Doctor Who: Overrated Episodes | Review of Death Podcast #47 

I love Tomb of the Cybermen because it reminds me of one of the many aspects I love about Doctor Who. The random turning up of the Doctor in a scenario that could have gone differently if they didn't. For example, tomb of the cybermen begins feeling like a 50s sci-fi/horror b movie and all of the sudden the Doctor turns up. It invigorates the imagination to think other examples like it. I.e. imagine if the Tardis materialised on the Ishimura (Dead Space), how would the Doctor's intervention change that scenario. Tomb of the Cybermen just reminds me of that concept. And I often find that the great Doctor Who stories could have operated on their own as stories/scenarios playing out, but the intervention of the Doctor adds a new layer to it.

Loved this pod! Bit random but this is just a suggestion but I’d love to see you two do the 100 episodes tag that went round a few years ago. The idea is you have to decide what 100 episodes from the bbc archives of doctor who you get to save and all the others are completely wiped forever! You can pick any episode like just An Unearthly Child part 1 but not rest of the story, and all of genesis would be worth 6 episodes, but rose would just be worth one. Anyway don’t think you will but just a suggestion if you run out of ideas 😂😂😂

"Series 1 Dr. Who, casting all the wrong people!" That's why Eccleston left.

Thatchers Gold should be a new T-shirt design at this point

It’s crazy the things we say 10 years ago that can make ya go 🤦‍♂️ WTH was I sayin😝 I’ve done it myself with a lot of (new who) eps that I now see in a different light. Tell ya’s what’s really overrated The 10th Doctor era for me I struggle to find a story I wanna sit down and watch but everyone praises him as the best doctor ever ….. I’m just trying to think is there any story I like from that period 😮 I’m more entertained watching Ghostlight and nobody knows what’s happening in that but it’s bloomin grrr8 😂. All the best to ya in New Zealand 🇳🇿 Billy . Don’t go 2 far away will you & if you do come back and see us sometimes 🙂🙂🙂 classic line 😉

Interesting to hear a different perspective on Logopolis. I personally have always loved it for its ambiguous technicality and looming ominousness. Doctor who at it its best. Almost Lynchian in the way the Doctor is led through a minefield of mathematical horror to the ultimate conclusion of the moment for which has already been prepared for.

If you're doing an UNDERRATED list in future mine would definitely be Edge of Destruction (claustrophobic, minimalist and massive character development), Robot (Tom is on fire in his first story but it never gets talked about much), The Android Invasion (such a batshit crazy plot and I love it), The Happiness Patrol (a really unique concept with a strong message at the end), The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (SUCH a creative premise and, like the weeping angels, the circus setup could have made a brilliant horror movie franchise), The Christmas Invasion (I actually find that the Doctor's absence raises the tension and the Sycorax are terrifying), Cold War (essentially a 60s base under siege story but done with modern production value), Dark Water (not so much the story itself but the idea of the dead feeling pain was possibly the darkest and bravest Doctor Who ever went).

Oh, definitely Pyramids of Mars and Curse of Peladon. Only kidding guys ;).

My overrated episodes are: The End of Time Asylum of the Daleks School Reunion Mawdryn Undead Dragonfire Army of Ghosts/Doomsday The Evil of the Daleks Most of these stories I do like and only the top two I really dislike.

I'd say that "Ambassadors of Death" is more overlooked than overrated. It's always struck me as the least talked-about story in Season 7.

Earthshock is tough. I think it's definitely a classic, and easily top 5 of the Fifth Doctor era, but I also do think it's a bit overrated. It drags a bit in the middle, like some of even the best Who does, but considering how high it sits in the Doctor Who pantheon, it could probably sit a peg or two lower more comfortably for me.

They did show Rosa in my school, so you weren’t wrong Billy!

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone give that opinion on The Web of fear. Personally think it’s fantastic.

Personally, 1.) Genesis of the Daleks, 2.) Pyramids of Mars, 3.) Spearhead from Space, 4.) The Daleks' Masterplan

Do a shot when watching ROD, every time you hear the phrase 'Recency Bias' joking really LOVE watching these it's like have a chat with friends:D

Thank you for mentioning Blink! Always comes up when I'm chatting about this topic w friends.

My answer to this question is Invisible Enemy. Not because most people think it's good, but because I think it's so bad and should be discussed in the same breath as Twin Dilemma and Timelash.

This episode and podcast magically appeared on my recommended list so I gave it a watch. This is the first time I've watched a Dr Who podcast where the presenters were NOT bespectacled charisma-vacuums or Urbankans-in-stretched-out-T-shirts, monotonously droning on about their unsubstantiated biases towards this sexagenarian television series. The conversation is not self-indulgent (although I was curious about what was refrained from mentioning in regards to the Robots of Death), super engaging and downright fun. Whilst incredibly passionate about the material, at no point do I ever feel you're taking yourselves - or this wonderful, delightful series - overly seriously. There's a degree of self awareness that does not verge into the kind of self deprecation common with Who-related presenters that's clearly a wafer-thin envelope masking layers of trauma-induced low self esteem. Your back-and-forth is very relatable to the kind of light hearted fun that me and my friends would have. This, my dear friends, is one more subscribed button PRESSED! PS. Totally agree about Rosa (I liked it, but probably won't rewatch it), disagree about the Mind Robber (I enjoy all the literary puzzles and references), but my most passionate reaction was feeling a thousand times validated about The Ambassadors (***twaaaang!!***) of Death! It's DREADFUL. It suffers from the same problem The Seeds of Death does: multiple writers taking over from the previous one, trying to remember what the previous episode was on about, so they end up repeating themselves. Plus the run-away-lock-them-up padding. Dudder's UNIT theme, however, is wonderful.

I agree with most of your picks here! I'd say that Turn Left is more underrated than overrated. Deffo agree about Blink. It is a masterpiece indeed but in terms of Doctor Who as a whole, it is very overrated!

The Stolen Earth is an almost-perfect depiction of a full-scale Dalek invasion, it does a good job of making the Daleks intimidating, and the scene with the transmission in particular is fantastic, due primarily to Elizabeth Sladen. The CGI effects are decent and it's great to see Daleks wiping out UNIT, the Valiant, and basically every other defence Earth has to offer. Journey's End is an embarrassing mess that basically killed the Daleks as a threat for the next ten years. The contrived resolution of Donna somehow engineering the controls in the Daleks' dungeon to make them spin around is truly awful, there's no other way of putting it really. It really is a case of the Daleks going from a thrilling high to an all-time low

Billy's haircut looks great...sharp.

My list of Overrated Genesis of the Daleks, Blink, City of Death, Caves of Androzani, Listen, Sea Devils, tomb of the cybermen

45:00 Please tell me the two of you were thinking of that one guy who goes "SHUT UP!" and tosses Tom's jelly babies across the room.

Overrated - every NuWho story 🤣. The funny thing is I can rewatch Classic Who over and over but however, with NuWho I never rewatched an episode post it being originally aired 😂. But I do agree that some classic Who are overrated for me City of Death - everyone rates it. For me it irritated me with all the slapstick comedy, I had always enjoyed the more darker 4th Doctor stories. Another is Daleks Masterplan or Marco Polo - so many hold these up in high regards but if they get found or animated I got a feeling many will be bored stiff by them. For example many held The Abominable Snowmen up in high regards then it was released and many reviewers found it a bit slow and uninspiring - I actually loved it 👍.

Recommend watching 'Turn Left' again, very strong ep with lots of references 👌

Strong agree for Mind Robber, I really want to live it but it just does nothing for me, it feels very flat for a story that is so creative and interesting on paper As a fan who likes Day if the Doctor and doesn't get out much, however, I can't help but feel called out.

The Doctor's Waifu. Before this episode I had no idea who Neil Gaiman was, so I had no real pre-built in hype going into it. And after watching the episode I still don't get the fuss about him. Frankly I'm not fond of the idea of the Tardis having a 'romantic' attachment to the Doctor. Additionally his Cyberman story was rubbish.

I keep trying to decide if City of Death is pure fun genius… or an amusing soundtrack to Tom & Lalla’s holiday snaps, and therefore overrated.

Hey guys. I'm new to Doctor who and having watched a few classic who episodes I'm going to start watching properly. Any suggestions where to start?

Review of. Death podcast 47. Doctor. Who. Overrated. Episodes

Turn Left is amazing. When critics of Dr Who say it's got too political lately, I always bring up Turn Left. The politics of that episode is literally in the title: turn left or you're going to get fascists again. Considering it was made under a Labour government, it has become quite prophetic.

Y'all are like the Rhett and Link of Doctor Who Podcasts.

*inhale* Heaven sent *exhale*

"It seemed every 80s story after 'Earthshock' tried to be 'Earthshock'..." Names one story ('Resurrection of the Daleks' which is hilariously by the same writer) and then realises no other story at all tried to be like 'Earthshock' and that he is chatting utter shit.

Cool 😎👍💙🤔🤩👌⭐️💚