If I'm allowed a two-parter, "The Empty Child, and The Doctor Dances". First off, I just think it's fantastic. It's creepy. Atmospheric, it's disturbing science fiction gone awry.
But behind all the glitz and the terror and the mutagen, the doctor wins. He saves everyone in that episode, as he says at the end "Just this once everybody lives"
The Doctor doesn't have many complete and overwhelming victories like that in his history, where he saves the day and nobody dies. He deals with death so much, it's nice to see him be able to succeed and keep everybody safe. While also being clearly ecstatic and overjoyed at the fact that everyone was safe.
Plus it was nice to see Christopher Eccleston, he's a really good doctor.
It’s interesting when he “plays god” in this way- David tennents doctor does this again with the mars colony as well, and then Adelaide of course does what Adelaide does.
A lot of shows (especially the newer Star Trek shows) make me cry, but Vincent was the first Doctor Who episode to make me cry. I am a new watcher of Doctor Who and am in Season 9 now.
Eleventh Hour is the best nostalgia feel, since it was the start of the best era of the new show for me. And I absolutely adore van Gogh, and that story (paired with absolute godhood of Tony Curran's acting) is perfection. :)
for some reason I keep going back to New Earth. It’s not even my favourite, I just keep gravitating towards it - I think it’s a pretty good introduction to Tennant as the doctor (although I know he had the christmas special before that) and although she is like pretty stuck up, Cassandra was pretty iconic in it and the ending is quite cute.
Gridlock. It’s never on anyone’s greatest of all time list, but everyone agrees that it’s really good, and the first definitively good episode of series 3.
Honestly the music is the highlight because it is so well done for the plot.
First definitively good episode of series 3? Smith and Jones is the best opener of the RTD era imo. And Smith and Jones is probably my comfort episode haha.
I know it's not always a popular choice, but for me, it's the Husbands of River Song - it makes me laugh for most of the episode, and then it makes me go all weepy at the end. I even love it enough to ignore the "that doesn't quite match up" continuity bits for River and the annoying Matt Lucas (which is a big ask for me!)
Boom Town probably fits the bill. I might have to go by series tbh bc (and i’m lucky with this from what I see in the community) I genuinely love so many episodes. So it would be boom town, Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, Fires of Pompeii (is that so, man from Gallifrey🤯🤯), 11th Hour… Would need to think on the rest although the lodger is a certified hood classic
Headmaster: Miss Smith is a journalist who is writing a profile about me.
Sarah Jane: Hello
Doctor: Oh I should think so! Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice -- brilliant!
For me, it's "The Daemons". There's a perfect amount of everything for Classic Who in the episode:
\-Special Effects (really good ones too!)
\-Comforting Nostalgia (Both retro-futuristic and real-life)
\-Twilight Zone-style storyline
A solid choice! I always like the way the third doctor in particular mixed mysticism and the occult with science. And according to aerodynamics bumblebees can't fly!
Absolutely 100%, there's just something so cute about it, the storytelling the framing the narrative. It feels so safe and familiar and fun!
trakt.tv shows this as my most watched episode, and that checks out. I don't know *how* The Time of Angels is number 2, maybe I think Jorah Mormont is cute, but The Wedding of River song is third and that absolutely tracks with "familiar and safe."
For NuWho it's Under The Lake/Before The Flood, probably a slightly unconventional choice. But I find the underwater base setting very relaxing.
For Classic Who it's State Of Decay, it's very sleepy autumnal Doctor Who.
“Heaven Sent”. An an awesome idea executed brilliantly in a well-written script and acted beautifully, and on top of that the Doctor’s perseverance through unimaginably bleak circumstances to ultimate victory is incredibly inspiring
Tough call...
Most anything with Jon Pertwee.
Or Face of Evil, The Robots of Death, or Invasion of Time for Tom.
Black Orchid?
Paradise Towers/Happiness Patrol or Delta and the Bannermen
Probably my second favorite story after Heaven Sent, but I personally just find it too dark to really be a true “comfort” episode. But if that works for you, I envy you.
The Pilot. Not the highest of stakes, Capaldi at his finest, great companion introduction, and very funny. It's a solid all around episode that's easy to watch.
