4 – Pyramids of Mars

Weirdly, number four in my classic Doctor Who countdown comes an adventure that I took a little while to warm to as a child, quite possibly because it is very much the epitome of the Philip Hinchcliffe gothic horror era of Doctor Who, and features a rather high body count. It is a sign of how much I now enjoy the adventure, that when I travelled recently to visit my family, this was the adventure I chose to sit down to watch with my dad – and we both enjoyed every minute of it!

5 – The Caves of Androzani

We enter my top five with no shocks remaining, least of all this adventure. Often voted one of the very best Doctor Who adventures ever, Peter Davison’s swansong is one of the most emotive and gripping stories to ever grace the classic series. It is also however, one of the grittiest, with an incredibly high body count, an undeniably brooding and sinister tone, and cliffhangers that left a seven year old Dan very confused.

6 – The Deadly Assassin

Of all the stories in my top ten, I think The Deadly Assassin is the one that will be most surprising. Not because it is in any way a bad story – but it is not necessarily one that is universally acclaimed as a classic. The story however is very important in Doctor Who’s history on two counts; it is the first time we travel to the Doctor’s home world of Gallifrey (not counting the brief scenes in The War Games and The Three Doctors), and it is the first time we see the Master portrayed by an actor other than Roger Delgado.

7 – City of Death

City of Death is perhaps the finest example in the entire classic series run of how a simple science-fiction concept can be elevated to superb drama with the right author and the right cast. The story was developed from its initial concept by Douglas Adams, aided by producer Graham Williams, and the result is an adventure that was a wonderful blend of Adams’ esoteric style of humour, and good old fashioned British storytelling. Which is ironic given that the story is set in Paris, and features the theft of a famous Italian painting …