document_title: Doctor Who (series 1)

question_text: how many episodes in the first season of doctor who

text: Doctor Who (series 1)

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Unlike the classic era of the series that ended in 1989, the plan with the new series was to have each episode as a standalone story, with no "serials".[1] Of the thirteen episodes in the series, seven of them followed this format; the remaining six were grouped together into three two-part stories.[2] Also, for the first time since The Gunfighters in the third season, each episode was given an individual title, which was the case with the standalone and two-part stories.[3]

text:
Story
Episode
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Prod.
code
UK viewers
(millions) [4]
AI [4]

157
1
"Rose"
Keith Boak
Russell T Davies
26 March 2005 (2005-03-26)
1.1
10.81
81

In the basement of the shop where Rose Tyler works, plastic mannequins begin to attack her. A mysterious man known as the Doctor rescues her and they flee the building, which he blows up. The next day, Rose and her boyfriend, Mickey Smith visit a man named Clive who runs a conspiracy theory website, concerning a man fitting the Doctor's description, who has appeared throughout history. While Rose is talking to Clive, Mickey is kidnapped and replaced by a plastic duplicate. Rose meets the Doctor again, where he reveals Mickey to be an Auton, and he and Rose locate the Nestene Consciousness which controls the Autons at the London Eye. At this point, Autons come alive everywhere, mainly mannequins, and start killing other people. Rose saves the Doctor and those that the Autons had been killing, and she decides to travel with the Doctor through time and space in his TARDIS.

158
2
"The End of the World"
Euros Lyn
Russell T Davies
2 April 2005 (2005-04-02)
1.2
7.97
79

The Doctor takes Rose to the year of five billion, where they land on a space station named Platform One, which is orbiting the Earth and observing its destruction by the expanding Sun. Among the elite alien guests assembled to watch the phenomenon is Lady Cassandra, who takes pride in being the last pure human, though she has received many operations that have altered her image. It is discovered that Cassandra, to receive money for her many operations, plans to let the guests die and then profit from the stock increases of their competitors. She releases discreet robotic spiders all over Platform One, and they start interfering with the systems. She departs via teleportation and the spiders bring down the shields, causing harmful direct solar radiation to penetrate the station. The Doctor manages to reactivate the system and save Rose, after which he brings Cassandra back and she ruptures from the intense solar heat.

159
3
"The Unquiet Dead"
Euros Lyn
Mark Gatiss
9 April 2005 (2005-04-09)
1.3
8.86
80

The Doctor and Rose travel back to Cardiff in 1869, where a funeral parlour, run by Gabriel Sneed with his clairvoyant servant girl Gwyneth, contains corpses which have been animated by a mysterious blue vapour. Sneed and Gwyneth kidnap Rose, and the Doctor teams up with Charles Dickens to track her down. In the funeral parlour, the group is reunited and the Doctor determines that the blue vapour is the result of a being trying to cross a rift in the spacetime the parlour is built on. They are revealed to be the Gelth, who animate bodies until they can build their own, and are using Gwyneth as a bridge. As the Gelth respond negatively to gas, Gwyneth volunteers to ignite the gas which will kill all the Gelth, and the Doctor, Rose, and Dickens escape before the parlour is engulfed in flames.

160a
4
"Aliens of London"
Keith Boak
Russell T Davies
16 April 2005 (2005-04-16)
1.4
7.63
81

The Doctor takes Rose back to her home, but they arrive a year after she left. Her mother Jackie is furious with the Doctor, and Mickey has been suspected of murdering Rose. Rose and the Doctor witness a spaceship crash into Big Ben and fall into the River Thames. The Doctor suspects this is a trick and discovers that the ship was launched from Earth, and that the pilot is a pig, modified by alien technology. The Prime Minister cannot be located, and is replaced by Joseph Green, while Margaret Blaine and Oliver Charles, other high-ranking members of the government, are also called. The group is revealed to be Slitheen, an alien family who have compressed themselves into human "suits".

160b
5
"World War Three"
Keith Boak
Russell T Davies
23 April 2005 (2005-04-23)
1.5
7.98
82

The Doctor learns that the Slitheen are not invading Earth, but rather raiding it for commercial gain. The Slitheen claim there is a threat to national security and request that the United Nations release the nuclear activation code, so they can strike down a dangerous ship hovering over London. The Doctor speculates they will fire at other countries, start World War III, and sell the remaining radioactive weapons. The Doctor helps Mickey to fire a non-nuclear missile at 10 Downing Street to destroy the Slitheen gathered there. The Doctor, Rose, and MP Harriet Jones manage to hide in a reinforced cabinet and survive. Meanwhile, the Doctor has earned Jackie's trust and she allows Rose to continue travelling with him.

161
6
"Dalek"
Joe Ahearne
Robert Shearman
30 April 2005 (2005-04-30)
1.6
8.63
84

The TARDIS is drawn off course by a signal and Rose and the Doctor end up near Salt Lake City, Utah in 2012, in an underground bunker owned by Henry van Statten, a rich collector of alien artefacts. The Doctor encounters his one living exhibit, which the Doctor is horrified to discover is a Dalek that survived the Time War; the Dalek is the last survivor of a race of genetically manipulated mutants bound on purging the universe of all non-Dalek life, and the Doctor's greatest enemy. One of van Statten's technicians, Adam Mitchell, leads Rose to the Dalek, but she takes pity on it and touches it, allowing it to absorb her DNA and become active. The Dalek kills many soldiers before catching up with Rose, Adam and the Doctor. Rose becomes trapped with the Dalek, but it spares her life as it has gained sympathy from Rose's DNA and destroys itself. As the Doctor and Rose leave, Adam boards the TARDIS to avoid the closure of van Statten's Vault.

