Doctor Who: 10 Greatest Steven Moffat Episodes

Now that Doctor Who is getting a new showrunner in the near future, it's time to look at the best work of the previous incumbents of the job. Last month, it was Russell T Davies' turn. Today, it's the man who has overseen more Doctors than anybody- Steven Moffat...

Doctor Who: Step Back In Time - The 1996 Movie

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, we take a look at the underappreciated Doctor Who TV Movie... and it's about time!

Review: Doctor Who - The Witch's Familiar

Missy! Davros! Daleks! Something's definitely familiar here... but did this episode carve out something new?

'I’m not sure any of that matters – friends, enemies – so long as there’s mercy. Always mercy.'

Review: Doctor Who - The Magician's Apprentice

Doctor Who returned for another series tonight - but was there magic in this opening episode?

"This is the last will and testament of the Time Lord known as the Doctor."

Doctor Who: Series Nine Episode Titles Revealed

Unusually this year we knew several of Series Nine's titles quite early on but now, with just a mere handful of days to go until the premiere, we have the entire set, released today in one handy image on the official Doctor Who twitter account.

Another Doctor Who Series Nine Trailer Breakdown

Unusually, if memory serves, we've been granted two full-length trailers this year in the run-up to Series Nine (which is still a month away!). While a few clips are the same as the one released last month, it's mostly all-new material. Let's watch the new trailer and then take a closer look at what it has to offer...

A lot of the minute is made up of the Doctor and Clara doing Doctory/Claray things (I particularly like the Doctor apologising to the TARDIS for being late and Clara's clearly been taking lessons from Torchwood's Gwen Cooper on how to be an action-hero). On the supporting characters front, there's a shot of a scared-looking Rigsy (returning from last year's 'Flatline') and, I think, we also see the impossibly-resurrected Osgood out for a jog.

But the most important thing are the monsters - and there seems to be a bumper crop this year. Including this CGI dragon thing. As the Zygons are back, this could be the modern rendition of a Skrarasen, the Zygons' pet that was actually the Loch Ness Monster. If so, I sort of miss it looking like a rubbery toy dinosaur...

 

Also, of course, this fella who's on loan from Pan's Labyrinth

We also get more glimpses of Maisie Williams' character, who appears to be in league with this leonine creature (who elsewhere in the trailer breathes fire). A relation of the Tharils, the lion-like aliens from Fourth Doctor adventure 'Warrior's Gate'?

And look what have we here. It seems the Master and the Daleks will team-up (or perhaps go head-to-head) - for the first time since the Third Doctor battled them both in 'Frontier In Space.' If I were a Dalek, though, I'm not sure I'd be pals with Missy if she was cackling in my face like that. Unless I'd just told a hilarious joke. Which I wouldn't have done, being a Dalek.

But trumping even the promise of Missy and the Daleks is more Daleks! Namely, Daleks old and new coming together. Below we have the usual bronze Time War Daleks, some 60s models (including a couple with blue domes), a Special Weapons Dalek and even the red Dalek Supreme from 'The Stolen Earth/Journey's End.' Oh, and there's a 70s one elsewhere in the trailer. Just about everyone apart from the despised Paradigm Daleks. One day they'll come back...

Overall, this trailer just fuels my already very high hopes for Series Nine. From what we've seen so far, the Twelfth Doctor has settled down into himself this year and he and Clara are back to having good times rollocking around the universe. To misquote Clara, I haven't seen this series yet - but I will do and it will be spectacular.

Doctor Who: Series Nine Trailer Breakdown

Thanks to the geek mecca that is Comic Con, last night we were treated to two sneak peaks at the upcoming episodes of Sherlock and Doctor Who. Over on Sherlock's Home you can read my analysis of the clip from the Christmas special (which looks to tick all this Holmes fan's boxes) but in this post I'll continue a Scribble Creatures tradition and take a closer look at the first trailer released for Doctor Who Series Nine. Have a butcher's at it below and then read on for some analysis:

'Everytime I think it can't get any more extraordinary, it surprises me...' 

The trailer gave us some glimpses at the settings of the Doctor and Clara's adventures this year. For one, there seems to be an underwater compound - a great setting for a classic 'base under siege' Doctor Who story.

