Doctor Who season 4, David Tennant's last, voted best of all time in huge poll

Each participant was allowed to vote for three different seasons, and more than half of them opted for season 4 as one of their choices – with the winner attracting 5,042 votes in total.

Season 5, which saw Matt Smith take over from David Tennant in the TARDIS, came in second place with 12 per cent, while the very first season of the revival era – with Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord – rounded out the top 3 with 11 per cent.

The only other season to score double figures was season 2 – Tennant's first – which managed 10 per cent of the vote, while the fifth spot was taken by Peter Capaldi's final run, season 10.

More recent seasons did not fare so well with voters – with Jodie Whittaker's three runs as the Doctor scoring just 1 per cent, 2 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.

Season 4 has long been considered something of the Gold standard of the modern era of Who, with the final doubleheader – The Stolen Earth and Journey's End – held in especially high regard by fans.

Those episodes saw various characters from Russell T Davies' first stint as showrunner – including Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, Sarah Jane Smith, and Donna Noble – all unite for an epic crossover as they battled against the Daleks.

Read more about Doctor Who:

• Jodie Whittaker says "rage" over Doctor Who casting was "terrifying"
• Doctor Who "would not exist" outside of the BBC, says Chris Chibnall
• Billie Piper: 'I'll treasure my time on Doctor Who for rest of my life'
• Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker says Ncuti Gatwa will be "extraordinary"
• Doctor Who showrunner promises "very different" regeneration scene

Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor will air at 7:30pm on Sunday, 23rd October on BBC One. The series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.