162
7
"The Long Game"
Brian Grant
Russell T Davies
7 May 2005 (2005-05-07)
1.7
8.01
81

The Doctor, Rose, and Adam travel to the year 200,000 and land on the space station Satellite 5, which controls journalism. Ever since the satellite began broadcasting, something has held the human race's attitude and technology back. The Editor invites the Doctor and Rose to the elite Floor 500, where he holds them captive, explaining that he and a creature known as the Jagrafess have made, through Satellite 5, the "Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire" a place where the news has installed fear in the human race, keeping them in a closed society. Meanwhile, Adam has installed a port in his head and is transmitting all the knowledge on Satellite 5 to his parents' answering machine at home. Cathica, another journalist with an info spike linked to Adam's, redirects the heat to Floor 500, allowing Rose and the Doctor to escape, while the Editor and the Jagrafess are destroyed by the heat. The Doctor is furious at Adam and returns him to his house, destroying the answering machine and banishing Adam from the TARDIS.

163
8
"Father's Day"
Joe Ahearne
Paul Cornell
14 May 2005 (2005-05-14)
1.8
8.06
83

Rose asks the Doctor to take her back to the day her father Pete Tyler died in a hit and run accident, but when she saves him, she creates a paradox. Flying creatures known as Reapers appear and attempt to treat the wound in time and space by consuming everyone in it. Everyone hides in a church while the Doctor tries to summon the TARDIS. Jackie accuses Pete of having another daughter, and to prove that Rose is the same as the baby Rose, he puts the baby in the older Rose's arms, causing a bigger paradox, and the Doctor is taken by the Reapers. Pete realises he must die for everything to be repaired, and throws himself in front of the car, which has been appearing and reappearing around the corner of the church, causing the Doctor to return.

164a
9
"The Empty Child"
James Hawes
Steven Moffat
21 May 2005 (2005-05-21)
1.9
7.11
84

Chasing a metal cylinder marked as "dangerous" through the Time Vortex, the Doctor and Rose land in London during The Blitz of World War II. Rose follows a young boy in a gas mask, who repeatedly asks if she is his mother; she climbs a rope which is attached to a barrage balloon that rises into the air. Meanwhile, the Doctor talks with a young woman named Nancy who seems to know about the boy, whom she knows is connected to a bomb-like object which had fallen. Rose is rescued by a Captain Jack Harkness, previously a time agent, now a con man, who interests Rose in buying a valuable warship. Nancy directs the Doctor to a hospital where Dr. Constantine shows him patients with injuries and gas masks identical to the child's, who Nancy claims is her brother, Jamie. Rose and Jack arrive to save the Doctor as Constantine begins to transform like his patients had.

164b
10
"The Doctor Dances"
James Hawes
Steven Moffat
28 May 2005 (2005-05-28)
1.10
6.86
85

Jack explains that he sent the metal object through the time vortex to attract "Time Agents" to this time period, where he would have them pay for the object, but before they could receive it, a bomb would fall on it. Jack claims that it is a perfectly safe and "empty" old medical transport, but the Doctor is suspicious. At the site where the transport is held, the Doctor realises that it once contained nanogenes that are able to heal wounds, and deduces that the nanogenes attempted to heal Jamie, but thought that all humans should have similar injuries and gas masks. Nancy claims it is all her fault as she is actually Jamie's mother, which she admits in front of the child. As they hug, the nanogenes identify Nancy's DNA as being his mother's and reverse Jamie's transformation so that they resemble each other; the rest is done to all the others who had been converted. Jack captures the bomb that would have fallen on the site and the Doctor and Rose rescue him before it explodes, inviting him on the TARDIS.

165
11
"Boom Town"
Joe Ahearne
Russell T Davies
4 June 2005 (2005-06-04)
1.11
7.68
82

The Doctor, Rose, and Jack visit Cardiff to refuel the TARDIS at the rift, and Mickey meets them there. They discover that the Slitheen impersonating Margaret Blaine is now the mayor of Cardiff, and they capture her, suspicious of what she has done. The Doctor sees that she has created a nuclear power plant designed to open the rift and destroy Earth, and a device she would use to flee. Margaret objects to being taken back to her home planet, as she is considered a criminal there. After several failed attempts in killing the Doctor, Margaret requests to be taken to another planet. Jack sees the opportunity to use Margaret's extrapolator to speed up recharging the TARDIS, but this proves to be a trap as it was meant to send the nearest alien power source to the rift. As an earthquake strikes Cardiff, Margaret looks into the heart of the TARDIS, which gives her a second chance at life, restoring her back into an egg.