But even more mouth-wateringly, there is this shot of a very Dalek-looking city (notice those bumps). The trailer revealed the fact that the Daleks are back so perhaps we are making a return visit to their home planet, Skaro, last seen in 'Asylum of the Daleks.' Skaro is an irradiated, barren world so the following shot, which sees the Doctor and allies being fired at by some familiar laser beams, could be the Dalek homeworld too.  

'It's impossible.. it's evil... it's astonishing'

Going by the trailer, the set of monsters this year look set to be the most sinister bunch yet. According to the BBC press release, we know one of them is called the Mire. I'm guessing the possessor of the Zombie hand...

With their long hair, space-age helmets and eye thingies the following fellas must be the 'Vikings in space' that Peter Capaldi mentioned recently. It is thought that they will appear in the two-parter 'The Girl Who Died' and 'The Woman Who Lived.' Along with these rocky robot types we have seen previously.

 

Then there's this cosmetically-challenged chap who looks as if he is on Karn from 'The Night of the Doctor.' He is also in the vicinity of a red-robed figure, the usual attire of the Sisterhood of Karn. What could be going on there?

 

Speaking of returning things, there is also a bumper crop of familiar foes this year. Alongside the aforementioned Daleks (they never give up, do they?), we also have Missy back to plague the Doctor in the opening episodes 'The Magician's Apprentice' and 'The Witch's Familiar.' Who knows what - hang on, she's not going to team up with the Daleks, is she? Only time will tell...

Of course, we also have the third appearance on the show of the shapeshifting Zygons. The BBC have described the Zygon two-parter as 'a global Zygon uprising.' Perhaps, after 'The Day of the Doctor', Zygons agreed to peacefully integrate with humanity - but now they have changed their minds...


'I'm the Doctor and I save people.'

The Doctor seems set to be more at peace with himself this series. He's smiling, hugging Clara and Peter Capaldi's showing his punk rock roots in the shot of the Doctor wearing sunglasses with a guitar.

Elsewhere we can see the new costume the Doctor will be wearing for at least the early part of this series - the hoodie from 'Last Christmas' plus some Patrick Troughton-inspired chequered trousers. 

'What took you so long, old man?'

Now, here's what's set Who fans' minds racing. Game of Thrones favourite Maisie Williams was previously theorised to be playing a younger version of Clara but now it has shifted to to her being a relative of the Doctor's, due to her 'old man' comment. Perhaps Jenny, the Doctor's Daughter previously played by Georgia Moffett in, erm, 'The Doctor's Daughter'? Others are saying Susan, the First Doctor's granddaughter, but I would have thought her return would have happened in the nostalgia of the 50th anniversary year if it was ever going to.

Regardless of her true identity, Ms Williams' get-up here seems to confirm the rumours that she will play a highway(wo)man who encounters the Doctor and Clara. She is set to appear in 'The Girl Who Died' and 'The Woman Who Lived' - even though that is presumably the Vikings in Space episode. Perhaps she'll become a companion?

Doctor Who - don't you just want to kiss it to death?

Missy Will Return in Series Nine

Get ready to say something nice, everyone - the Queen of Evil is returning to plague the Doctor and Clara's lives sooner than we thought...

Today it was revealed that Series Eight's big bad, Missy - the Master in female form, in case you didn't know - is coming straight back into the show in Series Nine's opening episode, 'The Magician's Apprentice.'

I, for one, am terribly excited for Missy's return, with Michelle Gomez's scenery-crunching performance being one of the highlights of last year. We had been starved of the Master for years before Missy so who can complain if we get more of her so soon?

As cryptic as ever, Steven Moffat has said that what brings Missy back into the Doctor and Clara's lives 'is the last thing they'd expect.'

Other details about the series opener have also been revealed, including the announcement that Jemma Redgrave will be returning as UNIT head, Kate Stewart. What with her also appearing in the Series Eight finale just as Missy did, it looks like this will be something of a sequel to the 'Dark Water/Death in Heaven' story. Also announced to be in the episode is Claire Higgins, the actress who previously played Ohila in 'The Night of the Doctor.' Could the Sisterhood of Karn be returning too? They were always linked to the Time Lords so will we finally learn more about what really happened to Gallifrey?