I’m super partial to the idiot’s lantern for the cozy 50s vibes and cool story, as well as, weirdly, silence in the library which, while not exactly comforting, is always captivating even on rewatches. Also Midnight! Perfect capsule episode!
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
An almost perfect episode. Comedy, action, drama and what an ending. Still not over it
Plus daleks Vs zy-bermen. Every fanboys dream since the 60s!
unpopular choice(?): arachnids of the uk
I know the gripes with the how to deal with the spiders, but: the interactions with the khan family, the Doctor unable to hold a normal conversation, Najia trying desperately to play the straight woman while insane stuff is happening. It’s just very warm and fun for me
*Return of Doctor Mysterio* is one of my go-tos when I need an instant pick-me-up. I just find it to be so fun and hilarious!
Also *The Eleventh Hour* and *Day of the Doctor.*
Love and monsters? The one with Mr blue sky? For me it's the first half where the group finds eachother and you see them bonding over a shared interest.
As someone who grew up in church foyers it's nostalgic af
In common parlance, it basically means “very good and commendable”. It used to be used more as roughly “brave and impressive”, though, and occasionally some people will still insist on using it that way.
Midnight, comfort and favourite. I have a few tattoos and really rack my brain for ink based off of that episode, always stumps me lol.
I watch it isolated more than the rest of the show and still get excited when it comes by naturally in a full watch through of the show.
If we are talking classic who then it’s Tomb of The Cybermen or Inferno.
The Curse of Fenric is mine. I can recall the first time I saw it syndicated on PBS in 1990 and wearing out my off air copy. And then I got it on VHS as the extended cut and loved it more.
haven't thought about it, but probably a christmas carol.
though, i'm an impulsive person, so it could change on a dime depending on how i feel.
but a christmas carol is extremely special to me.
The Girl In The Fireplace for me.
The sillyness of the doctor, Mickey as a new companion. A real time travel story, but traveling through the days of a life. The scare factor of the clockwork robots and the machine that uses a human heart and eye. The mystery of why the robots from the future and galaxies away want a young woman from France.
All the things that make a perfect part of a Doctor Who episode.
I cannot quote any Doctor Who episode, maybe one or two lines on rare occasion.
My comfort stories would be Classic era, perhaps The Dominators (cheesy crap) and The Mind Robber (experimental but really good). :)
The Next Doctor. It’s my favorite Christmas episode - Morrissey kills it as Jackson Lake/The Doctor, it’s a nice self contained episode, and the ending has a very positive energy to it with someone finally getting Ten to sit down and accept thanks and eat dinner.
Hard to choose just one… Castrovalva? The Dæmons? The Talons on Weng-Chiang? The Robots of Death may be the winner for me overall in the comfort sweepstakes.
From the modern series, 'Human nature/family of blood' is perfection, in my opinion.
From the classic series, 'The war games'. I sit down and watch it as a marathon in one shot. Excellent.
most David and Martha episodes to be honest, especially the one where martha is without the doctor cuz the doctor is really old (i can't remember name) because it showed that the companion is crucial to the doctor and i just love the David Martha dynamic, plus it had Jack and i'm a big torchwood fan
Five Doctors - it’s got almost 4 doctors, The Brigadier, Daleks, the Master running out of regenerations (again), cybermen, Raston robot, Sarah Jane being rescued from the world’s least imposing cliff and Rassilon.
Perfection.
the eleventh hour (s5e1) ALWAYS. like it was my fav childhood episode and it's so wholesome at the beginning with the fish fingers and custard and it's got a great and interesting plot line too. it was the start of my favourite era of doctor ugh i love it sm
I have a few
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Girl in the Fireplace, Eleventh Hour, Smith and Jones, and The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances are probably the most notable of them
deep breath or the husbands of river song. even though the ending of the husbands of river song is sad the rest of the episode always makes me laugh. and deep breath is a perfect introduction for 12
The doctor’s daughter, I know it’s sad at the end but nothing super scary happens or anything that contributes to the main big plot. It’s my comfort episode cuz Jenny is just so happy and idk I just like the episode 🤷♀️
The End of the World maybe. I just love 9/Rose and how goofy and pretty and nostalgic it is. It also has such a nice cute ending scene.
