Summary
Doctor Who has managed to do what many shows haven’t. It’s kept itself fresh every time a Doctor regenerates and passes the baton to the next one. With over a hundred and eighty episodes and specials, the BBC show has managed to bring the audience some of the best sci-fi stories in TV history, reaffirming Doctor Who‘s legacy within the genre. But not everything is a success, as fans of the show will know, and Doctor Who isn’t infallible.
The last two seasons, in particular, seem to have rubbed even the most dedicated of Whovians in the absolute worst way. Nine out of the ten lowest-rated episodes belong to the new era led by head writer Chris Chibnall, who not only introduced the first female Doctor but also reinvented many aspects of the show, only to see poor reception from viewers.
Updated by Fawzia Khan on August 9th, 2023: A show as long-running as Doctor Who is bound to have a few episodes that aren’t universally appealing. BBC’s sci-fi magnum opus has done a marvelous job at staying fresh and relevant with all new (and some old) aliens and Doctors, but certain storylines got low ratings on IMDb. This list has been updated with a few more episodes that were the lowest rated in Doctor Who.
14 “Flux: Chapter Three – Once, Upon Time” – Series 13, Episode 3
IMDb Rating: 6.0
The third installment of Series 13 of Doctor Who, also known as Flux, “Once, Upon Time” has the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Vinder, and Dan struggling with classic Doctor Who monsters like the Daleks, Sontarans, and Cybermen. This ragtag crew ends up on an impossible planet that shouldn’t exist, as time runs haywire and the Doctor meets with her hidden counterpart, Fugitive Doctor again. This post-apocalyptic episode is thrilling in its storylines but also confuses some fans with all the details and plot points packed into it. Keeping up with this Series 13 episode can be dizzying, but it certainly provides fans with an action-packed adventure.
13 “Fear Her” – Series 2, Episode 11
IMDb Rating: 5.9
“Fear Her” finds the Tenth Doctor and Rose caught up in the frenzy of the 2012 Olympic Games, but things get sinister when kids start to mysteriously go missing. After investigation, the Doctor and Rose find that a young girl named Chloe has the power to draw people and make them disappear. She is possessed by an Isolus, and the time travelers get busy finding a way to free Chloe before she makes the whole world disappear. This Doctor Who episode had been commissioned later to fill a gap, and was primarily targeted towards kids who adored it. The adult appeal in this adventure was low, hence the IMDb rating.
12 “Sleep No More” – Series 9, Episode 9
IMDb Rating: 5.8
In “Sleep No More,” the accomplished Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald find themselves in the mysteriously silent Le Verrier space station. With the help of a military rescue team led by Nagata, the Doctor and his companion try to discover what happened with the station’s personnel.
The episode utilizes a found footage style to tell the story, with one of the characters interrupting certain sections to explain what the audience is about to see or has just experienced. This gimmick, though interesting on paper, seems to do nothing but over-complicate the plot as it goes along. Furthermore, many fans found the main enemy of “Sleep No More” to be ridiculous and childish, which immediately hurt the episode as a whole.
11 “Can You Hear Me?” – Series 12, Episode 7
IMDb Rating: 5.8
When a strange force seems to be stalking the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions by infiltrating their nightmares, the quartet must find the source of their strange visions and stop it before it’s too late. “Can You Hear Me?” starts with an interesting, if unoriginal, premise that quickly derails into a predictable plot.
The episode has two godly beings who feed off fear as the main villains, a concept that has already been explored in past episodes with much better results. Many also criticized the episode’s handling of mental health, calling “Can You Hear Me?” preachy and condemning the Doctor’s social awkwardness as a bland attempt to appear “woke.”
10 “Resolution” – Special Aired Before Series 12
IMDb Rating: 5.8
In “Resolution,” two archeologists discover an alien creature that poses a threat to the Thirteenth Doctor and her group of companions. Things take a turn for the worse when it’s revealed to be the insides of a Dalek.
Despite reintroducing the Daleks after their long absence, the 2019 New Year’s special failed once again to captivate Whovians due to its poor writing. “Resolution” rushed through an important plot point including one of the Doctor’s companions, Ryan, and his dad, ruining what appeared to be a longer arc in the previous season. Fans also criticized the new Daleks for not being scary enough, and the dialogue for being rough and lacking humor.
9 “The Witchfinders” – Series 11, Episode 8
IMDb Rating: 5.8
Upon arriving in 17th-century Lancashire, the Thirteenth Doctor and her three companions end up in the middle of an exhaustive witch hunt. When they attempt to help, the Doctor finds herself up against King James I, who accuses her of being a witch herself.
“The Witchfinders” received praise from critics and scorn from fans, mirroring the general response to the eleventh season of the show as a whole. Jodie Whittaker’s acting and the quality of the writing are two of the episode’s weakest points, which unfortunately make “The Witchfinders” unwatchable for many. British actor Alan Cumming’s cameo as King James I also had a mixed reception, with some applauding his take on the historical figure.