Also now known is that the opener will be a two-parter - the second episode being called 'The Witch's Familiar.' Firstly, has there ever been a two-parter with such well-matching episode titles as these? The eponymous Magician and Witch surely refer to the Doctor and Missy - but who is their Apprentice/Familiar? Clara is certainly the Doctor's apprentice and could be said to be Missy's familiar (the term for a Witch's pet, such as their black cat), as Missy was revealed to be behind Clara meeting the Doctor in the first place.

In the wider context of Series Nine, it seems like this year will see a return to the multi two-parter series of yesteryear as Toby Whithouse (writer of several previous Whos and creator of Being Human) is said to be writing a 'spooky' two-parter while Moffat has previously spoken about the 'fantastic' cliffhanger he's written to lead into this year's finale, suggesting that will be a two-parter as well.

...

Is it August yet?

Review: Doctor Who - Death in Heaven

Two of the Doctor's oldest enemies have returned and want to take away everything that is precious to the Time Lord and Clara. Will there really be 'Death in Heaven' in the series finale?

'Hey Missy, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Missy.' 

Doctor Who finales are always something of a double-edged Darth Maul-style sword. On one hand, they are automatically the most anticipated and often most exciting to watch by nature of their sending off the current run of the show with a bang. On the other, the pressure of ending the series on a high note can be too much and such episodes don't always live up to the hype. In this respect, 'Death in Heaven' succeeds, delivering an episode both exciting and emotional in equal measure.

Perhaps unlike the feature-length series opener 'Deep Breath', this episode certainly benefited from its fifteen minute extra running time, which really allowed for a few scenes to be further explored that might otherwise have been cut short. The story deserves praise alone for wrapping up most of the ongoing ideas and themes of the series - from Clara and Danny's relationship to the Doctor's dislike of soldiers. Building on the thoroughly glum 'Dark Water', 'Death in Heaven' tugged at the heartstrings and contained its fair share of shocks to boot. Much like last week, however, there were points at which I thought the show was pushing the boundaries of taste. In particular, one 'reappearance' of a much-loved character seemed a tad dubious in its execution to me and I'd rather it hadn't happened. Still, there was much to enjoy elsewhere…

While it was fun to see them, this episode had the unenviable task of featuring two classic villains in the Cybermen and their Master. For the Cybermen, this was glorious comeback. Their new jet-powered boots are a great new superpower to add to their evergrowing collection and the image of them attacking UNIT's plane like gremlins is a terrific moment. Likewise, not since 'Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel' has the true terror of the Cybermen been demonstrated this well: that they were once us. Whereas previous episodes have cast them as regular robots, we are left in no doubt here as to who these Cybermen are underneath. 

Also, Michelle Gomez is rather wonderful here as an utterly 'bananas' incarnation of the Master. What she does, particularly mowing her way through the episode's supporting cast and her scenes with the Doctor, she is brilliant at but with the episode as packed as it is the character is not as well explored as she could be - just why was she suddenly so besotted with the Doctor, for instance? This reviewer certainly hopes she will return. 

Despite the shocks and the Cybermen, the true heart of this episode is the trio of central characters who all go through the ringer here. Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson have been superb all year and each go out with another fine performance. Anderson's Danny proves to be the real hero of the series as he finds redemption for past failures in the most tragic of ways. Faced with his old enemy, the Doctor has to look hard at who he is but comes out the other end a wiser man by realising he is nothing but ‘an idiot with a box.’ And Clara...Well, poor Clara. The final scene between Capaldi and Coleman is a touching affair and beautifully scripted by Steven Moffat, acting as a bittersweet round-up of the characters’ journeys over the series.

There really was much to like about this finale which encapsulates this series' style, mood and its courage to be different. It was not a heavenly episode of Doctor Who but that's not to say it came from the Nethersphere either. Say something nice? How about: 'Death in Heaven' is almost certainly the best finale since 2010. There you go, that's something to squee about. 

In the words of Clara, thank you Capaldi and Coleman for making Doctor Who feel special. 