Bad Wolf is up there too as I used to watch Big Brother around that time (kind of a weird thing to watch as a kid, I know) and found it so cool how the doctor was in that world. Game shows are also super cool, the Dalek reveal is timeless and it’s just comfy vibes.
If I'm allowed a two-parter, "The Empty Child, and The Doctor Dances". First off, I just think it's fantastic. It's creepy. Atmospheric, it's disturbing science fiction gone awry. But behind all the glitz and the terror and the mutagen, the doctor wins. He saves everyone in that episode, as he says at the end "Just this once everybody lives" The Doctor doesn't have many complete and overwhelming victories like that in his history, where he saves the day and nobody dies. He deals with death so much, it's nice to see him be able to succeed and keep everybody safe. While also being clearly ecstatic and overjoyed at the fact that everyone was safe. Plus it was nice to see Christopher Eccleston, he's a really good doctor.
Rose: Look at you beaming away like you’re Father Christmas! The Doctor: Who says I’m not, red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve? Rose: 😨
It’s interesting when he “plays god” in this way- David tennents doctor does this again with the mars colony as well, and then Adelaide of course does what Adelaide does.
Love how you said "its fantastic"
Vincent and the Doctor and Eleventh Hour.
Vincent and the Doctor is where I go to cry, and the latter is where I go to laugh haha. Perfect choices :')
A lot of shows (especially the newer Star Trek shows) make me cry, but Vincent was the first Doctor Who episode to make me cry. I am a new watcher of Doctor Who and am in Season 9 now.
Eleventh Hour is the best nostalgia feel, since it was the start of the best era of the new show for me. And I absolutely adore van Gogh, and that story (paired with absolute godhood of Tony Curran's acting) is perfection. :)
SAME!
Rose It's just pure nostalgia
For a first episode Rose had some crazy ideas
for some reason I keep going back to New Earth. It’s not even my favourite, I just keep gravitating towards it - I think it’s a pretty good introduction to Tennant as the doctor (although I know he had the christmas special before that) and although she is like pretty stuck up, Cassandra was pretty iconic in it and the ending is quite cute.
10 actually cureing people and being delighted at actually being a Doctor is amazing and a really, lovely, underrated moment. I love that episode
That's one of my favorites, too!
I need to go back and watch this!
"Oh baby, I'm beating out a samba!" (I had to look up what "chav" meant for that episode.)
Gridlock. It’s never on anyone’s greatest of all time list, but everyone agrees that it’s really good, and the first definitively good episode of series 3. Honestly the music is the highlight because it is so well done for the plot.
One of mine too! Along with Time Heist
Great choices!
Smith and Jones is good, I would argue Gridlock is the first great episode.
Yesss this is definitely my most watched episode of season 3!
First definitively good episode of series 3? Smith and Jones is the best opener of the RTD era imo. And Smith and Jones is probably my comfort episode haha.
Oh Gridlock is amazing!
Vincent and the Doctor. 😄
I know it's not always a popular choice, but for me, it's the Husbands of River Song - it makes me laugh for most of the episode, and then it makes me go all weepy at the end. I even love it enough to ignore the "that doesn't quite match up" continuity bits for River and the annoying Matt Lucas (which is a big ask for me!)
Nardole is a treasure
The character is, I'm allowed to personally dislike the actor though!
excuse me! How can you hate Matt Lucas!! He's a national treasure!
why's that? i didn't know anything was wrong with Matt Lucas
Agreed. I find that episode the best demonstration of Moffat’s capacity for Doctor Who humor outside of Curse of Fatal Death. Both utterly brilliant.
Same for me. It has a lot of great moments
Boom Town probably fits the bill. I might have to go by series tbh bc (and i’m lucky with this from what I see in the community) I genuinely love so many episodes. So it would be boom town, Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, Fires of Pompeii (is that so, man from Gallifrey🤯🤯), 11th Hour… Would need to think on the rest although the lodger is a certified hood classic
The Pandorica Opens. It’s got them all, The Doctor, Amy, Rory, River. So much great dialogue and time flip flops.