166a
12
"Bad Wolf"
Joe Ahearne
Russell T Davies
11 June 2005 (2005-06-11)
1.12
6.81
85

The Doctor, Rose, and Jack wake up from amnesia into various reality television and game shows; the Doctor is in a Big Brother-like house, Rose is a contestant on The Weakest Link, where those eliminated are thought to be disintegrated by the Anne Droid, and Jack is on a What Not to Wear-like show where two female robots offer to give contestants a new image. The Doctor and Jack escape from their shows and find they are on Satellite 5, one hundred years later, where it is run by the Badwolf Corporation and known as the Game Station. The Doctor, Jack, and Big Brother contestant Lynda find Rose as she is disintegrated on The Weakest Link, and they travel to Floor 500, where the Controller informs them that the contestants are not disintegrated, but rather transmitted to a point in space. They learn that Rose has arrived on a ship containing Daleks, and the Doctor vows to rescue her and destroy the Daleks, which prompt the fleet of almost half a million Daleks to begin invading Earth.

166b
13
"The Parting of the Ways"
Joe Ahearne
Russell T Davies
18 June 2005 (2005-06-18)
1.13
6.91
89

The Doctor and Jack take the TARDIS to Rose and return her to the Game Station after confronting the Dalek Emperor. The Doctor prepares to destroy the Daleks using a Delta Wave, and tricks Rose into entering the TARDIS; outside the TARDIS, he uses his sonic screwdriver to send her back home to safety. The Daleks invade the Game Station, killing Lynda and Jack among many others. Regaining her composure at home, Rose notices the words "Bad Wolf" around the area, and realises it is a message. With the help of Jackie and Mickey, she pries open the heart of the TARDIS and establishes contact. Empowered by the Time Vortex, Rose returns to the Doctor, where she uses the vortex's power to destroy all the Daleks, resurrect Jack and also making him immortal, and scatter the words "Bad Wolf" throughout time and space to lead herself here. To prevent the power from killing Rose, the Doctor absorbs it by kissing her; she wakes up in the TARDIS just as the time energy is destroying the Doctor's cells, forcing him to regenerate into the Tenth Doctor.

tag: table

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main cast[edit]

text: The production team was tasked with finding a suitable actor for the role of the Doctor. Most notably, they approached film stars Hugh Grant and Rowan Atkinson for the role.[5] By the time Mal Young had suggested actor Christopher Eccleston to Davies, Eccleston was one of only three left in the running for the role: the other two candidates are rumoured in the industry to have been Alan Davies and Bill Nighy.[6] His involvement in the programme was announced on 20 March 2004 following months of speculation.[7] In the April 2004 issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies announced that Eccleston's Doctor would indeed be the Ninth Doctor, relegating Richard E. Grant's Shalka Doctor to non-official status. Russell T Davies revealed that Eccleston asked for the role in an e-mail.[8]

text: After the announcement that the show would be returning, Davies revealed that the new companion would "probably" be called Rose Tyler in an edition of Doctor Who Magazine published in November 2003.[9] This name was confirmed in March 2004, and it was announced at the same time that former pop star Billie Piper was being considered for the role.[10] Piper was announced as portraying Rose Tyler on 24 May,[11][12] a character which fulfilled the role of permanent companion during the series, and was welcomed by fans of the show.[13] Actress Georgia Moffett, daughter of Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison and who would later appear as the title role in the fourth series episode "The Doctor's Daughter", also auditioned for the role.[14] The original conception of Tyler was slightly different. Paul Abbott was scheduled to write an episode for the series which would have revealed that Rose's entire life had been manipulated by the Doctor in order to mould her into an ideal companion. Davies eventually wrote "Boom Town" to replace it when Abbott, after months of development, realised he was too busy to work on the script.[15][16]

text: Wikinews has related news: New Doctor Who quits series, BBC searches for replacement actor

text: The first series was Christopher Eccleston's only series in the role of the Doctor. Eccleston's contract was for a single year because at the time it was uncertain whether the show would continue beyond a single revival series.[17] Eccleston's intent to leave was revealed on 30 March 2005, shortly after the broadcast of the first episode. The BBC released a statement, attributed to Eccleston, saying that he had decided to leave because he feared becoming typecast. On 4 April, the BBC revealed that Eccleston's "statement" was falsely attributed and released without his consent. The BBC admitted that they had broken an agreement made in January not to disclose publicly that he only intended to do one season.[18] In a 2010 interview, Eccleston revealed that he left the show because he "didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that [they], the cast and crew, had to work in", but that he was proud of having played the role.[19][20]

text: Recurring and guest cast[edit]

text: The character of Adam Mitchell was first conceived, along with Henry van Statten, during Davies' pitch to the BBC, in a story heavily based on Robert Shearman's audio play Jubilee called "Return of the Daleks". The production team had always intended for Adam to join the TARDIS after Rose developed a liking for him. To play this role, Bruno Langley was chosen, previously known for his role on Coronation Street as Todd Grimshaw. It was never intended for Adam to be a long-term companion, Davies wanted to show that not everyone is suitable to join the TARDIS crew and dubbed him "The Companion That Couldn't", he "always wanted to do a show with someone who was a rubbish companion".[21]