Next time: The Doctor returns at Christmas when he faces the great evil of ... Santa Claus and his elves? 

Review: Doctor Who - Dark Water

The future becomes unclear when events take a turn for the existential in 'Dark Water.' Things are going to get very murky, indeed...

'The darkest day. The blackest hour. Chin up, shoulders back. Let's see what we're made of.' 

Before this regenerated series of Doctor Who started, a lot was made of the fact that it would be 'darker.' Upon airing, it could be said this was met with a pinch of salt. Sure, the show had a more serious Doctor and the series had sported episodes about weighty topics such as the nature of fear and tricky moral dilemmas but was it actually any darker than Doctor Who before it? Well, after tonight, we can say they were right to give us that warning as 'Dark Water', the penultimate episode of Series 8, was as bleak as the show's ever got. 

As with the hints scattered throughout preceding episodes, this episode's premise revolved around the age-old question: what happens after death? The answer, it turns out, is not a happy one, to say the least...

A few years ago, Torchwood presented its own, suitably nasty, depiction of the afterlife which was a natural fit for an adult-orientated programme that enjoyed exploring areas that its parent show couldn't. When said parent show did exactly this here, however, it felt unsettling in more than just the obvious way - should the show, that is avidly watched by children everywhere, do something as properly dark as this? Or perhaps this is a distinctly adult fear, one which kids will miss, but will keep us old folks awake at night? Either way, 'Dark Water' is certainly paving new ground. 

In other matters, the episode is on surer ground. The Cybermen's return in this episode was no secret but their actual reveal in the episode is inspired, a macabre twist on the classic image of Cybermen escaping their tombs. Gone are the invincible athletes of 'Nightmare in Silver', these silver soldiers march with menace down the steps of famous London landmarks and even use their old catchphrase 'delete.' Amongst the boundary pushing elsewhere its nice to see something so punch-the-air 100% Doctor Who. 

But enough of these trifles. There was only one question on our lips going in to this episode; who is Missy? Well, we certainly got the answer to that. In the end, it's the reveal many of us were expecting. The clues were all there. A penchant for pseudonyms. A love for teaming up with other baddies.  A general need to cause trouble for the Doctor. My personal reaction was to cackle for the next ten minutes at the sheer bravura of the move. Here's hoping Michelle Gomez gives the role its due now that the cat is out of the bag (or the Time Lord is out of the Time War...).

It is, of course, impossible to judge the episode fully without seeing its concluding chapter (what is Missy planning next? will everyone get out alive?) but the first forty-five minutes of this show-stopping story contained heartbreak, horror and shocks aplenty. Just like the Cybermen hiding in Dark Water, we've seen the skeleton of this finale, now I can't wait for the rest. 

The Doctor and Clara land in water that is deep as well as dark when the Cybermen arrive...

Next Week: Old friends and old foes surround the Doctor and Clara as the series comes to a blistering end. Will there really be 'Death in Heaven'? 

Doctor Who: Step Back in Time - Series Three

Well, it's that time again!

Time for you to actually post something?

Hey, who said that? No, it's time to take our TARDISes back through the time vortex to a bygone Doctor Who series. In this third instalment of our ongoing series, it's, well, Series Three...

Starring: David Tennant (the Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) and John Barrowman (Captain Jack).

Produced by: Phil Collinson

Executive Produced by: Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner 

Best Episodes

The Shakespeare Code by Gareth Roberts

One of Doctor Who's cleverest and funniest ever adventures, full of tongue-in-cheek references from everything to Shakespearean works to Back to The Future. As with the rest of Roberts' episodes, this is the perfect story to watch if you like your Doctor Who smartly-plotted and chock-a-block with laughs. 

Human Nature/Family of Blood by Paul Cornell

'What if the Doctor was human?' is the simple yet ingenious premise of this emotional pseudo-historical two-parter, the only Who story to be based on a novel. David Tennant gets to play an entirely different character in school teacher John Smith and the Family of Blood themselves are chilling monsters. As polished and accomplished an adventure as any you'll find in fifty years.  

Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords by Russell T Davies

The most all-round entertaining Who finale thus far, with a quasi-political thriller feel, a post-apocalyptic Earth and the greatest villain in all of space and time, John Simm's deliciously demented The Master. While the resolution, featuring a magical messianic Doctor, may be a little hard to swallow it thankfully does not detract from the rest of this corking adventure. 

Read a brief write-up of my thoughts on Series Three's other great episode, Blink, here. 

TARDIS Team

After Billie Piper's Rose Tyler, a character as integral to the success of the show as the two Doctors she starred with and arguably the companion to make the most emotional impact on the Doctor, the series was hard-pressed to find a replacement. Cleverly, they decided to go for the exact opposite of shopgirl Rose in trainee doctor Martha Jones, whom the Doctor first meets while saving the Royal Hope Hospital from the swift justice of the Judoon.
Whereas the Doctor and Rose, for the first time in the series, shared more than just a friendly bond but a romantic attraction, Martha and the Doctor's relationship also breaks new ground by being one of unrequited love, with the lovelorn Doctor oblivious to Martha's feelings. More so than Rose, Martha's arc across the series is one of maturation and self-discovery. By the end of the series, she realises that she no longer needs the Doctor and returns to her everyday life a much stronger woman.
Conversely, the Doctor has perhaps never been so human. Dejected after the loss of Rose, he never seems to recover as he has with other companions, regularly comparing Martha to her predecessor. With Martha's help, however, by the end of the series the Doctor begins to move on...

Story Arc

Following on from the previous series smatterings here and there of the enigmatic organisation 'Torchwood', Series Three tones this down even more with the even-less regular mentions of 'Mr Saxon', a mysterious individual with political power. From 2006 Christmas special, 'The Runaway Bride', Mr Saxon seems to be behind a lot of the nefarious plots that the Doctor foils. Just who is Mr Saxon?
Harold Saxon it turns out is the newly-elected prime minister and, of course, the Doctor's ancient enemy the Master. As the revitalised series had done an excellent job of updating the classic series' biggest foes in the Daleks and the Cybermen it was a no-brainer that the Professor Moriarty to the Doctor's Holmes would be reintroduced. In many ways, the drama of the Doctor's character is never sharper than when pitted against his exact antithesis in the Master. With such an enemy back in the series, and with such a strong batch of stories as those on show here, Doctor Who was really claiming mastery over all television.

P.S. Mister Saxon is an anagram of Master No Six (as Simm is the sixth actor to the play the character). Oh, those fiendish writers.

Next month: Series Four - The Most Important Series in The Whole of Creation...

The Best Doctor Who Comic Stories

Continuing with the comic book-theme going on here this month, it's time to turn the page to that ever-present topic here at Scribble Creatures; Doctor Who. The long-held tradition of Doctor Who comics is, in my humble opinion, the most underrated of all the mediums in which Who is produced - and also the oldest; even the First Doctor was accompanied by a concurrent comic strip version of himself back in the day. To me, it is the best off-screen Doctor Who; while it is wonderful to hear the original actors in their roles, audio dramas lose the vital visual aspect to Doctor Who while the novels, although they have the space to breath and add more detail, can never reproduce the pace of the television series. So join us as we travel to the two-dimensional world to look at the best Doctor Who comic stories ever. Vworp vworp! 


The Shape Shifter 

While also having the visuals and the pace of the TV show, the comics also have the privilege of being able to be stranger and wilder than the confines of television may allow. The Sixth Doctor comic, 'The Shape Shifter', is a prime example of this as it introduces a new companion for the Doctor; Frobisher, a talking penguin. Yes, you read that right. Frobisher, really an alien shapeshifter/private eye who enjoys the form of a penguin, is one of the great Doctor Who comic creations and the epitome of how weird and wonderful Doctor Who comics can be, pushing the boundaries of sanity and what is acceptable further than the TV series ever could. I think we'd all love to see Peter Capaldi p-p-pick up a penguin on his travels some time in the future...