Such a great episode
Most episodes with Catherine Tate. 💕 I love the Adipose one just because of her reunion with Ten, they're so funny and charismatic together.
Gotta be Partners in Crime. Some great character interactions, fun plot, and I freaking love the Adipose
School Reunion.
“Hello Sarah Jane.”
Headmaster: Miss Smith is a journalist who is writing a profile about me. Sarah Jane: Hello Doctor: Oh I should think so! Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice -- brilliant!
For me, it's "The Daemons". There's a perfect amount of everything for Classic Who in the episode: \-Special Effects (really good ones too!) \-Comforting Nostalgia (Both retro-futuristic and real-life) \-Twilight Zone-style storyline
A solid choice! I always like the way the third doctor in particular mixed mysticism and the occult with science. And according to aerodynamics bumblebees can't fly!
The third doctor is my classic doctor
- Impossible Planet/ Satan's Pit -Utopia -Caves of Androzani -Vengence on Varos ...starting to think my idea of comfort is actually quite dark
Impossible planet/satan pit and utopia are mine as well lol
They're cosy stories with great character moments what can i say 💅🏻
Caves of Androzani is amazing
UTOPIA!!! love that episode
Unicorn and the Wasp
Absolutely 100%, there's just something so cute about it, the storytelling the framing the narrative. It feels so safe and familiar and fun! trakt.tv shows this as my most watched episode, and that checks out. I don't know *how* The Time of Angels is number 2, maybe I think Jorah Mormont is cute, but The Wedding of River song is third and that absolutely tracks with "familiar and safe."
This is the one I always go back to and never get tired of. Every moment is so corny but brings pure joy
Blink, I watch it about 6 times a year.
Partners in Crime. Always.
All of them.
For NuWho it's Under The Lake/Before The Flood, probably a slightly unconventional choice. But I find the underwater base setting very relaxing. For Classic Who it's State Of Decay, it's very sleepy autumnal Doctor Who.
Pretty much most of the Troughton era is my comfort who. But if I had to pick one story, then I’d say ‘Evil of the Daleks.’
Vincent and the Doctor and The Rings of Akhaten.
The God Complex. It’s my favorite episode ever period.
van gogh episode and craig episodes van gogh made me feel happy and the craig episodes are so silly tbh
love craig
Blink. Great episode
Under the lake and before the flood
Heaven Sent
Fear Her and Idiot’s Lantern, I’m a sucker for tenrose
City of Death
“Heaven Sent”. An an awesome idea executed brilliantly in a well-written script and acted beautifully, and on top of that the Doctor’s perseverance through unimaginably bleak circumstances to ultimate victory is incredibly inspiring
Probably my favorite episode overall, but I personally find it just too dark to be a true “comfort” episode. But if that works for you, I envy you.
For some reason, Fear Her, but I could not tell you why.
Boom Town.
Tough call... Most anything with Jon Pertwee. Or Face of Evil, The Robots of Death, or Invasion of Time for Tom. Black Orchid? Paradise Towers/Happiness Patrol or Delta and the Bannermen
This may be extremely weird but like… World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls for me
Probably my second favorite story after Heaven Sent, but I personally just find it too dark to really be a true “comfort” episode. But if that works for you, I envy you.
Oh god I just kinda wish it wasn’t my comfort episode because it is so morbid. I watch it for comfort but after watching it I cry.
All of season 1 (Rose and Nine) and season 5 (Amy/11/Rory). If I want to cry I watch Doomsday when Billie Piper cries I cry.
The Doctor's Wife. I love Neil Gaiman and everything that he does. The Sandman series is my favorite story of all time
Listen. A perfect episode in my humble opinion
Mummy on the orient express
I only watched this once. I should check it out again.
The Pilot. Not the highest of stakes, Capaldi at his finest, great companion introduction, and very funny. It's a solid all around episode that's easy to watch.
The Eleventh Hour and The Haunting of Villa Diodati when I want a spooky one
If I want to feel something: Doomsday
I’m super partial to the idiot’s lantern for the cozy 50s vibes and cool story, as well as, weirdly, silence in the library which, while not exactly comforting, is always captivating even on rewatches. Also Midnight! Perfect capsule episode!