text: John Barrowman appears as Captain Jack Harkness, a character introduced in "The Empty Child", where he joined the TARDIS crew for the final five episodes of the series. In naming the character, Davies drew inspiration from the Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness.[22] Jack's appearances were conceived with the intention of forming a character arc in which Jack is transformed from a coward to a hero,[23] and Barrowman consciously minded this in his portrayal of the character.[24] Following on that arc, the character's debut episode would leave his morality as ambiguous, publicity materials asking, "is he a force for good or ill?"[25] Barrowman himself was a key factor in the conception of Captain Jack. Barrowman says that at the time of his initial casting, Davies and co-executive producer, Julie Gardner had explained to him that they "basically wrote the character around [John]".[26] On meeting him, Barrowman tried out the character using his native Scottish accent, his normal American accent, and an English accent; Davies decided it "made it bigger if it was an American accent".[27] Barrowman recounts Davies as having been searching for an actor with a "matinée idol [quality]", telling him that "the only one in the whole of Britain who could do it was you".[26]

text: David Tennant had been offered the role of the Doctor when he was watching a pre-transmission copy of Casanova with Davies and Gardner. Tennant initially believed the offer was a joke, but after he realised they were serious, he accepted the role and first appeared in the series finale "The Parting of the Ways".[28] Tennant was announced as Eccleston's replacement on 16 April 2005.[29] Other recurring characters for the series included Camille Coduri as Rose's mother Jackie Tyler,[30] and Noel Clarke as Rose's boyfriend Mickey Smith.[30] Other actors and television presenters who appeared in the series included Mark Benton,[30] Zoë Wanamaker,[31] Simon Callow,[32] Eve Myles,[32] Penelope Wilton,[33] Annette Badland,[33] Matt Baker,[33] Andrew Marr,[33] Corey Johnson,[34] Simon Pegg,[35] Anna Maxwell-Martin,[35] Tamsin Greig,[35] Shaun Dingwall,[36] Florence Hoath,[37] Richard Wilson,[37] Jo Joyner,[38] Davina McCall,[38] Paterson Joseph,[38] Anne Robinson,[38] Trinny Woodall,[38] and Susannah Constantine.[38]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: During the late-90s, Davies, a lifelong Doctor Who fan, lobbied the BBC to revive the show from its hiatus and reached the discussion stages in late 1998 and early 2002.[39] His proposals would update the show to be better suited for a 21st-century audience, including the transition from videotape to film, doubling the length of each episode from twenty-five minutes to fifty, keeping the Doctor primarily on Earth in the style of the Third Doctor UNIT episodes, and removing "excess baggage" such as Gallifrey and the Time Lords.[39] His pitch competed against three others: Dan Freedman's fantasy retelling, Matthew Graham's Gothic-styled pitch, and Mark Gatiss' reboot, which would make the Doctor the audience surrogate character, instead of his companions.[40]

text: In August 2003, the BBC had resolved the issues regarding production rights that had surfaced as a result of the jointly produced Universal Studios–BBC–Fox 1996 Doctor Who film, leading the Controller of BBC One Lorraine Heggessey and Controller of Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter to approach Gardner and Davies to create a revival of the series to air in a primetime slot on Saturday nights, as part of the BBC's plan to devolve production to its regional bases. By mid-September, they accepted the deal to produce the series alongside Casanova.[41]

text:
“
We were told that bringing it back would be impossible, that we would never capture this generation of children. But we did it.
”

— Russell T Davies, 2006 BAFTAs[42]

text: Following Scream of the Shalka, an animated episode which was shown on the Doctor Who website, the 'real' return of Doctor Who was announced on 26 September 2003 in a press release from the BBC.[43]

text: Davies voluntarily wrote a pitch for the series, the first time he had done so; he previously chose to jump straight to writing pilot episodes because he felt that a pitch would "feel like [he's] killing the work".[44] The fifteen-page pitch outlined a Doctor who was "your best friend; someone you want to be with all the time"; the eighteen-year-old Rose Tyler as a "perfect match" for the new Doctor; avoidance of the forty-year back story "except for the good bits"; the retention of the TARDIS, sonic screwdriver, and Daleks; removal of the Time Lords; and also a greater focus on humanity.[44] His pitch was submitted for the first production meeting in December 2003, with a series of thirteen episodes obtained by pressure from BBC Worldwide and a workable budget from Julie Gardner.[44]

text: By early 2004, the show had settled into a regular production cycle. Davies, Gardner, and BBC Controller of Drama Mal Young took posts as executive producers, although Young vacated the role at the end of the series. Phil Collinson, an old colleague from Granada, took the role of producer.[45] Keith Boak, Euros Lyn, Joe Ahearne, Brian Grant and James Hawes directed the series. Davies' official role as head writer and executive producer, or "showrunner", consisted of laying a skeletal plot for the entire series, holding "tone meetings" to correctly identify the tone of an episode, often being described in one word—for example, the "tone word" for Moffat's "The Empty Child" was "romantic"—and overseeing all aspects of production.[45] During early production the word "Torchwood", an anagram of "Doctor Who", was used as a title ruse for the series while filming its first few episodes and on the daily rushes to ensure they were not intercepted.[46] The word "Torchwood" was later seeded in Doctor Who and became the name of the spin-off series Torchwood.[46]

text: Writing[edit]

text: The first series of Doctor Who featured eight scripts by Davies, the remainder being allocated to experienced drama writers and previous writers for the show's ancillary releases:[47] Steven Moffat penned a two-episode story, while Mark Gatiss, Robert Shearman, and Paul Cornell each wrote one script.[47] Davies also approached his old friend Paul Abbott and Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling to write for the series, but both declined due to existing commitments.[47] Shortly after securing writers for the show, Davies stated that he had no intention to approach writers for the old series; the only writer he would have wished to work with was Robert Holmes, who died in May 1986,[47] halfway through writing his contribution to The Trial of a Time Lord.[48]