8 “Flux: Chapter Six – The Vanquishers” – Series 13, Episode 6
IMDb Rating: 5.5
This episode is a darker one where there is little hope, as the bad guys seem to have won. The Doctor is split into three time streams, and communicates with all three of her versions to bring about the downfall of Sontarans, the Daleks, and countless other foes who have taken over. With the fate of the entire universe at stake, she fights hard to overcome the Flux.
The finale of Doctor Who: Flux brings a satisfying end to the Thirteenth Doctor’s tussle against Swarm, Azure, Tecteun, the Flux, and Time itself. The show is known for having a non-linear narrative, but “Flux: Chapter Six – The Vanquishers” manages to wrap up Jodie Whittaker’s most major plotlines successfully.
7 “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos” – Series 11, Episode 10
IMDb Rating: 5.4
After receiving several distress calls, the Thirteenth Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yasmin arrive at the planet Ranskoor Av Kolos where an alien is planning his revenge against Earth.
As a season finale, “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos” did not meet expectations. Though the stakes appear high, with a powerful alien threatening Earth, the episode continues to suffer from the entire season’s rough writing. Many have pointed out that it feels like just another filler episode as “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos” doesn’t include any of the classic Doctor Who villains nor does it deliver any particular character development for the Doctor.
6 “Praxeus” – Series 12, Episode 6
IMDb Rating: 5.3
In “Praxeus,” the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions investigate strange bacteria that seems to be infecting the population of various countries on Earth, causing scales to sprout all over the inhabitants’ bodies before they explode.
Unlike many great standalones that have benefitted from being unrelated to the season’s main arc, “Praxeus” is merely another lacking filler episode. Once again, the writing is most responsible for its poor rating, with many fans complaining of its patronizing, educational tone and dull characters. Rather than a Doctor Who episode, “Praxeus” seems like a PSA about the dangers of plastic pollution.
5 “The Timeless Children” – Series 12, Episode 10
IMDb Rating: 5.2
As the Master (played by Sacha Dhawan), now commanding an army of Cybermen, continues on his quest to take over the universe, the Thirteenth Doctor faces the shocking revelations of her origin. “The Timeless Children” reinvented Doctor Who with little success. The episode attempts to put the Doctor as a significant figure within Gallifrey’s history, tainting what made the character so lovable and trapping them under the controversial “chosen one” trope. Having an origin story demystifies the Doctor and negatively impacts the simple premise of a Time Lord, their TARDIS, and a whole universe to explore.
4 “The Tsuranga Conundrum” – Series 11, Episode 5
IMDb Rating: 5.2
Wounded, the Thirteenth Doctor and the rest of team TARDIS end up in the Tsuranga hospital ship only to find out that a dangerous creature has somehow snuck in and is roaming the ship, unsupervised. “The Tsuranga Conundrum” demonstrates how the quality of the show’s dialogue has really changed since Steven Moffat’s days. There’s a lack of engagement, serving only to provide the audience with large chunks of exposition and not capturing the audience’s attention like it had before. The episode also has one of the least threatening enemies in Pting, a tiny alien creature that was obviously created to be cute rather than scary.
3 “Arachnids In The UK” – Series 11, Episode 4
IMDb Rating: 5.1
In “Arachnids In The UK,” team TARDIS has just returned to Sheffield when they notice something strange affecting the spiders of the city. Now faced with gigantic arachnids, the Doctor and her companions must find what caused this massive issue.
While the episode is evidently meant to parody B-movies, it ends up becoming one rather than poking fun at them. The CGI is passable—certainly better than earlier episodes of modern Who—but the political commentary is a little too on the nose to be funny or clever. The biggest issue with the episode, however, is the Doctor’s questionable decisions when dealing with the spiders themselves. The Doctor asked the other characters not to shoot the arachnids, only to let them suffocate and suffer instead.
2 “Legend of the Sea Devils” – Series 13 Special
IMDb Rating: 4.7
“Legend of the Sea Devils” is the second of three specials, and the penultimate episode for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor era. She travels to 19th-century China with her companions, where a small village is threatened by Madam Ching, a dangerous pirate, and Marsissus, the Sea Devil she mistakenly unleashed. As the Sea Devil, Ching, and the Doctor clash, the race to find the Keystone is on. Marsissus wants to flood the planet with the Keystone, but the Doctor manages to thwart him in time. It is surprising that this episode got poor IMDb ratings, as the standalone story was praised by critics for its action and Yaz and Thirteen’s budding relationship.
1 “Orphan 55” – Series 12, Episode 3
IMDb Rating: 4.2
Hoping to finally get a vacation, the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions travel to a resort on Orphan 55, a strange planet with a terrifying secret and even more horrifying past. “Orphan 55” is the worst-rated episode in the entire show, being panned by both critics and fans alike. While not written by season eleven and twelfth showrunner Chris Chibnall, “Orphan 55” is often used to represent what hasn’t been working in the new era: preachy writing with lacking dialogue and characters.