Here's an example of everyone's favourite wisecracking penguin in action:

The Tides of Time

One of the great freedoms of the comic strips is that they are not restrained by the budget of a television product but by the limits of the imagination, being able to depict exotic alien landscapes and strange alien creatures without relying on sets and rubber suits. This classic Fifth Doctor comic shows this perfectly. One of the strangest, most surreal Doctor Who stories in any medium, 'The Tides of Time' sees the evil alien demon Melanicus trying to destroy the whole of reality, leading the Doctor on a quest through time and space to stop him - from English village Stockbridge (which would become a recurring location in the comics, right up to the present day) to Gallifrey by way of a giant bathtub. Told you it was surreal. The writing is fresh and inspired while the artwork - by future Watchmen man Dave Gibbons - is fantastic. Still don't know what the giant bathtub's about though...

The Lodger

Before it was one of Doctor Who's funniest ever episodes starring Matt Smith alongside James Corden, 'The Lodger' was a comic, penned by series writer Gareth Roberts, which sees the Tenth Doctor move in with Mickey Smith for a week, when the TARDIS drifts off into space with Rose Tyler still inside. With many of the same beats from the episode (including a much more ouch-inducing version of the sonic-screwdriver/electric toothbrush idea, see image), the comic gives the oft-overlooked character of Mickey his dues as we truly understand his frustration with the Doctor - not only has he ran off with his girlfriend, here he takes over his life. Just as funny and heartfelt as its TV counterpart, this is a fine instance of how the comic can impact on the main series.

The Glorious Dead

Since Doctor Who was off the air for nigh on ten years after his debut in 1996, Doctor Who Magazine (the producer of all the comics on this list) had complete free reign to do anything they wanted with the Eighth Doctor - and, thankfully, they did some great things.
One such great thing was the finale to the 'Return of the Master' arc which saw, I'm sure you've guessed it, the return of the Doctor's old enemy, the Master, after he was swallowed by the TARDIS in the television movie. This time, however, the Master has become a religious zealot after he has glimpsed the Glory, the Omniversal Spectrum, the wheel on which the whole of existence turns. As per an ancient prophecy, the Master wishes to fight the Doctor for control of the Glory, catching Earth in the crossfire - where else? Spanning twelve issues, it's epic in size and scope, yet still finds time for another of the comic's great characters; Kroton, the Cyberman with a soul who becomes one of the Doctor's companions. Simply glorious storytelling.

Oblivion

And another Eighth Doctor story arc finale takes the top spot. While the previous entry on our list demonstrated the comic's depth of storytelling, 'Oblivion' shows the depth of characterisation the comic can achieve. For several stories, the Doctor's companion, Izzy, has been trapped in the body of alien fish girl, Destrii. As an insecure teenager who was already uncomfortable in her own body, she is really not having a good time in an alien one. This all comes to a head here - as the Doctor and the real Destrii (in Izzy's body) have to rescue Izzy from Destrii's homeworld of Oblivion.
The greatest thing about the story is certainly the exploration of Izzy's character as she comes to terms with herself and her own identity, eventually accepting her own repressed homosexuality. Just like the best of Doctor Who companions - of which she is one - Izzy has grown up and leaves the TARDIS for good. Stories such as 'Oblivion', that contain the range of imagination and the same level of characterisation as its parent series, make the Eighth Doctor comics one of my favourite eras of the time traveller in any medium, proving that the comic strips can be the best of Doctor Who. I'm not being funny.

The Twelve Regenerations Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the web and social media, not a creature was stirring not even on Wikipedia. Apart from me, that is. It's Christmas Eve, which can only mean one thing - its the Doctor Who special tomorrow! As you must already be aware, this final special of the show's 50th anniversary year will see the final hour of Matt Smith, before he regenerates into Peter Capaldi. And so, in fittingly festive decoration, what follows is a look at the Doctor's previous regenerations, which coincidentally happens to be twelve. It's 'The Time of the Doctor' tomorrow but first it's time for a Christmas song...

'On the twelve days of Christmas, a Time Lord gave to me...'

