Whether it was an individual episode or a whole story arc, Moffat received praise for his intricate details, dedication to the Doctor Who lore, and overall engaging characters. Moffat also created some of Doctor Who season 14 episode “Boom,” the first episode he wrote for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. Moffat was, and continues to be, an excellent Doctor Who writer with some fantastic episodes under his belt.

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10 Let's Kill Hitler

Season 6, Episode 8

“Let’s Kill Hitler” brilliantly threw viewers back into the Eleventh Doctor’s search for Melody Pond, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory’s (Arthur Darvill) kidnapped daughter. This episode also introduced their best friend, Mels (Nina Toussaint-White), who, after they crashed in 1930s Berlin, regenerated into River Song. “Let’s Kill Hitler” did a brilliant job of establishing backstory and characterization for the Ponds. Through a series of flashbacks, more was revealed about Amy and Rory’s childhoods and how their relationship began. Unaware that Melody was their future daughter growing up, teenage Mels’ chaotic behavior had made Amy and Rory parent her indirectly.

The episode followed the events that led Melody Pond to become River Song and her first official meeting with the Doctor. This was a fascinating character study, especially as Doctor Who had only shown the Doctor getting to know River and not the other way around. “Let’s Kill Hitler” contributed to season 6’s overarching storyline and the Ponds’ backstories at the same time, which was executed brilliantly. Moffat’s use of Melody’s personality highlighted the similarities she shared with her mother and future self, and he did a fabulous job writing the exact moment she fell in love with the Doctor.

9 The Eleventh Hour

Season 5, Episode 1

“The Eleventh Hour” was Moffat’s first episode as Doctor Who’s showrunner and an example of how to set up multiple characters perfectly. The episode brilliantly established who the Eleventh Doctor and his new companions were, and the jam-packed backstory and narrative made the runtime of “The Eleventh Hour” feel longer than it was. Rather than playing it safe with a returning villain like the Daleks, Moffat launched a new era of the show with the fearful Prisoner Zero. Prisoner Zero took many forms, including two scared girls and their mother, portrayed by Oscar winner Doctor Who guest star Olivia Colman.

The wholesome relationship between young Amelia Pond (Caitlin Blackwood) and the Doctor was beautiful, and their sweet interactions initiated the launch of the season’s storyline. For example, the “fish fingers and custard” scene was relevant to Amy and the Doctor’s relationship throughout season 5 and the Ponds’ tenure overall. Moffat utilized the Doctor’s lack of resources and pushed the Time Lord into saving the world in 20 minutes with no TARDIS and no sonic screwdriver, which was impressive and inventive. Despite the massive pressure faced for the first episode, Moffat nailed the start of his first season as showrunner.

8 A Good Man Goes To War

Season 6, Episode 7

“A Good Man Goes To War” was a highly anticipated episode because it finally revealed who River Song was in Doctor Who. In a sudden plot twist in the previous episode, Amy went into labor. However, Amy was unaware she’d been kidnapped by Madame Kovarian (s Barber) and the Silence off-screen before season 6 began. Rory and the Doctor went on a war path across the universe to find Amy and the baby while also trying to work out why they were taken in the first place. After years of build-up, it was shockingly announced that River was Melody Pond.

This was a fascinating decision from Moffat, who first introduced the character in the season 4 episode "Silence in the Library.” The Doctor and River’s timeline was already complicated before her true identity was confirmed, but this added a complex layer to their relationship. No companion had become a parent while traveling with the Doctor before, too, which added a unique but remarkable tone to the episode overall. Lore in Doctor Who was always important, and Moffat made his mark on the legacy of the show with “A Good Man Goes To War.”

7 The Day Of The Doctor

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special - 2013

“The Day of the Doctor” marked the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, which saw the return of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and the first whole episode appearance of John Hurt’s War Doctor. Billie Piper also came back for the celebratory episode, although she played The Moment, the soul of a dangerous Gallifreyan weapon, rather than Rose Tyler. The episode had some wild and action-packed sequences that were incredible to watch, such as the Doctor hanging from the edge of the TARDIS as Doctor Who’s UNIT flew the police box via helicopter across the London skyline.

This multi-Doctor story established some brand new backstory for the Time Lord, which surrounded the events of the Time War and the Doctor’s actions that led to Gallifrey’s destruction. “The Day of the Doctor” spent dedicated time delving into the Doctor’s difficult relationship with his home planet and species and how Earth became his adopted stomping ground later in life. Moffat’s writing in this episode was stellar, combining several generations of Doctors to make some groundbreaking changes by saving Gallifrey from burning, and also teased the arrival of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.

6 World Enough And Time & The Doctor Falls

Season 10, Episodes 11 & 12

The season 10 two-part finale, “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls,” contained a first for Doctor Who. Despite his attempt to trust Missy (Michelle Gomez), the Twelfth Doctor discovered her reuniting with her previous incarnation, The Saxon Master (John Simm), after they arrived on a giant spaceship filled with Cybermen heading toward a black hole. These episodes also marked the official departure of companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), who only made a brief cameo as a mirage in Capaldi’s final episode, “Twice Upon a Time.”

Bill's heartbreaking conversion into a Cyberman added an emotional atmosphere to the episodes, especially when the Doctor had to explain what happened as she couldn’t recognize her new appearance. The two versions of the Master in Doctor Who had brilliant chemistry, but Missy betraying the Master was a shining piece of character development for her, and it proved that she was more committed to repairing her relationship with the Doctor than it initially appeared. “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls” were Moffat’s last Doctor Who season finale, and his penultimate episodes kicked off his departure with a bang.

