The Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 16

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.5/10(687 votes)

   #1 - The Ribos Operation (1)

   S16:E19/2/1978

   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…

   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes

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   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes
2. 

   7.4/10(603 votes)

   #2 - The Ribos Operation (2)

   S16:E29/9/1978

   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.

   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes

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   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes
3. 

   7.4/10(599 votes)

   #3 - The Ribos Operation (3)

   S16:E39/16/1978

   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.

   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes

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   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes
4. 

   7.4/10(604 votes)

   #4 - The Ribos Operation (4)

   S16:E49/23/1978

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

   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes

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   Director:George Spenton-Foster

   Writer:Robert Holmes
5. 

   7.6/10(693 votes)

   #5 - The Pirate Planet (1)

   S16:E59/30/1978

   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.

   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams

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   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams
6. 

   7.8/10(607 votes)

   #6 - The Pirate Planet (2)

   S16:E610/7/1978

   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?

   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams

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   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams
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7. 

   7.8/10(604 votes)

   #7 - The Pirate Planet (3)

   S16:E710/14/1978

   The Mentiads take the Doctor, Romana and Kimus to a reunion with K9 and Mula, where they set about trying to defeat the Captain.

   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams

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   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams
8. 

   7.9/10(609 votes)

   #8 - The Pirate Planet (4)

   S16:E810/21/1978

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

   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams

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   Director:Pennant Roberts

   Writer:Douglas Adams
9. 

   7.6/10(636 votes)

   #9 - The Stones of Blood (1)

   S16:E910/28/1978

   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...

   Director:Darrol Blake

   Writer:David Fisher

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   Director:Darrol Blake

   Writer:David Fisher
10. 

    7.7/10(568 votes)

    #10 - The Stones of Blood (2)

    S16:E1011/4/1978

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

    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher
11. 

    7.7/10(568 votes)

    #11 - The Stones of Blood (3)

    S16:E1111/11/1978

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

    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher
12. 

    7.6/10(570 votes)

    #12 - The Stones of Blood (4)

    S16:E1211/18/1978

    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.

    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Darrol Blake

    Writer:David Fisher
13. 

    7.3/10(621 votes)

    #13 - The Androids of Tara (1)

    S16:E1311/25/1978

    Arriving on Tara, Romana locates the fourth segment of the Key to Time with ease. But getting it away proves more difficult, as she is captured by the scheming Count Grendel who wants the throne of Tara for himself.

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher
14. 

    7.3/10(564 votes)

    #14 - The Androids of Tara (2)

    S16:E1412/2/1978

    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.

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher
15. 

    7.3/10(565 votes)

    #15 - The Androids of Tara (3)

    S16:E1512/9/1978

    The battle for control of Tara turns into a duel of wits between the Doctor and Grendel. But the Count shows he has more treacherous tricks up his sleeve.

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher
16. 

    7.3/10(565 votes)

    #16 - The Androids of Tara (4)

    S16:E1612/16/1978

    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.

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writer:David Fisher
17. 

    6.5/10(577 votes)

    #17 - The Power of Kroll (1)

    S16:E1712/23/1978

    The Third Moon of Delta Magna, The Future. The Doctor and Romana arrive in search of the fifth segment and are immediately swept up in a conflict between the crew of a new refinery and the embittered natives…

    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes

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    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes
18. 

    6.6/10(524 votes)

    #18 - The Power of Kroll (2)

    S16:E1812/30/1978

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

    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes

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    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes
19. 

    6.5/10(522 votes)

    #19 - The Power of Kroll (3)

    S16:E191/6/1979

    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.

    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes

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    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes
20. 

    6.5/10(526 votes)

    #20 - The Power of Kroll (4)

    S16:E201/13/1979

    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.

    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes

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    Director:Norman Stewart

    Writer:Robert Holmes
21. 

    7.1/10(568 votes)

    #21 - The Armageddon Factor (1)

    S16:E211/20/1979

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

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker
22. 

    7.1/10(505 votes)

    #22 - The Armageddon Factor (2)

    S16:E221/27/1979

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

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker
23. 

    7.0/10(501 votes)

    #23 - The Armageddon Factor (3)

    S16:E232/3/1979

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

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker
24. 

    7.0/10(504 votes)

    #24 - The Armageddon Factor (4)

    S16:E242/10/1979

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

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker
25. 

    7.0/10(499 votes)

    #25 - The Armageddon Factor (5)

    S16:E252/17/1979

    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.

    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker

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    Director:Michael Hayes

    Writers:Dave Martin, Bob Baker