text: Elwen Rowlands and Helen Raynor served as script editors for the series. They were hired simultaneous, marking the first time Doctor Who had female script editors. Rowlands left after the first series for Life on Mars.[49] Compared to the original series the role of the script editors was significantly diminished, with the head writer taking most of those responsibilities. Unlike the original series they do not have the power to commission scripts. Instead, they act as liaisons between the production staff and the screenwriter, before passing their joint work to the head writer for a "final polish". Raynor said that the job is not a creative one, "you are a part of it, but you aren't driving it."[49]

text: Under producer Davies, the new series had a faster pace than those of the classic series. Rather than four to six-part serials of 25-minute episodes, most of the Ninth Doctor's stories consisted of individual 45-minute episodes, with only three stories out of ten being two-parters. The thirteen episodes were, however, loosely connected in a series-long story arc which brought their disparate threads together in the series finale. Davies took cues from American fantasy television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville, most notably Buffy's concepts of series-long story arcs and the "Big Bad".[50] Also, like the original series, stories often flowed directly into one another or were linked together in some way. Notably, in common only with the seventh and twenty-sixth seasons of the original series, every story of the season takes place on or near Earth.[51][52] This fact is directly addressed in the original novel The Monsters Inside, in which Rose and the Doctor joke about the fact that all their adventures to date have taken place on Earth or on neighbouring space stations.[53][54]

text: The stories of the series varied quite significantly in tone, with the production team showcasing the various genres inhabited by Doctor Who over the years. Examples include the "pseudo-historical" story "The Unquiet Dead"; the far-future whodunnit of "The End of the World"; Earthbound alien invasion stories in "Rose" and "Aliens of London"/"World War Three"; "base under siege" in "Dalek"; and horror in "The Empty Child". Even the spin-off media were represented, with "Dalek" taking elements from writer Rob Shearman's own audio play Jubilee and the emotional content of Paul Cornell's "Father's Day" drawing on the tone of Cornell's novels in the Virgin New Adventures line. Davies had asked both Shearman and Cornell to write their scripts with those respective styles in mind.[55] The episode "Boom Town" included a reference to the novel The Monsters Inside, becoming the first episode to acknowledge (albeit in a subtle way) spin-off fiction.[53]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography for the series began on 18 July 2004 on location in Cardiff for "Rose".[56] The series was filmed across South East Wales, mostly in or around Cardiff.[57] Each episode took about two weeks to film.[58] The start of filming created stress among the production team because of unseen circumstances: several scenes from the first block had to be re-shot because the original footage was unusable; the Slitheen prosthetics for "Aliens of London", "World War Three", and "Boom Town" were noticeably different from their computer-generated counterparts; and, most notably, the BBC came to a gridlock with the Terry Nation estate to secure the Daleks for the sixth episode of the series, to be written by Rob Shearman.[59] After the first production block, which Davies described as "hitting a brick wall", the show's production was markedly eased as the crew familiarised themselves.[59] Filming concluded on 23 March 2005.[60] David Tennant, who was cast as Eccleston's replacement,[29] recorded his appearance at the end of "The Parting of the Ways" on 21 April 2005[60] with a skeleton crew.[61]

text:
Production blocks[62]

Block
Title
Directed by
Written by
Code

1
"Rose"
"Aliens of London"
"World War Three"
Keith Boak
Russell T Davies
1.1
1.4
1.5

2
"The End of the World"
"The Unquiet Dead"
Euros Lyn
Russell T Davies
Mark Gatiss
1.2
1.3

3
"Dalek"
"Father's Day"
Joe Ahearne
Robert Shearman
Paul Cornell
1.6
1.8

4
"The Long Game"
Brian Grant
Russell T Davies
1.7

5
"The Empty Child"
"The Doctor Dances"
James Hawes
Steven Moffat
1.9
1.10

6
"Boom Town"
"Bad Wolf"
"The Parting of the Ways"
Joe Ahearne
Russell T Davies
1.11
1.12
1.13

text: Release[edit]

text: Promotion[edit]

text: The new logo was revealed on the BBC website on 18 October 2004.[63] The first official trailer was released as part of BBC One's Winter Highlights presentation on 2 December 2004 and subsequently posted on the Internet by the BBC.[64] A media blitz including billboards and posters across the UK started early March 2005. Television trailers started showing up on 5 March and radio advertisements started two weeks before the series premier and ran till the second episode aired. The official Doctor Who website was launched with exclusive content such as games and new Ninth Doctor information.[65]

text: Leak[edit]