5 The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances

Season 1, Episodes 9 & 10

One of Doctor Who charity special "The Curse of Fatal Death" in 1999 before being asked to write these episodes for the first season of the show’s 2005 reboot. These two episodes famously included the first appearance of the iconic companion Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who met the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler in the London Blitz.

The two-parter also introduced the petrifying gas mask zombies, best known for the legendary Doctor Who quote, “Are you my mummy?” The chilling monster of the week caused a tense atmosphere, and they could have easily rivaled the average horror movie antagonist. These episodes were emotional but also funny. Nancy’s (Florence Hoath) teenage mother storyline was touching but had a happy ending, and the Doctor and Rose’s relationship was seen from a new angle. In his first proper episodes, Moffat ticked all the boxes for writing a perfect Doctor Who story.

4 The Girl In The Fireplace

Season 2, Episode 4

“The Girl in The Fireplace” was one of Steven Moffat’s best Doctor Who episodes because of its devastatingly moving storyline. The episode saw the Tenth Doctor, Rose, and Mickey (Noel Clarke) arrive on a barely functioning space station run by the creepy Clockwork Droids. The Doctor discovered that the robotic figures were using time doors to monitor Madame de Pompadour, also known as Reinette, and planned on harvesting her organs to repair their ship. The Doctor had a beautiful romance storyline with Reinette, hoping to take her in the TARDIS with him before her untimely death.

As a stand-alone episode, Moffat’s “The Girl in The Fireplace” was a tragedy, yet creative and intelligent because it combined the past and the future seamlessly. The contrast between scenes of 18th-century and 51st-century space was endearing and smooth, which was impressive considering the glaring differences in the settings. The episode tugged on heartstrings while still feeling like a typical Doctor Who adventure, merging real-life history with sci-fi fiction that was brilliant and all-around enjoyable to watch.

3 Boom

Season 14/New Season 1, Episode 3

Moffat’s return to Doctor Who, “Boom,” included every element needed for a typical episode. It was emotional and complex and had a romance subplot, death, and a child looking for comfort. After the Fifteenth Doctor found himself stuck on a landmine close to exploding, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) attempted to help without getting killed. “Boom” also featured an unexpected debut of Doctor Who season 15 companion Varada Sethu as Mundy Flynn, an Anglican Marine in a fight against the non-existent Kastarions. Despite the majority of the episode being set in one place, it was still full of action and anxiety.

The panic the Doctor displayed throughout the episode was nerve-wracking, but "Boom" was a brilliant way of telling a story in a singular setting. Although Canterbury’s (Bhav Joshi) crush on Mundy was sweet, her priority was looking out for always Splice (Caoilinn Springall), a young girl who encountered the Doctor and found that her father, John (Joe Anderson), had been killed by the Villengard Corporation's algorithm. Ruby’s sudden death was jarring, but her resurrection after the Doctor saved the day was satisfying and relieving. For Moffat’s anticipated return to Doctor Who, he challenged himself immensely, but the risk paid off.

2 Blink

Season 3, Episode 10

“Blink” was Moffat’s most recognized episode before becoming showrunner and easily the best example of a Doctor-lite episode in Doctor Who. “Blink” followed the events of Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan) as she tried to communicate with the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones (Freema Aygeman) in the 1960s from the future. This episode marked the first appearance of the legendary Weeping Angels, who were heavily featured throughout Moffat’s Doctor Who era.

“Blink” stood out because it was primarily told from Sally’s point of view. The eerie and heart-thumping story kept many on the edge of their seats, especially because Moffat had created such a simple yet powerful monster. As the Doctor wasn’t there to help Sally, the stakes were incredibly high, and with the Angels’ statued appearance, the fear they could be anywhere was present throughout. The Weeping Angels’ fear factors were unmatched, and their first episode made them one of the show’s most prominent villains ever.

1 Heaven Sent

Season 9, Episode 11

“Heaven Sent” was a companion-lite episode in which the Twelfth Doctor was trapped in a castle by the Time Lords, who spent centuries trying to force answers about the Hybrid out of him. The critically acclaimed story stood proudly as Steven Moffat’s best episode because it was simple but also complex and layered simultaneously. The Doctor spent the entire episode monologuing, yet it was never boring. “Heaven Sent” delved into themes of grief as the Doctor mourned Clara’s death, spending hundreds of years punching through a wall of diamonds.

Despite the lack of action on-screen, Moffat demonstrated his strengths in narrative design. “Heaven Sent” was the closest thing to hearing the Doctor’s internal monologue and most profound thoughts, as he was killed and resurrected an endless number of times but continued to push on in search of the truth. The Doctor’s character exploration was nothing short of perfection in “Heaven Sent,” and Steven Moffat proved his range as a writer and that a good Doctor Who episode didn’t require lots of things going on.

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Release Date

December 25, 2023

Network

BBC

Directors

Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie

Cast

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• 
  Ncuti Gatwa

  The Doctor
• 
  Millie Gibson

  Ruby Sunday

• 

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The latest Doctor Who series introduces the Fifteenth Doctor, ed by new companion Ruby Sunday.

Writers

Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat

Seasons

2

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