The BEST episodes of Doctor Who season 16

Every episode of Doctor Who season 16, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Doctor Who season 16!

The Doctor, a mysterious traveller in space and time, travels in his ship, the TARDIS. The TARDIS can take him and his companions anywhere in time and space. Inevitably he finds evil at work wherever he goes...

Last Updated: 10/31/2024Network: BBC OneStatus: Ended
The Stones of Blood (3)
star
7.83
161 votes

#1 - The Stones of Blood (3)

Season 16 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/11/1978

Chase by blood-thirsty stones, the Doctor must find a way to rescue Romana. What awaits him in the theoretical absurdity of hyperspace?

Directors: Darrol Blake
Writer: David Fisher
Watch Now:Amazon
The Pirate Planet (4)
star
7.79
163 votes

#2 - The Pirate Planet (4)

Season 16 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/21/1978

The Captain and Xanxia work toward their secret goals. Both depends on the pirate planet consuming one more victim - Earth.

Directors: Graham Williams
Watch Now:Amazon
The Stones of Blood (4)
star
7.72
163 votes

#3 - The Stones of Blood (4)

Season 16 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/18/1978

Facing a sentence of death from merciless justice machines, the Doctor must play for time while Romana tries to discover just who Vivian Fey really is.

Directors: Darrol Blake
Writer: David Fisher
Watch Now:Amazon
The Androids of Tara (2)
star
7.66
154 votes

#4 - The Androids of Tara (2)

Season 16 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/2/1978

The Doctor must employ a desperate gambit to keep the evil Grendel off the throne. And the Count has a new pawn to play - Romana.

Directors: Michael Hayes
Writer: David Fisher
Watch Now:Amazon
The Stones of Blood (2)
star
7.65
156 votes

#5 - The Stones of Blood (2)

Season 16 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/4/1978

The quest for the Third Segment has landed the Doctor and Romana in the midst of a druidic cult centered on a stone circle. But the stones are not what they seem. And somewhere out there is a blood-thirsty celtic godess.

Directors: Darrol Blake
Writer: David Fisher
The Androids of Tara (4)
star
7.64
159 votes

#6 - The Androids of Tara (4)

Season 16 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/16/1978

Grendel plans two weddings and a funeral to cement his hold over Tara. The Doctor and K-9 race to foil him and save the Time Lady's life.

Directors: Michael Hayes
Writer: David Fisher
The Pirate Planet (1)
star
7.63
207 votes

#7 - The Pirate Planet (1)

Season 16 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/30/1978

Planet Zanak, unknown time. The Doctor and Romana are seeking the planet Calufrax where the second segment waits. They are in the right place and the right time… but on the wrong planet.

Directors: Graham Williams
The Pirate Planet (2)
star
7.59
174 votes

#8 - The Pirate Planet (2)

Season 16 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/7/1978

The Doctor begins to investigate the mysteriously wealthy planet Zanak. Mentiads, a deranged Captain, strange omens, miraculous mines – what does it all mean? And what does it have to do with the Key to Time?

Directors: Graham Williams
The Pirate Planet (3)
star
7.53
187 votes

#9 - The Pirate Planet (3)

Season 16 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/14/1978

The Doctor and Romana begin to uncover the secrets of Zanak. But the murderous Captain seems to have plans of his own.

Directors: Graham Williams
The Armageddon Factor (5)
star
7.51
181 votes

#10 - The Armageddon Factor (5)

Season 16 - Episode 25 - Aired 2/17/1979

The Doctor and Romana finally venture into the Shadow's lair. The Shadow appears to hold all the cards but the Doctor has found an old friend.

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Armageddon Factor (6)
star
7.50
214 votes

#11 - The Armageddon Factor (6)

Season 16 - Episode 26 - Aired 2/24/1979

The Doctor and the Shadow have their final confrontation to take control of the Key to Time. Completing it may entail an awful sacrifice. And the Black Guardian will do anything to obtain it and plunge the Universe into chaos.