text: A rough cut of the premiere was leaked onto the internet three weeks before the scheduled series premiere.[8][66] This attracted much media attention and discussion amongst fans, and caused interest in the show to skyrocket.[67] The BBC released a statement that the source of the leak appears to be connected to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which responded by stating that they "are looking into it. That's all I can say at this point because we don't know exactly what happened. It certainly wasn't done intentionally."[66] Asa Bailey, founder of the Viral Advertising Association, said that the BBC hired them for viral marketing strategies, and that he told them "they should release things before their time", to create a "cool factor". Both the BBC and CBC denied any involvement, but Bailey believes that to be disingenuous, saying that it is "the best viral advert they could have done".[67] The leak was ultimately traced to a third party company in Canada which had a legitimate preview copy. The employee responsible was fired by the company.[68]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: "Rose" finally saw transmission on schedule on 26 March 2005 at 7 pm on BBC One, the first regular episode of Doctor Who since Part Three of Survival on 6 December 1989. To complement the series, BBC Wales also produced Doctor Who Confidential, a 13-part documentary series with each episode broadcast on BBC Three immediately after the end of the weekly instalment on BBC One. Both the series and documentary aired for 13 consecutive weeks, with the finale episode, "The Parting of the Ways", airing on 18 June 2005 along with its documentary counterpart. Davies had requested that the two first episodes were broadcast back-to-back, but the request was given to the BBC just two weeks before transmission, at which point everything was already set.[69] In some regions, the first few minutes of the original BBC broadcast of "Rose" on 26 March were marred by the accidental mixing of a few seconds of sound from Graham Norton hosting Strictly Dance Fever.[70]

text: In the United States, the Sci Fi Channel originally passed on the new series as it found it lacking and believed it did not fit in its schedule,[65] but the network later changed its mind. After it was announced that the first series would start in March 2006, Sci Fi Channel Executive Vice President Thomas Vitale called Doctor Who "a true sci-fi classic", with creative storytelling and colorful history, and was excited to add it to its line up. The network also took an option on the second series. Candace Carlisle from BBC Worldwide found The Sci Fi Channel the perfect home for Doctor Who.[71] Doctor Who finally debuted in the U.S. on the Sci Fi Channel on 17 March 2006 with the first two episodes airing back-to-back, one year after the Canadian and UK showings.[69][72] The series concluded its initial U.S. broadcast on 9 June 2006.[73]

text: Home media release[edit]

text: The series was first released in volumes; the first volume, containing the first three episodes, was released in Region 2 on 16 May 2005.[74] The second, with "Aliens of London", "World War Three", and "Dalek", followed on 13 June 2005.[75] "The Long Game", "Father's Day", "The Empty Child", and "The Doctor Dances" were released in the third volume on 1 August 2005[76] and the final three episodes were released in the fourth volume on 5 September 2005.[77]

text: The entire series was then released in a boxset on 21 November 2005 in Region 2. Aside from the 13 episodes it included commentaries on every episode, a video diary from Davies during the first week of filming, as well as other featurettes.[78] The boxset was released in Region 1 on 4 July 2006.[79][80]

text: Individual releases[edit]

text:
Series
Episode name
Number and duration
of episodes
R2/B release date
R4/B release date
R1/A release date

1
Doctor Who: Volume 1
"Rose"
"The End of the World"
"The Unquiet Dead"
3 × 45 min.
16 May 2005[81]
17 June 2005[82]
7 November 2006[83]

Doctor Who: Volume 2
"Aliens of London" / "World War Three"
"Dalek"
3 × 45 min.
13 June 2005[84]
3 August 2005[85]
7 November 2006[86]

Doctor Who: Volume 3
"The Long Game"
"Father's Day"
"The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances"
4 × 45 min.
1 August 2005[87]
31 August 2005[88]
7 November 2006[89]

Doctor Who: Volume 4
"Boom Town"
"Bad Wolf" / "The Parting of the Ways"
3 × 45 min.
5 September 2005[90]
6 October 2005[91]
7 November 2006[92]

Doctor Who: The Complete First Series
13 × 45 min.
21 November 2005 (D) [93]
4 November 2013 (Blu-ray box set)[94]
31 August 2015 (B) [95]
8 December 2005 (D) [96]
4 December 2013 (B) [97]
14 February 2006 (Can.)[98]
4 July 2006 (US)[98]
5 November 2013 (Blu-ray box set)[99]
21 June 2016 (B) [100]

text: Complete series[edit]

text:
Doctor Who: The Complete First Series

Set details
Special features

13 episodes
5-disc set
16:9 aspect ratio
Subtitles: English

Commentaries on all episodes
14 episodes of Doctor Who Confidential
Interview with Christopher Eccleston
Documentaries ("Destroying the Lair", "Making Doctor Who", "Laying Ghosts", "Deconstructing Big Ben", "Mike Tucker's Mocks of Balloons", "Designing Doctor Who", "The Adventures of Captain Jack")
Video Diaries
Trailers

DVD release dates

Region 1
Region 2
Region 4

4 July 2006 (2006-07-04)
21 November 2005 (2005-11-21)
8 December 2005 (2005-12-08)

text: Reception[edit]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: "Rose" received average overnight ratings of 9.9 million viewers, peaking at 10.5 million, respectively 43.2% and 44.3% of all viewers at that time. The final figure for the episode, including video recordings watched within a week of transmission, was 10.81 million, making it the third highest for BBC One that week and seventh across all channels. The opening episode was the highest rated episode of the first series.[70][101] The penultimate episode, "Bad Wolf", received the lowest viewers of the series with just 6.81 million viewers.[102] The series also garners the highest audience Appreciation Index of any non-soap drama on television.[103] Besides the second episode, "The End of the World", which garnered a 79% rating, the lowest of the series, all episodes received an AI above 80%. The series finale "The Parting of the Ways" was the highest rated episode with an AI of 89%.[104] The success of the launch saw the BBC's Head of Drama Jane Tranter confirming on 30 March that the series would return both for a Christmas Special in December 2005 and a full second series in 2006.[105]

