So, for this post, I'm putting aside the idea of Favorite Doctor and trying to come up with Favorite Adventure per Doctor. I'll try to give some justification, but this does tend to be something that's less obvious and more emotional.
Of course, these are highly personal, so they certainly won't apply to everyone reading these. What are your favorites? Feel free to comment with them!
So, the numbers correspond to the Doctors:
- For Hartnell, I'm going to go with The Daleks Invasion of Earth. The story featured the first return of the most iconic Doctor Who villain, The Daleks. Before that, they were just a one-off creation for the second serial, but this set the precedent for the continuing battle that still ensues. Ultimately, though, the real reason it stands out in my mind is because it has the first goodbye. Susan, the Doctor's Granddaughter, is forced to leave to go live her own life, as the Doctor knew was best for her. He leaves her with the famous line "One day I shall come back, yes I shall come back.. . ." Of course, he did go back, but not until his eighth life. But that's a tale for another day.
- I can't help but pick The Mind Robber for Troughton. I'm just intrigued by the Land of Fiction. I've yet to listen to the Land of Fiction trilogy with Colin Baker, but I am eager to get to it in my listening to Big Finish.
- I'll choose The Terror of the Autons primarily for the legacy that it's left behind. It was the first adventure with my second favorite Doctor Who villain, The Master.
- With so much to choose from, it's difficult to pick a favorite Tom Baker story (The same problem exists with Paul McGann as well), but I think I'll go with The Deadly Assassin. I love to see the inner workings of Gallifrey.
- Here's where the list takes a turn. From this point until Eight, the answers will be Audio Adventures. I'm going to choose Spare Parts for the Fifth Doctor. I haven't listened to the story in several years, though, so I can't really give specific reasons why, but I remember it being quite amazing. A second choice, which I have listened to recently, would be The Kingmaker. It's just a fun story.
- I could choose from any of the many incredible adventures from (one of) my second favorite Doctor(s). But I'm a sucker for a musical, so my first choice has to be Doctor Who and the Pirates. I still can't get "I am the Very Model of a Gallifreyan Buccaneer" out of my head.
- A Death in the Family is one of the greatest Doctor Who adventures I've ever experienced. The story is phenomenal and it's just all around fantastic.
It's also a fitting end for Evelyn Smythe. As such, I shall use this portion of the list to express deep sorrow for the loss of Maggie Stables this past Friday. She will be sorely missed in the Dr. Who community. - The Eighth Doctor is the most difficult Doctor to pick a favorite for. He's amazing and he has so many brilliant adventures. Ultimately, though, I think I'll choose The Chimes of Midnight. It's a wonderful story for him early on with brilliant writing. Hopefully, Dark Eyes III this November will surpass it, though.
- Without a doubt, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is the greatest story for Eccleston's Doctor. It's a fantastic story accompanied by great acting.
- I think I'll go with The Last of the Time Lords trilogy from season 29. I love the Master and John Simm did fairly well in the role for these episodes. His return to the position was nicht so gut, but that doesn't change how well he was handled for these episodes.
- Nightmare in Silver. I'm a sucker for a Neil Gaiman penned-episode and it felt like real Cybermen again, rather than the Cybus Industries Cybermen who were obsessed with saying "Delete" that came with Tennant's Doctor.
- Is it fair to judge? He hasn't had a full season yet, but I feel I can give my favorite of his run so far.
Listen is an episode which really blew me away. I loved the message that it sent and I really enjoyed the overall concept of the episode.
I skipped Nine. Not the Ninth Doctor, but their Ninth body. The War Doctor's only adventure that I've experienced was The Day of the Doctor. I intend on reading Engines of War, but I haven't had the chance yet.
So, what do you think? Which stories really let a Doctor shine for you?
