Doctor Who series rankings 2024

Before I rank the new episodes of series 14 (or Season 1) into the new era (or is it a new era?) let's have a recap of where my rankings have been after the release of each series since I started this blog. 

Series 8

1. Series 4
2. Series 8
3. Series 7
4. Series 2
5. Series 1
6. Series 3
7. Series 5
8. Series 6

Series 9

1. Series 4 = 7.94
2. Series 2 = 7.45
3. Series 1 = 7.40
4. Series 9 = 7.13
5. Series 8 = 7.00
6. Series 7 = 6.94
7. Series 3 = 6.90
8. Series 5 = 6.90
9. Series 6 = 6.58

Series 10

1. Series 4 = 7.87 (down 0.07)
2. Series 2 = 7.55 (up 0.10)
3. Series 1 = 7.50 (up 0.10)
4. Series 3 = 7.20 (up 0.30)
5. Series 10 = 7.18 (NEW) 
6. Series 5 = 7.10 (up 0.20) 
7. Series 9 = 7.00 (down 0.13)
8. Series 7 = 6.76 (down 0.18)
9. Series 6 = 6.75 (up 0.18)
10. Series 8 = 6.73 (down 0.27)

Series 11

1. Series 4 = 7.87 (-)
2. Series 2 = 7.64 (up 0.09)
3. Series 1 = 7.40 (down 0.10)
4. Series 3 = 7.20 (-)
5. Series 10 = 7.00 (down 0.18)
6. Series 5 = 7.00 (down 0.10)
7. Series 8 = 6.81 (up 0.08)
8. Series 9 = 6.80 (down 0.20)
9. Series 7 = 6.76 (-)
10. Series 6 = 6.75 (-)
11. Series 11 = 6.27 (NEW)

Series 12

1. Series 4 = 7.87 (-)
2. Series 2 = 7.64 (-)
3. Series 1 = 7.40 (-)
4. Series 3 = 7.20 (-)
5. Series 5 = 7.10 (up 0.10)
6. Series 10 = 7.00 (-)
7. Series 8 = 6.82 (up 0.01)
8. Series 9 = 6.80 (-)
9. Series 7 = 6.65 (down 0.11)
10. Series 6 = 6.58 (down 0.17)
11. Series 12 = 6.25 (NEW)
12. Series 11 = 5.73 (down 0.56)

Series 13

1. Series 4 = 7.93 (+0.06)

2. Series 2 = 7.64 (-)

3. Series 1 = 7.50 (+0.1)

4. Series 3 = 7.20 (-)

5. Series 5 = 7.10 (-)

6. Series 10 = 6.92 (-0.08)

7. Series 9 = 6.90 (+0.1)

8. Series 8 = 6.82 (-)

9. Series 6 = 6.67 (+0.09)

10. Series 7 = 6.65 (-)

11. Series 13 = 6.25 (NEW)

12. Series 12 = 5.67 (-0.58)

13. Series 11 = 5.64 (-0.09)

So as you can see, RTD1 dominated the entirety of the top part of my rankings when series 13 concluded. Moffat's entire six series follow before then Chibnall's three. 

NEW RANKING POST SERIES 14:

Series 4 = 8.13 (+0.2)

Series 2 = 7.64 (-)

Series 1 = 7.50 (-)

Series 3 = 7.40 (+0.2)

Series 14 = 7.27 (NEW)

Series 5 = 7.10 (-)

Series 9 = 7.00 (+0.1)

Series 10 = 6.92 (-)

Series 8 = 6.82 (-)

Series 6 = 6.67 (-)

Series 7 = 6.59 (-0.06)

Series 13 = 5.75 (-0.5)

Series 12 = 5.67 (-)

Series 11 = 5.45 (-0.19)

Before we discuss Series 14 I want to address the changes from other series. Firstly, no other series have moved positions, though averages have changed. Going up is Series 4, 3 and 9. For the first two, this is because I have reviewed how many 10s I have given. Previously this was one 10, which I had given to Series 7's Day of the Doctor. I have now upped my tens so Series 4 has three (Midnight, Turn Left and Waters of Mars) and Series 3 has one (Blink). Series 9 has also gone up. This is because after my Christmas rewatch of the Husbands of River Song, I thought that that episode deserved an increase. Series 4 now enters the above '8' range in average, the only series to be in that category. 

Going the other way, is Series 7, 13 and 11. Series 7 goes down slightly due to me lowering my score for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship from a 7 to 6. Series 11, my least favourite series has also declined as I have lowed Rosa's score from a 7 to a 6 and the Battle of Ranksoor Av Kalos to a 4 from a 5. The largest decrease however comes with Series 13. This is expected and often happens when I review the next series. Series 13 suffered from recent episode syndrome where I am more positive to what has just aired. This is why it it has decreased substantionally. This is because I have lowered the Power of the Doctor from an 8 to a 7 and the Legend of the Sea Devils from a 5 to a 4. This downgrade is not as substantional as the final Capaldi series but in line, if not actually less than the other Whitaker series. Series 13 does however remain my favourite Chibnall series, though far below the weakest Moffat series. Series 7 has fallen dramatically since my first ranking after series 8 where it came third. Of those same 8 series, it is now last. Perhaps the 50th nostalgia kept it in an initial high place.

Now let's have a look at series 14. I was intrigued with RTD's return to see how well he would do. I was hoping his series could beat some of his previous work. Alas, this is not the case. Interestingly however my showrunners remain separated by showrunners, and the series falls in behind RTD's other series but ahead of Moffat's strongest, Series 5. Had I not updated Series 3, Series 14 would have beaten it, but alas it has not. 7.27 is a decent score and falls in the 7-8 range, which is good. I suspect it will fall victim of recent episode syndrome and when I update the rankings next year after series 15, it may not fare so well. I always include the specials with their accompanying series, and have done here. However, if you remove the Tennant specials, the series gets a '7' which would actually make it lower than Moffat's series 5 and joint with series 9. 

I hope Series 15 overall is an improvement and we see it beating some of RTD's older series.