Ranking Mark Gatiss Episodes

Television
21

Victory of the Daleks is very much a game of two halves. The first part in the bunker is brilliant but it all falls apart once the Doctor goes up to the Dalek ship (and I’ve alway quite liked the colourful Daleks - they’re not the problem).

5 Likes
22

Robot of Sherwood could have been a superb episode but was neutered before it aired because of real world events robbing it (ha!) of what should have been a pretty good climax.

4 Likes
23

I got spoiled on it when the first few episodes leaked from that series. That was also the time I pulled back from following TV who closely.

1 Like
24

Looking at my TARDIS Guide ratings, I seem to rate them all between 3 and 4 starts, with The Crimson Horror being at the top of the pile.

4 Likes
25
  1. sleep no more (9.5/10)
  2. the crimson horror (9/10)
  3. empress of mars (9/10)
  4. robot of sherwood (9/10)
  5. night terrors (8.5/10)
  6. cold war (8/10)
  7. victory of the daleks (6.5/10)
  8. the idiot’s lantern (4.5/10)
  9. the unquiet dead (3/10)
4 Likes
26
  1. Nightshade
  2. Night Terrors
  3. The Unquiet Dead
  4. Robot of Sherwood
  5. Cold War
  6. The Idiot’s Lantern
  7. Empress of Mars
  8. Victory of the Daleks
  9. Sleep No More
  10. The Crimson Horror

Although it’s not an episode, I just wanted to include the book Nightshade since it is miles better than anything Gatiss wrote for TV. As of writing this post, it’s the best Doctor Who book I’ve read.

4 Likes
27
  1. The Unquiet Dead
  2. Night Terrors
  3. Cold War
  4. Empress of Mars
  5. Robot of Sherwood
  6. Sleep no more
  7. The Crimson Horror
  8. The Idiots Lantern
  9. Victory of the Daleks
    Gatiss televised Output is the definition of “Ehhh fine” to me. None of his Episodes is on a level like some of some other recurring writers worst, and yet I don’t find much enjoyment out of any. Unquiet Dead is hold by strong performances and a few cool ideas. And Ideas is a pretty good word, I feel like all the Gatiss Script have solid Ideas, but most of them just kinda end up being very okay. Seriously, most of the higher ranked one are more there because of great Performances, great directing and what not. Sleep no more is ambitious but far away from being truly great in my eyes, it’s decent but pretty much in the middle mainly for some cool ideas, overall it’s just kinda there. The ones that ranked down curiously enough have some amazing aspects, but that’s it. And Victory just kinda is there, I feel like this one is low ranked for how forgettable it is for me.
    But yes as @BillFiler perfectly put An Adventure in Space and Time is easily the best Doctor Who Gatiss has written. Makes me wonder if he would work better with more time (I mean sort of? Invaders of Mars is charming but basically an okay episode in that series and his 5 audio is just very standard)
8 Likes
28

It’s not a television story (I really love Gatiss in general but will agree with the general sentiment that his television offerings are sort of meh - I don’t think he can flex as much of the grotesque and nasty that he clearly loves to write with in Doctor Who so a lot of his stuff doesn’t quite come off) but I really love Phantasmagoria.

4 Likes
29
  1. The Crimson Horror
  2. The Idiot’s Lantern
  3. Empress of Mars
  4. The Unquiet Dead
  5. Cold War
  6. Robot of Sherwood
  7. Night Terrors
  8. Victory of the Daleks
  9. Sleep No More