Doctor Who Era Episode Count Comparison (1963 to Now)
Compare televised episode counts for all 15 Doctors, from Hartnell at 134 to Gatwa at 18. Interactive converter with BBC episode guide sources inside.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Doctor 29 stories. Many episodes are missing from the archive. | 134 episodes | William Hartnell, 1963 to 1966 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, First Doctor index |
| Second Doctor 21 stories. Some lists vary; BBC guide count used. | 119 episodes | Patrick Troughton, 1966 to 1969 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Second Doctor index |
| Third Doctor 24 stories, all in color. | 128 episodes | Jon Pertwee, 1970 to 1974 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Third Doctor index |
| Fourth Doctor Highest count of any Doctor. 41 stories. | 172 episodes | Tom Baker, 1974 to 1981 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Fourth Doctor index |
| Fifth Doctor 20 stories across three seasons. | 69 episodes | Peter Davison, 1982 to 1984 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Fifth Doctor index |
| Sixth Doctor 8 stories. Shortest classic tenure. | 31 episodes | Colin Baker, 1984 to 1986 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Sixth Doctor index |
| Seventh Doctor 12 stories before the 1989 hiatus. | 42 episodes | Sylvester McCoy, 1987 to 1989 | BBC Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide, Seventh Doctor index |
| Eighth Doctor TV count only. Audio plays excluded. | 1 episodes | Paul McGann, 1996 TV movie | BBC Doctor Who TV movie listing (1996) |
| Ninth Doctor Single 13 episode series. | 13 episodes | Christopher Eccleston, 2005 series 1 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 1 (2005) |
| Tenth Doctor Three series plus specials. | 47 episodes | David Tennant, 2005 to 2010 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 2 to 4 and specials |
| Eleventh Doctor Three series plus specials. | 44 episodes | Matt Smith, 2010 to 2013 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 5 to 7 and specials |
| Twelfth Doctor Three series plus specials. | 40 episodes | Peter Capaldi, 2014 to 2017 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 8 to 10 and specials |
| Thirteenth Doctor 24 stories, 31 episodes. Cameos excluded. | 31 episodes | Jodie Whittaker, 2018 to 2022 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 11 to 13 and 2022 specials |
| Fourteenth Doctor Three specials only. | 3 episodes | David Tennant, 2023 60th anniversary specials | BBC Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials listing (2023) |
| Fifteenth Doctor 16 stories, 18 episodes across two series plus specials. | 18 episodes | Ncuti Gatwa, 2023 to 2025 | BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 14 to 15 and specials |
About this converter
The Fourth Doctor leads with 172 televised episodes across seven seasons. The First Doctor follows with 134, then the Third with 128 and the Second with 119. Classic series counts run high because seasons aired almost year round. Revived era counts are smaller: the Ninth has 13, the Tenth 47, the Eleventh 44, the Twelfth 40, the Thirteenth 31, the Fourteenth 3 specials, and the Fifteenth 18. The Eighth Doctor has 1 TV movie. Audio plays are excluded, so these are TV episodes only.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Fourth Doctor against 1 Fifteenth Doctor to see the gap between the longest and shortest full TV tenures. Amounts here mean episodes, so whole numbers work best.
Ninety seven episodes from the 1960s are missing from the BBC archive, but they still count in these totals. Second Doctor totals vary between fan lists, and this page uses 119 broadcast episodes per the BBC episode guide. The 1996 TV movie counts once for the Eighth Doctor. Cameo appearances are excluded: only episodes with the actor as the credited lead count. The Thirteenth Doctor counts 31 lead episodes across three series and the 2022 specials.
FAQ
Which Doctor has the most episodes?
Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor, with 172 episodes from 1974 to 1981.
Which Doctor has the fewest episodes?
The Eighth Doctor, with 1 TV movie in 1996. The Fourteenth has 3 specials but is a full era lead.
Do missing episodes count in these totals?
Yes. 97 episodes from the 1960s no longer exist in the archive, but they still count toward each Doctor total.
Are audio plays included?
No. Only televised episodes with the actor as the credited lead count. Big Finish audios and cameos are excluded.
Sources
- BBC Doctor Who Classic Series Episode Guide (bbc.co.uk/doctorwho)
- BBC Doctor Who Episode Guide, Series 1 to 15 and specials
- BBC 60th anniversary specials listing (2023)
- List of Doctor Who episodes, broadcast tables (citing BBC)
Last verified: 2026-10-03 · 15 entries
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