text: The initial Sci Fi Channel broadcasts of the series attained an average Nielsen Rating of 1.3, representing 1.5 million viewers in total.[73] Although these ratings were less than those reached by Sci Fi's original series Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, they reflect a 44% increase in ratings and a 56% increase in viewership over the same timeslot in the second quarter of 2005, as well as increases of 56% and 57% in two key demographics.[73][106]

text: Response[edit]

text: Wikinews has related news: Doctor Who returns as UK Saturday night timeslot lord

text: In April 2004, Michael Grade returned to the BBC, this time as the Chairman of the Board of Governors, although this position does not involve any commissioning or editorial responsibilities.[109] Although he had previously disliked the show and imposed an eighteen-month hiatus on it during the Sixth Doctor era, he eventually wrote an e-mail to the Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson in June 2005, after the successful new first series, voicing approval for its popularity. He also declared, "[I] never dreamed I would ever write this. I must be going soft!"[110] The revival also impressed former Doctor Sylvester McCoy, who praised Eccleston and Piper as well as their characters, and the pacing of the first episode. His only criticism was about the new TARDIS interior, though he did comment that he was "also a bit dismayed that more wasn't made of the show's incidental music, which seemed fairly anonymous in the background".[111]

text: Robin Oliver of The Sydney Morning Herald praised Davies for taking "an adult approach to one of television's most famous characters" that children would appreciate, and that he reinvented it in a way that would be "competitive in a high-tech market". Oliver also wrote that older viewers would find Eccleston "easily the best time lord since Tom Baker".[112] Reviewing the first episode, The Stage's Harry Venning hailed it as a "fabulous, imaginative, funny and sometimes frightening reinvention" and particularly praised Rose for being an improvement upon previous female companions who were "fit only to scream or be captured". However, he found Eccleston to be "the show’s biggest disappointment" as he looked "uncomfortable playing fantasy".[113] Digital Spy's Dek Hogan found the final episode anticlimactic, but overall said that the series was "excellent Saturday night telly of the kind that many of us thought the BBC had forgotten how to make". He praised Eccleston's performance and named "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" as the best episodes.[114] Arnold T Blumburg of Now Playing gave the series a grade of A-, praising its variety. However, he was critical of Davies' "annoying tendency to play to the lowest common denominator with toilet humor", but felt that from "Dalek" on the series was more dramatic and sophisticated.[115]

text: DVD Talk's John Sinnott rated the first series four and a half out of five stars, writing that it "keeps a lot of the charm and excitement of the original (as well as the premise), while making the series easily accessible for new viewers". Sinnott praised the faster pace and the design changes that made it feel "fresh", as well as Eccleston's Doctor. However, he felt that Piper only did a "credible" job as Eccleston eclipsed her, and said that the writing was "uneven" with many of the episodes "just slightly flawed".[79] Looking back on the series in 2011, Stephen Kelly of The Guardian wrote, "Eccleston's Doctor may have had many faults – looking like an EastEnders extra and bellowing "FANTASTIC!" at every opportunity being two of them – but he was merely a reflection of a show that, at the time, still didn't know what it wanted to be. The first series of the revived Doctor Who – which featured farting aliens – was a world away from the intelligent, populist science-fiction we know it as now. But then, it is thanks to Eccleston that it got this far at all – a big, respectable name who laid the foundations for Tennant to swag away with the show."[116]

text: However, not everyone was pleased with the new production. Some fans criticised the new logo and perceived changes to the TARDIS model. According to various news sources, members of the production team even received hate mail and death threats.[107][108] "The Unquiet Dead" was criticised by parents, who felt that the episode was "too scary" for their young children; the BBC dismissed the complaints, saying that it had never been intended for the youngest of children.[117]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Nominee(s)
Result
Ref(s)

2005
BBC 2005 TV Moments
Golden Moment
"The Doctor Dances"
Won
[118]

BBC.co.uk
Best of Drama
Doctor Who
Won
[119]

Best Actor
Christopher Eccleston
Won
[120]

Best Actress
Billie Piper
Won
[121]

Most Desirable Star
Billie Piper
Won
[122]

Best Drama Website
Doctor Who website
Won
[123]

1st Favourite Moment
"Dalek"
Won
[124]

Best Villain
Daleks
Won
[125]

National Television Awards
Most Popular Drama
Doctor Who
Won
[126]

National Television Awards
Christopher Eccleston
Won
[126]

Most Popular Actress
Billie Piper
Won
[126]

TV Choice
Best Actor
Christopher Eccleston
Won
[127]

TV Quick
Best Actor
Christopher Eccleston
Won
[127]

2006
British Academy
Television Awards
Best Drama Series
Doctor Who
Won
[128]

Pioneer Award
Doctor Who
Won
[128]

BAFTA Craft Awards
Writer
Russell T Davies
Nominated
[129]

Director
Joe Ahearne
Nominated
[129]

Breakthrough Talent
Edward Thomas
Nominated
[129]

BAFTA Cymru
Best Drama Series
Doctor Who
Won
[130]

Drama Director
James Hawes
Won
[130]

Costume, Make-up and Photography Direction
Doctor Who
Won
[130]

