when it was announced that an unknown young actor from Northampton would be filling Tennant’s iconic sandshoes. Season 5 would see Smith alongside new companions Amy and Rory as they solve the puzzle of the crack in her bedroom wall, which turns out to be a crack in the fabric of the universe.

Fondly dubbed ‘The Fairytale Season’, Season 5 was Moffat’s first time in full charge of the show, taking the grounded cinematography of the previous era and turning it into a magical collection of wondrous settings and superbly realized monsters. From his first episode, “The Eleventh Hour”, Smith took the lead role and made it his own, using his boundless energy and charming stare to craft a fresh-faced version of the Doctor not seen since Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor. That isn’t to say his youthfulness ever lost any sense of the age of the character, with the battered history of a man bathed in the blood of civilizations captured in Smith’s gripping eyes. From the intricate “Amy’s Choice” to Richard Curtis‘ touching look at mental illness in “Vincent and the Doctor”, Season 5 has one of the strongest selections of episodes of any modern season, with Moffat and Smith proving to be the combination the fandom didn’t know they wanted, but definitely needed.

2 Season 1

Premiere Date: March 26, 2005

The season that started it all. Before 2005, Doctor Who was a show fondly remembered by some, but widely considered a relic of a bygone era of British television. With that in mind, it would take the mind of a man who loved the series and the face of an actor who could bring something new to change the public’s minds – and that’s exactly what they did. Having recently caused the deaths of his own species and the iconic Daleks during the legendary ‘Time War’, the Ninth Doctor meets the 19-year-old Rose as she attempts to escape the clutches of the Autons at her department store. A journey through time and space later and the pair are saving Earth from the returning Daleks and putting a stop to the rise of the universe’s deadliest army.

Davies’ mission statement for the first season of his new era of the show was to ground the universe-spanning series in our world, with every episode of this season taking place either in or in the shadow of Earth. Bolstered by a 21st century budget and a brand-new structure for storytelling that, unlike the classic era, saw some tales told over single episodes, the highlight of this season is Christopher Eccleston‘s lead performance, with his war-weary interpretation of the character making for some of the grittiest and most emotionally nuanced episodes of the series ever, from “Dalek” to “Father’s Day”. The latter of these two episodes is perhaps the perfect encapsulation of this era of the show, with Doctor Who feeling more like a touching kitchen-sink drama sprinkled with sci-fi as Davies’ mission statement came to fruition gloriously.

1 Season 4

Premiere Date: April 5, 2008

The most iconic Doctor and the most iconic companion combine in Season 4 in a recipe for genius. When fans were first treated to the combination of the Doctor and Donna (Catherine Tate) in the 2006 Christmas Special, “The Runaway Bride”, it was clear just how much potential they had. So, when it was announced that the best temp in Chiswick would become a full-time partner to the Tenth Doctor, viewers rejoiced and indulged in their beautiful chemistry. With the fate of the universe on the line and planets slowly going missing, a puzzle is set to be solved as both the Doctor and Donna realize why their meeting was much more than mere fate.

From the hilarious opener, “Partners in Crime”, to the satire of the murder mystery genre in “The Unicorn and the Wasp” and right the way through to the epic two-part finale in which Doctor Who does Infinity War before the MCU had barely begun, Season 4 simply had it all. However, despite the indulgent flair of the central duo, it is an episode in which they are kept apart that stands as the peak of this season: “Midnight”. With the Doctor on his own as he takes a tour of the titular planet Midnight, this bottle episode sees an unknown entity lurk on a planet he thought uninhabitable, slowly infiltrating the bus and infesting those on the tour. Despite this creature being one of the Doctor’s most impossible foes, it is his own arrogance, an arrogance that will soon see his demise, that makes him the prime target for the scared humans on board. A breathless episode that was merely a filler for all the other great episodes around it, Season 4 of Doctor Who is some of the best television of the 21st century and has created a legacy for the show that will likely see it live long on our screens.

Seasons 1-13 of Doctor Who are available to stream right now on Max in the U.S.

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