So I finally did it! I completed all of the original run of Classic Doctor Who... a little over a week ago. (I've been busy). I still have a few more things to cover, but it feels really cool finishing something I started way back in 2017, when the then-upcoming Twice Upon a Time motivated me to watch all of the First Doctor's run. Now with the Thirteenth Doctor's Timeless Child arc seemingly coming to a head with this new season, it feels fitting that I now have all the (aired) pieces of the Cartmel Masterplan from the Seventh Doctor era under my belt.

Also, I'm really happy that the show went out on such a high note. While I've enjoyed the latter years of Classic Who, all the seasons past The Five Doctors have felt decidedly mixed in a way that felt weird as a norm (though thankfully each season still had at least one story that felt like a standout). Season 26, while perhaps a bit over-plotted, feels well realized, and I appreciated the attention given to the characters of the Doctor and Ace along the way. Like, I love a good bit of lore, but I personally believe Doctor Who is at its best when its truly invested in its characters. I'm really looking forward to cracking open my Bluray set for this one and exploring some of the special features.

Like the previous twenty-five seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season was a bit tricky to rank since I think all these stories have very similar strengths and weaknesses.

( There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do! )