15 Whoniverse Stories to Revisit

Depending on when you read this, you may have already seen the upcoming Doctor Who episode "Joy to the World," or you might be waiting for it to finally materialize onto our screens. So in the lead-up to the latest installment of the decades old TV series, why not revisit some old classics?

But as Doctor Who fans know, it’s not just a TV show. It’s a multiverse of spin-offs -- from BBC-produced shows such as Torchwood and the upcoming The War Between the Land and Sea, to independent films that licensed elements of the series, such as former companions, like Downtime and Wartime in the 90s. And the screen isn’t the only place where the Doctor Who universe resides; the show was kept alive during the hiatus with Virgin and BBC Books adventures and even now some of the companions from that era are still getting adventures, like Chris Cwej (I should know; I collaborate with the company who writes his series!), and most notably, Bernice Summerfield with Big Finish.

So dive into the wonderful universe of Doctor Who and find some of the best TV (and non-TV) stories to get you excited for Christmas 2024…

Doctor Who: "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways"

What a finale. Pure excitement in two episodes, with "The Parting of the Ways" ending Series 1 (or as I like to call it Season 27) in the best way it possibly could. The music, the heart throbbing plot that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, the Daleks at their best, and above all a glorious final (television) performance for the Ninth Doctor.

Doctor Who: "Dalek"

Our Ninth Doctor praise thread continues with a perfect reintroduction to the Daleks back in 2005. Taking inspiration from his Big Finish Doctor Who story "Jubilee," Robert Sherman crafted a true Doctor Who classic, showing a 2005 audience just exactly how deadly the Daleks could be and ensuring that this new era of Doctor Who would last for many years to come.

Doctor Who: "Face the Raven/Heaven Sent/Hell Bent"

There’s definitely a debate about whether these episodes are a three-part story or if "Face the Raven" is its own thing, but in my head it’s a three parter and this is my blog post so I make the rules here. "Face the Raven" starts off strong with a seemingly normal story with an amazingly heartbreaking ending that leads right into "Heaven Sent," one of the franchise’s darkest and most contemplative outings that’s often been compared to some of the more experimental Eighth Doctor Big Finish outings. Finally "Hell Bent" wraps it all up by taking us in a direction that we didn’t expect, but thematically works perfectly with the overall arc of Series 9 and the relationship between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald. What a finale.

Doctor Who: "The Weeping Angels of Mons"

One of Titan Comics earliests’ adventures with the Tenth Doctor, the comic gives us one of the best Weeping Angel stories of the entire franchise. Combined with stunning art that really gives a sense of the grit and darkness of World War One, it reminds us that the expanded media of Doctor Who is just as good, if not even better at times, than the main show.

Torchwood: "Children of Earth"

Spin-off time! Torchwood’s third season was a single story that spanned five episodes and boy oh boy did it deliver. Emotionally heart wrenching, with the guts to kill off characters and take the team into morally dubious places, it cemented its place as one of the greatest stories in the wider Doctor Who universe.

Doctor Who: "Four Doctors"

Stalwart writer Paul Cornell, who made some of the most popular show and expanded universe stories throughout his career, made a perfect multi-Doctor classic that feels right at home among similar TV outings. The end twist wraps the story up perfectly, so I won’t spoil it here, but it truly gives the “modern era” of Doctor Who one of its defining multi-Doctor outings.

Doctor Who: "The Hyperion Empire"

Set between Series 8 and 9, this outing with the Twelfth Doctor and Clara acts as a sequel to an earlier comic in the Titan line and gives us one of the best comics of the era. It feels genuinely apocalyptic and that’s an achievement in a franchise that’s had world-ending events at least once per season at this point. Not only that, but the artwork harkens back to Weeping Angels of Mons, truly selling us on the fiery nature of the Hyperions and giving a down to Earth feel that cements the desperation of the characters as they try to save the Earth.

Doctor Who: "The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End"

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for the Daleks and "The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End" certainly scratches that itch with some of the most fun Dalek action in the series’ history. A blockbuster level event eleven years ahead of Avengers: Endgame, this wraps up Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures into a big crossover bow that still holds up to this day.

Doctor Who: "Survival"

Finally getting to an original series story, this outing from Season 26 is a perfect bridge between the old show and the 2005 revival, with a story that would form the blueprint for many of the themes and storytelling structures that would define the newer era. It ends the original run on a somber, yet hopeful note, and proved that even in its supposed “last” moments, Doctor Who still had something special to offer.

Doctor Who: "The Edge of Destruction"

It didn’t take long for Doctor Who to capture the hearts and minds of audiences back in 1963 and this story is part of the reason why. After adventures with an unearthly child, cavemen, and the first Dalek story, this claustrophobic thriller truly allowed us to dive deep into the First Doctor and his companions, diving headfirst into a tense, unpredictable narrative that cemented this first batch of episodes as something special and worthy of follow ups for decades to come.

Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks (novelization)

Before the Virgin New Adventures really got going, the seeds of what would become the style and tone for the upcoming novel continuation of the show were planted in this novelization of the TV story of the same name. A deeper look into the story we already knew, it frees us from the limitations of the budget and hints at a deeper nature to the Doctor, which would be further explored in the original novels to come. It’s a read well worth your time and among the best of the Target novelization range.

"Doctor Who and the Silurians"

A seven-part epic set at the very beginning of the Third Doctor’s era (and the only story in the TV show’s history to be styled as Doctor Who and…), "Doctor Who and the Silurians" showed a new side to the Earthbound storytelling of Season 7 and gave us one of the show’s most iconic monsters in the Silurians. With an extremely underrated Liz Shaw at the Third Doctor’s side, this is one you’ll always remember as a key landmark in the series’ long history.

Doctor Who: "The Enemy of the World"

It’s appropriate that the BBC’s newly made Doctor Who Classic YouTube channel posted this story in full, because it’s a classic and one of the best of the Second Doctor’s era. A spy thriller with a Doctor Who coat of paint, the story goes through the saga of the Second Doctor’s double Salamander and the TARDIS team. It’s original, creative, and above all a fun adventure that stands out in the Second Doctor’s TV run.

Doctor Who: "The Only Good Dalek"

Combining the Eleventh Doctor’s era with aesthetics from the First Doctor’s, "The Only Good Dalek" is a perfect combination of the two that even manages to give the much criticized “Paradigm Dalek design” a solid outing. Standing as the best Dalek story of Eleven’s so far, it manages to provide a strong story along with fan service and callbacks that’s actually used to push the story forward and makes the narrative stronger because of it.

Doctor Who: "Engines of War"

The War Doctor may have only appeared on screen for a little while during the show’s 50th anniversary, but his adventures continued throughout audios, comics, and of course books. But special credit must be given to "Engines of War," which leads directly into his appearance in "The Day of the Doctor." It’s an amazing read that truly lets us dive deep into the Time War and gives us more insight into the “Warrior” incarnation. A rewatch of the anniversary specials cannot be complete without this truly special story and one readthrough will show you exactly why.

Of course there’s so much more to revisit than just these fifteen stories. "Kinda," the Rose novelization, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", Torchwood: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"…there’s so many amazing stories set in the Doctor Who universe that will get you in the mood for even more adventures in time and space. And the best part is, you don’t even need a TARDIS!

cover image property of BBC; sourced from https://www.bbc.com/articles/cll599p9148o