Best Classic Who finale

Following Maxil’s ‘best season opener’ poll, I thought I’d do a follow up for the best finale. I’m veering either towards The War Games or Inferno, myself, though there are many great ones to pick.

And is the finale of season 20 The Five Doctors or The King’s Demons? Fuck it- I’m counting The Five Doctors.

Survival followed closely by War Machines and Evil. I really like Greatest Show as well although I believe that originally wasn't going to be the final story of that season.

I like most of the finales, to be honest. Greatest Show was originally the second story of season 25, wasn’t it?

I believe so. I know that it was supposed to take place before Nemesis because Ace is wearing Flowerchild's earring in that.

Wasn’t the story order changed in order to have Silver Nemesis go out on the 25th anniversary? Or is that a load of bollocks?

John wanted Part One of Nemesis to go out on the 23rd of November, but there was a four-week delay to the start of the season which meant that Greatest Show went out after rather than before Nemesis so that part one could still be broadcast on the anniversary date.

Ah- thanks for the clarification!

Tough choice between Revelation of the Daleks, Seeds of Doom, Inferno and Evil of the Daleks.

But I think it's got to be Inferno in the end.

I’m still undecided as to what to vote for...

I’ll go for The War Games.

There is loads of good stuff here.

Seeds of Doom. Really well written with some marvellous performances - especially Tony Beckley (Chase), John Challis (Scorby) and Mark Jones (Keeler). Okay the rubber Krynoid tentacles in episodes 5 & 6 look a bit ... errr ... rubbery, but otherwise its an excellent story. And it even gives viewers step by step instructions on how to make a molotov cocktail, beating YOUTUBE to it by some 30 years. Couldn't ask for more.

If it weren't for Jenny Tomasin's and Alexei Sayles' god-awful performances in it i would have nominated Revelation of the Daleks. Jenny should have been locked in a cupboard at RADA and never been let out while Sayle's constant mood shattering interruptions in the story's narrative piss me off no end. Whose fault were they? Eric's - surely not as he is a literary colussus; Graeme Harper - surely not he is the Prince of Classic Who Directors second only to Douglas Camfield? JNT - Yep. What a twat. What with his penchant for recruiting "big names" to be in the show however inappropriate their casting may be. Beryl Reid anybody????

I cant really comment on most of the B&W ones as i don't remember the tv broadcasts of most of them.

There's a lot of classic serials that I wish had been the finales of their respective seasons, but I'll go with Five Doctors as it tied up loads of loose ends in addition to celebrating the history of the programme, it's very easy to see why some consider it Classic Who's definitive send-off despite a few years left in it. Kind of like how I am with "Who Shot Mr. Burns" and/or "Homer's Enemy"  being good enough to call the final episodes of The Simpsons.

Bubbling under would be Inferno, Ultimate Foe (yes, even the second part), War Games, Greatest Show, and Survival

If I can cheat and count Big Finish, The Brink of Death.

Zarius wrote:There's a lot of classic serials that I wish had been the finales of their respective seasons, but I'll go with Five Doctors as it tied up loads of loose ends in addition to celebrating the history of the programme, it's very easy to see why some consider it Classic Who's definitive send-off despite a few years left in it.

To be honest it wouldn't have been a bad finishing note for Classic Who.

Again, a lot of really strong ones. Talons, I guess.