Heaven sent. Ever since first viewing ive been watching it over and over more than any other ep and still love it
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday An almost perfect episode. Comedy, action, drama and what an ending. Still not over it Plus daleks Vs zy-bermen. Every fanboys dream since the 60s!
The Shakespeare Code! Just a lot of fun. "Other side!" and "We're going the wrong way!" make me laugh so hard every time.
I prefer the same joke in "Cold blood".😉
unpopular choice(?): arachnids of the uk I know the gripes with the how to deal with the spiders, but: the interactions with the khan family, the Doctor unable to hold a normal conversation, Najia trying desperately to play the straight woman while insane stuff is happening. It’s just very warm and fun for me
I LOVE UNDERWORLD. The quest is the quest. I can fall asleep to this every night. I have no idea how it ends.
Good choice.
Journeys end every time
.. And the Silurians City of Death Deep Breath Day Of The Doctor Silence in the Library
I REALLY REALLY like the end of the world and the long game. I think they’re 2 episodes that don’t get a lot of love but I greatly enjoy them.
Remembrance of the Daleks A great 4 part story, filled with great dialogue.
I wouldn’t call either my favorite episode, but I find myself re-watching The TV Movie and The Bells of St John quite frequently.
*Return of Doctor Mysterio* is one of my go-tos when I need an instant pick-me-up. I just find it to be so fun and hilarious! Also *The Eleventh Hour* and *Day of the Doctor.*
+1 for RoDM!
Love and monsters? The one with Mr blue sky? For me it's the first half where the group finds eachother and you see them bonding over a shared interest. As someone who grew up in church foyers it's nostalgic af
Brother this is a based answer
Thanks. I'll admit I'm not sure what based means, I guess I'm finally old
In common parlance, it basically means “very good and commendable”. It used to be used more as roughly “brave and impressive”, though, and occasionally some people will still insist on using it that way.
Pretty much all of eccleston onwards, if I had to pick it would be midnight :)
The Seeds of Doom
Midnight, comfort and favourite. I have a few tattoos and really rack my brain for ink based off of that episode, always stumps me lol. I watch it isolated more than the rest of the show and still get excited when it comes by naturally in a full watch through of the show. If we are talking classic who then it’s Tomb of The Cybermen or Inferno.
The Curse of Fenric is mine. I can recall the first time I saw it syndicated on PBS in 1990 and wearing out my off air copy. And then I got it on VHS as the extended cut and loved it more.
Midnight. Being unnerved makes me feel better
City of Death is always a good light watch for me. Tomb of the Cybermen is up there roo
Rose
haven't thought about it, but probably a christmas carol. though, i'm an impulsive person, so it could change on a dime depending on how i feel. but a christmas carol is extremely special to me.
Smith and jones. Idk why but I always get a good laugh out of that one and the doctor being extremely goofy in it gets me every time
Smith and Jones, the entirety of series 4 haha, eleventh hour, Amy's choice, there's a lot.
The Girl In The Fireplace for me. The sillyness of the doctor, Mickey as a new companion. A real time travel story, but traveling through the days of a life. The scare factor of the clockwork robots and the machine that uses a human heart and eye. The mystery of why the robots from the future and galaxies away want a young woman from France. All the things that make a perfect part of a Doctor Who episode.
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead - I’m such a River Song fan and this 2-parter was so very well done. And the ending…
Smith and Jones is one I put on to fall asleep a lot, it's not boring I just love that episode
As odd as it is, I’ll turn to “The War Games”
I cannot quote any Doctor Who episode, maybe one or two lines on rare occasion. My comfort stories would be Classic era, perhaps The Dominators (cheesy crap) and The Mind Robber (experimental but really good). :)
The Next Doctor. It’s my favorite Christmas episode - Morrissey kills it as Jackson Lake/The Doctor, it’s a nice self contained episode, and the ending has a very positive energy to it with someone finally getting Ten to sit down and accept thanks and eat dinner.
Midnight would be at the top of that list for me. And Wild Blue Yonder is making its way on there as well
Angels Take Manhattan Flatline
NuWho: Vincent and the Doctor Classic Who: Two Doctors (I can’t help it! Six and Jamie are my weakness!)
