7 Best Two-Part Stories in Modern Doctor Who

Some of the most memorable episodes in the modern era of Doctor Who have explored such massive stories that they needed to be told over two parts. Showrunner Russell T. Davies revived Doctor Who in 2005 after a 16-year hiatus, and renewed the series with a fresh dose of energy, revitalizing it for the modern age. While most of Doctor Who’s classic stories were told over several-episode-long serials, the revival series explored tighter adventures in single episodes. Some of the Doctor’s escapades still need more than one episode, however, and the show’s two-parters have become a staple.

Some honorable mentions must be given to the likes of “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways,” “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit,” “The Pandorica Opens” and “The Big Bang,” “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven,” and, of course, “The End of Time — Parts One and Two.” However, there are some two-part Doctor Who stories that blow these out the water. There have been seven main Doctors featured in the series since Doctor Who returned in 2005, and each of them have embarked on some fantastic adventures, but these seven stories are some of the best.

7) “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances” (Season 1)

Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were the perfect figures to bring Doctor Who back in 2005, and the revival series’ first season included some of the most clever, complex, and interesting stories in the show’s entire history. This included “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances,” which saw the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler go toe-to-toe with people infected by transformative nanogenes that have turned them into gas mask-wearing zombies. The question, “Are you my mummy?,” exists in our minds rent-free even 20 years later, and this two-parter also introduced John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, and showed both the Doctor’s light and dark sides.

6) “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” (Season 3)

Doctor Who season 3 saw the David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones embark on some game-changing stories. While the Dalek-centric two-parter earlier on was fantastic, and the three-part finale changed the series’ status quo forever, “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” had a huge amount of heart and soul, emotional depth, and heart-wrenching moments, making it one of the series’ most poignant stories. The Doctor disguised himself as the human John Smith in this story, hiding from the Family, and it was beautiful to see his romance with Jessica Hynes’ Joan Redfern develop — which turned all the more tragic when he needed to turn back.

5) “The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone” (Season 5)

Matt Smith had huge shoes to fill when taking over as the Eleventh Doctor, but he did excellently, and episodes such as “The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone” prove how perfect he was to replace Tennant. Similarly to many of Tennant’s episodes, this two-parter gave Smith the chance to show his Doctor’s light and dark sides, with brilliant moments of character development, dramatic tension, and a terrifying enemy in the regenerating Weeping Angels. This two-parter also developed the mythology and mystery surrounding Alex Kingston’s River Song, while putting new companion Amy Pond’s (Karen Gillan) life on the line in an incredibly clever way. Good job from showrunner Steven Moffat.

4) “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday” (Season 2)

The Doctor and Rose Tyler’s time together came to a heart-breaking end in Doctor Who season 2’s “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday.” At first fighting the Cybermen, and then trapped in the middle of a battle between them and the Daleks, the Doctor and Rose realize the only way to save the world is to send them all to the Void, but Rose also risks being sent to the dead space. Her father’s alternate universe counterpart saves her at the last second, thankfully, but she ends up trapped on the parallel world from “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel,” unable to travel with the Doctor again. This was a hugely emotional farewell, and will be remembered as one of Doctor Who’s most powerful stories ever.

3) “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls” (Season 10)

Speaking of heart-breaking Doctor Who stories, season 10’s “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls” marked the tragic ending for fantastic companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie). Bill, shockingly, was transformed into a classic iteration of a Cyberman during the species’ genesis on their generation ship coming from the doomed planet, Mondas. This two-parter’s time disparity narrative, reintroduction of John Simm’s Master alongside Michelle Gomez’s iteration, and game-changing story for Bill — who had become a fan-favorite fixture — makes it one of the most unexpected and surprising Doctor Who stories ever. Bill was saved in the subsequent Christmas special, Peter Capaldi’s final story as the Twelfth Doctor, but this double-bill (pun intended) was still harrowing for the companion.

2) “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End” (Season 4)

Doctor Who just can’t seem to escape bidding farewell to some of its best companions in remarkable two-part stories. Season 4’s “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End” pitted the Doctor and some of his most iconic companions — including Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, the returned Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness, the late Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, and more — against Davros (Julian Bleach) and the Daleks, who want to eradicate all of reality. This story elevated Donna into the DoctorDonna, a human with a Time Lord consciousness, but she couldn’t handle this change. The Doctor was forced to wipe her memory of their time together to save her, culminating in one of the series’ most emotional moments as the Doctor said goodbye to Donna’s grandfather (the late Bernard Cribbins).

Thankfully, David Tennant’s more recent return as the Fourteenth Doctor to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary in 2023 gave Donna closure. She remembered her entire time with the Doctor, but used leftover Time Lord energy to simply regenerate away any danger. Donna is safe and presumably working for UNIT, while the Fourteenth Doctor’s bi-generation into Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor allows him to stay on Earth with his best friend — the perfect ending for both Doctor Who stars.

1) “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” (Season 4)

On the topic of the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, the season 4 two-parter “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” will go down in history as one of Doctor Who’s strongest stories in the show’s entire history. The Doctor and Donna traveled to the planet-sized Library, where they met River Song for the first time — not the first time for her — and battled the terrifying, flesh-eating Vashta Nerada, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “saved” library residents. Written by Steven Moffat, “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” highlighted the Doctor and Donna’s bond, established key mysteries for the series’ future, introduced a haunting new villain, and explored a time-twisting and universe-hopping narrative that was interesting, complex, and captivating. This two-parter is surely one of Doctor Who’s best.

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