                                                      '...One Wearing Thin...'
In: 'The Tenth Planet' (1966)
Cause: Old age, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: The original regeneration still holds it's own after fifty years. While its sad that the First Doctor doesn't bow out in a blaze of glory, the thrill of it being the very first shines out. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4



'...Two's Change of Appearance...'
In: 'The War Games' (1969)
Cause: Exiled to Earth and forced to 'change his appearance'
Verdict: While it is a game-changing moment for Doctor Who - the Doctor's own race is finally revealed and he is exiled to Earth- the regeneration itself is let down by not featuring the change into Pertwee. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 3

'...Three's Valedictory Victory...' 
In: 'Planet of the Spiders' (1974)
Cause: Radiation poisoning on Metebelis Three
Verdict: A touching, brave swansong for the Third Doctor, and the first Doctor-Death to be thematically resonant within the story; this serial features much Buddhist symbolism, including the idea of reincarnation... 'Here we go again...' See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4


'...Four's Final Fall...'

In: 'Logopolis' (1981)
Cause: Fall from radio telescope at the Pharos Institute
Verdict: The bombastic and eccentric Fourth Doctor gets a surprisingly low-key downbeat end although Baker's tenure is celebrated with a montage of past villains and companions. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 3 1/2

'...Five's Significant Sacrifice...'
In: 'Caves of Androzani' (1984)
Cause: Suffered from Spectrox Toxemia on Androzani Minor
Verdict: Sacrificing himself to save his companion, the Fifth Doctor is gifted the perfect death of a Doctor. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 5

'...Six's Silly Slip...'
In: 'Time of the Rani' (1987)
Cause: Rani's hijack of the TARDIS/Fell from exercise bike/ Colin Baker was sacked
Verdict: Sadly the definite weakest regeneration. At the start of the episode, the evil Time Lady the Rani attacks the TARDIS, entering to find an already-regenerating Doctor, laying prone next to an exercise bike. Colin Baker wasn't even brought back for the scene - incoming Doctor Sylvester McCoy had to wear a wig...
Regeneration-ometer: 1

'...Seven's Risky Resurrection...'
In: 'Doctor Who: The Movie' (1996)
Cause: Botched operation to remove bullet in San Francisco
Verdict: A solid regeneration for the Seventh Doctor that makes use of an interesting Frankenstein's Monster comparison as the Doctor is reanimated from the dead in a morgue.
Regeneration-ometer: 3

'...Eight's Grave Decision...' 
In: 'The Night of the Doctor' (2013)
Cause: Spaceship crash on Karn, guided by the Sisterhood
Verdict: A long-over due finale for the Eighth Doctor was given to us this year, forming an integral part of the ongoing story of Doctor Who in that it details the beginnings of the War Doctor. See here for (no) more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'...War's Reborn...'
In: 'The Day of the Doctor' (2013)
Cause: Old age, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: One of the great things about 'The Day of the Doctor' (and there were many) was that it gave us the complete set of regenerations! After realising he was still the Doctor, before he forgot the good he had done, the aging War Doctor accepted his regeneration with dignity. Here's to John Hurt's Doctor! May we see more of him in the future...
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'...Nine's Triumphant Transformation...'
In: 'The Parting of the Ways' (2005)
Cause: Consumed the power of the time vortex
Verdict: Most probably the greatest regeneration, fed by excellent writing and fine performances from Eccleston and Billie Piper as the woman he saves. The Doctor saving his friend and dying with a brave smile on his face. It's how he should always go. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 5

'...Ten's Cheeky Cheat...'
In: 'The Stolen Earth' (2008)
Cause: Shot by a Dalek
Verdict: Played for shock value by Russell T Davies, this sneaky surprise  made us really think Ten's time was up - until he shot the regenerative energy into a handy nearby mcguffin. See here for more.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

'And the Actual End of Ten...'
In: 'The End of Time' (2010)
Cause: Slow radiation poisoning in Naismith mansion, died in the TARDIS
Verdict: An emotional farewell for one of the most beloved of the Doctor's incarnations. It is simultaneously made by its indulgence and hindered by it. I'm afraid 'I don't want to go' is still a bit too much for this fan. Here's hoping that in the Doctor's next, thirteenth (and surely final) regeneration, he holds himself with a little more decorum.
Regeneration-ometer: 4

As Christmas Eve draws to a close, it's time for Matt Smith's last bow, like all his other selves. The Eleventh Hour is over, the clock is striking Twelve's...

Have a very merry Christmas!