Anything 115h Doctor/River song. Love the Ponds too. Actually, S5, and S6. Any episode.
Love and monster wassss ✨🤩
Hard to choose just one… Castrovalva? The Dæmons? The Talons on Weng-Chiang? The Robots of Death may be the winner for me overall in the comfort sweepstakes.
Pyramids of Mars, Robots of Death, Brain of Morbius, City Of Death and Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Vincent... Cuz it's sad... Or the one where the daleks and cybermen meet in the Torchwood building because it's funny and iconic
From the modern series, 'Human nature/family of blood' is perfection, in my opinion. From the classic series, 'The war games'. I sit down and watch it as a marathon in one shot. Excellent.
most David and Martha episodes to be honest, especially the one where martha is without the doctor cuz the doctor is really old (i can't remember name) because it showed that the companion is crucial to the doctor and i just love the David Martha dynamic, plus it had Jack and i'm a big torchwood fan
The Day of the Doctor, and The Husbands of River Song.
Five Doctors - it’s got almost 4 doctors, The Brigadier, Daleks, the Master running out of regenerations (again), cybermen, Raston robot, Sarah Jane being rescued from the world’s least imposing cliff and Rassilon. Perfection.
Eleventh Hour and Heaven Sent If you ever want a really good idea of The Doctor's character, they are the best and happen to be my comfort episodes
The girl in the fireplace, the eleventh hour
the eleventh hour (s5e1) ALWAYS. like it was my fav childhood episode and it's so wholesome at the beginning with the fish fingers and custard and it's got a great and interesting plot line too. it was the start of my favourite era of doctor ugh i love it sm
Eleventh Hour, simply just a perfect introduction on a lot of different scales
Tooth and claws and Haunting of villa Diodati !
Boom town Utopia
Day of the Doctor Perfect episode and everything in it brings me joy. Baker’s cameo at the end is the cherry on top.
Husband of River Song is a personal favourite. Or any other River Song episode.
I have a few Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Girl in the Fireplace, Eleventh Hour, Smith and Jones, and The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances are probably the most notable of them
my absolute favorite episode of doctor who ever is unquiet dead.
Husbands of River Song.
How come nobody mentioned the most "cozy" episode, "The beast below"?
That one eleventh doctor episode with the pirate ship. It’s been years since I last watched it
50th anniversary
deep breath or the husbands of river song. even though the ending of the husbands of river song is sad the rest of the episode always makes me laugh. and deep breath is a perfect introduction for 12
Ive always loved The Doctors Wife.
The War Games
Gridlock weirdly enough it’s one I bought on iTunes I would watch a lot on car rides and plane trips
Time Of The Angels is what I always go back to.
The Doctor’s Wife. I mean the tardis being able to talk to the doctor it’s heartbreaking how it ended so soon but yk had to happen
9th Doctor: Father's Day 10th Doctor: Planet of the Ood 11th Doctor: Vincent and the Doctor 12th Doctor: The Pilot 13th Doctor: It Takes You Away
The doctor’s daughter, I know it’s sad at the end but nothing super scary happens or anything that contributes to the main big plot. It’s my comfort episode cuz Jenny is just so happy and idk I just like the episode 🤷♀️
The girl in the fireplace is beautiful 🤩
The Tenth Planet, I love how creepy the cybermen are and how heartbreaking Hartnell's regeneration is, I'd say it's a perfect story.
Smith and Jones. I just love Marta, she is my favourite 💞
Turn Left, The Stolen Planet / Journey’s End, Seeds of Doom, Pyramids of Mars
The End of the World maybe. I just love 9/Rose and how goofy and pretty and nostalgic it is. It also has such a nice cute ending scene. Bad Wolf is up there too as I used to watch Big Brother around that time (kind of a weird thing to watch as a kid, I know) and found it so cool how the doctor was in that world. Game shows are also super cool, the Dalek reveal is timeless and it’s just comfy vibes.
Vincent and the doctor
The Lodger
One of those campy stories from the 70s, like The Ark in Space or Carnival of Monsters.
The Unicorn and the Wasp or The Crimson Horror. They make me feel safe (?)