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Armageddon Factor (3)
star
7.48
152 votes

#12 - The Armageddon Factor (3)

Season 16 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/3/1979

The Doctor meets a new enemy – the Shadow – who wants the Key to Time. And the Atrian-Zeon war is approaching an awful climax.

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Androids of Tara (3)
star
7.45
161 votes

#13 - The Androids of Tara (3)

Season 16 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/9/1978

The Doctor and Romana are swept up in the political machinations of Tara. The Doctor must keep the android "king" running while Grendel plots to use Romana to destroy him.

Directors: Michael Hayes
Writer: David Fisher
The Ribos Operation (4)
star
7.43
170 votes

#14 - The Ribos Operation (4)

Season 16 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/23/1978

Trapped in the catacombs between a mad warlord and ravenous monsters, the Doctor and Romana work desperately to obtain the segement of the Key to Time - and escape alive.

The Armageddon Factor (4)
star
7.39
187 votes

#15 - The Armageddon Factor (4)

Season 16 - Episode 24 - Aired 2/10/1979

The Doctor is forced into a desperate gambit to prevent a massacre. But it is getting harder to tell friend from foe.

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Armageddon Factor (2)
star
7.39
153 votes

#16 - The Armageddon Factor (2)

Season 16 - Episode 22 - Aired 1/27/1979

Swept up in an apocalyptic war, the Doctor must help the Marshall defend his planet. But who or what controls the Marshall?

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Stones of Blood (1)
star
7.38
158 votes

#17 - The Stones of Blood (1)

Season 16 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/28/1978

England, the late 1970s. The Doctor and Romana arrive in search of the third segment. But the Tracer readings are erratic and something ominous is happening with an ancient stone circle...

Directors: Darrol Blake
Writer: David Fisher
The Armageddon Factor (1)
star
7.37
156 votes

#18 - The Armageddon Factor (1)

Season 16 - Episode 21 - Aired 1/20/1979

Searching for the sixth segment, the Doctor and Romana land in the midst of a brutal nuclear war between the planets Atrios and Zeos.

Directors: Michael Hayes
The Androids of Tara (1)
star
7.34
158 votes

#19 - The Androids of Tara (1)

Season 16 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/25/1978

Arriving on the techno-Ruritanian world of Tara, Romana easily obtains the Fourth Segment. Getting off the planet, however, isn't going to be quite so easy...

Directors: Michael Hayes
Writer: David Fisher
The Ribos Operation (3)
star
7.24
206 votes

#20 - The Ribos Operation (3)

Season 16 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/16/1978

Prisoners of the maniacal Graff Vynda K, the Doctor and Romana must break out and pursue the first segment – even as Unstoff takes it into the most dangerous place on Ribos.

The Ribos Operation (1)
star
7.24
236 votes

#21 - The Ribos Operation (1)

Season 16 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/2/1978

The Magellanic Clouds, the planet Ribos, an unknown time. Ordered by the White Guardian to collect the pieces of the omnipotent Key to Time, The Doctor, K-9 and his new assistant Romana arrive. Collecting the first segment is not going to be easy…

The Ribos Operation (2)
star
7.13
212 votes

#22 - The Ribos Operation (2)

Season 16 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/9/1978

Trying to obtain the first segment of the Key to Time, the Doctor and Romana are swept up in an elaborate con. The target – the homicidal Graff Vynda K.

The Power of Kroll (2)
star
7.02
155 votes

#23 - The Power of Kroll (2)

Season 16 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/30/1978

The Doctor and Romana try to avoid being sacrificed to Kroll – just in time for the real monster to appear.

Directors: Norman Stewart
The Power of Kroll (3)
star
6.99
157 votes

#24 - The Power of Kroll (3)

Season 16 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/6/1979

The massive Kroll is awake and killing anyone in its path. And the swampies are determined to appease it – by sacrificing the Doctor and Romana.

Directors: Norman Stewart
The Power of Kroll (4)
star
6.98
157 votes

#25 - The Power of Kroll (4)

Season 16 - Episode 20 - Aired 1/13/1979

The Doctor and Romana are trapped between the monstrous Kroll and the insane refinery commander. And there is no sign of the fifth segment of the Key to Time.

Directors: Norman Stewart