Broadcast Magazine
Award for Best Drama
Doctor Who
Won
[131]

Broadcasting Press Guild
Best Drama
Doctor Who
Nominated
[132]

Best Actor
Christopher Eccleston
Nominated
[132]

Best Actress
Billie Piper
Nominated
[132]

Best Writer
Russell T Davies
Nominated
[132]

Dennis Potter
Outstanding Writing for Television
Russell T Davies
Won
[128]

Hugo Awards
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation,
Short Form
"Dalek"
Nominated
[133]

"Father's Day"
Nominated
[133]

"The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances"
Won
[134]

Royal Television Society
Best Drama Series
Doctor Who
Nominated
[135]

Siân Phillips
Outstanding Contribution to Network Television
Russell T Davies
Won
[136]

South Bank Show
Breakthrough Award For Rising British Talent
Billie Piper
Won
[137]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: Selected pieces of score from this series, alongside material from the second series and "The Runaway Bride", as composed by Murray Gold, were released on 4 December 2006 by Silva Screen Records.[138]

text: Murray Gold's arrangement of the main theme featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added: an orchestral sound of low horns, strings and percussion and part of the Dalek ray-gun and TARDIS materialisation sound effects. Included on the album are two versions of the theme: the 44-second opening version, as arranged by Gold, and a longer arrangement that includes the middle eight, after Gold omitted the "middle eight" from both the opening and closing credits. Gold has said that his interpretation was driven by the title visual sequence he was given to work around. Often erroneously cited as being the same as the end credits version, this second version is in fact a new arrangement and recording.[139][140]


document_title: List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

question_text: how many teams have never made it to the superbowl

root

text: Active team droughts[edit]

text: Post-season droughts[edit]

text: Updated through the end of the 2017 regular season.

tag: p

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

text:
Playoff Droughts [1][2]

0Team0
Last appearance in post-season
Seasons

Cleveland Browns ^
2002 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
15

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2007 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
10

New York Jets
2010 AFC Championship Game
7

Chicago Bears
2010 NFC Championship Game
7

Los Angeles Chargers
2013 AFC Divisional Playoffs
4

San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC Championship Game
4

Baltimore Ravens
2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs
3

Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC Championship Game
3

Cincinnati Bengals
2015 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2

Washington Redskins
2015 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
2

Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC Championship Game
2

Denver Broncos
Super Bowl 50
2

Miami Dolphins
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Oakland Raiders
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

New York Giants
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Detroit Lions
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Houston Texans
2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs
1

Dallas Cowboys
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
1

Seattle Seahawks
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
1

Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC Championship Game
1

2017 Playoff Teams

Buffalo Bills
2017 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Kansas City Chiefs
2017 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Carolina Panthers
2017 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Los Angeles Rams
2017 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Tennessee Titans
2017 AFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Pittsburgh Steelers
2017 AFC Divisional Playoffs
—

New Orleans Saints
2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Atlanta Falcons
2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Jacksonville Jaguars
2017 AFC Championship Game
—

Minnesota Vikings
2017 NFC Championship Game
—

Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl LII
—

New England Patriots
Super Bowl LII
—

text: Playoff game victory droughts[edit]

text:
Updated through the conference championships.
Sortable table, click on header arrows.

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

0♦0
Most consecutive losses in team history

0¤0
Tied for most consecutive losses in team history

0♣ ♣0
Most consecutive losses in NFL history

text:
Current Playoff Loss Streak[1]

Team
Last playoff game win
Seasons
Since Win
Loss
Streak
Playoff Losses - Teams

Cincinnati Bengals ^
1990 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
27
♦ 8
1990 Divisional - Los Angeles Raiders
2005 Wild Card - Pittsburgh
2009 Wild Card - New York Jets
2011 Wild Card - Houston
2012 Wild Card - Houston
2013 Wild Card - San Diego
2014 Wild Card - Indianapolis
2015 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Detroit Lions
1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
26
♣ ♣ 9
1991 NFC Championship - Washington
1993 Wild Card - Green Bay
1994 Wild Card - Green Bay
1995 Wild Card - Philadelphia
1997 Wild Card - Tampa Bay
1999 Wild Card - Washington
2011 Wild Card - New Orleans
2014 Wild Card - Dallas
2016 Wild Card - Seattle

Buffalo Bills ^
1995 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
22
♦ 5
1995 Divisional - Pittsburgh
1996 Wild Card - Jacksonville
1998 Wild Card - Miami
1999 Wild Card - Tennessee
2017 Wild Card - Jacksonville

Cleveland Browns ^
1994 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
20**
2
1994 Divisional - Pittsburgh
2002 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Miami Dolphins ^
2000 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
17
4 ¤
2000 Divisional - Oakland
2001 Wild Card - Baltimore
2008 Wild Card - Baltimore
2016 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Oakland Raiders ^
2002 AFC Championship*
15
2 ¤
2002 Super Bowl - Tampa Bay
2016 Wild Card - Houston

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII*
15
2
2005 Wild Card - Washington
2007 Wild Card - New York Giants

Los Angeles Rams
2004 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
13
2
2004 Divisional - Atlanta
2017 Wild Card - Atlanta

Washington Redskins
2005 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
12
4 ¤
2005 Divisional - Seattle
2007 Wild Card - