Top 20 Episodes of Doctor Who #20: Frontier in Space

We kick off our countdown with one of the most beloved Doctors of the old series, the third Doctor Jon Pertwee. At the start of Pertwee's era, there was a drastic shift in the show's format. While William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton could often be thought of as fatherly figures to their respective companions, Pertwee came off as more of an action-hero type. He was a skilled martial artist and utilized his advanced technical knowledge to aid the people of Earth in a manner reminiscent of James Bond. It was also in this era that we were introduced to another significant figure in the world of Doctor Who, The Master. The Master (and for the record, I am well aware that it's "Missy" now that the master has regenerated into a female body, but just to avoid confusion, when referring to a male incarnation of the master, I will be using the Male version of the character's name as well as male pronouns) is a time lord renegade much like the Doctor, only, while the Doctor is altruistic and heroic, the master is ambitious and malevolent. Put simply, the Master is the Doctor's equal and his opposite. The man who originated the role of the Master was the incredibly talented Roger Delgado, and tragically, this episode would be the final time he would take up the role.

The Doctor and his companion, Jo Grant, land on a space ship in the distant future where Earth is on the brink of all out war with a race of aliens known as the Draconians, and the Master is hoping to escalate that conflict for his own personal gain. To that end, the Master has recruited a brutal race known as the Ogrons and takes the Doctor prisoner, only allowing him to live because he claims that his employers would prefer he be kept alive. I won't spoil who his employers are here, but the reveal is one of my favorite moments of the Pertwee era.

This is a great episode. It has a great story, great performances, and an awesome cliffhanger ending, but that is not the main reason why it’s on this list. The reason this episode is spotlighted here is because it is the final performance of Roger Delgado as The Master prior to his tragic death in a car accident in 1973. Roger Delgado was the original Master and since then has served as the gold standard that all other actors who have taken up the role have aspired to. He and Jon Pertwee had excellent chemistry with one another and it is on display in full force in this episode. If you want to see a fine piece of Doctor Who with Roger Delgado at his best, this one is for you.

Next time, we jump ahead to the new series with a two parter that introduced a terrifying foe as well as a much beloved character. I'd tell you who, but that would be... spoilers.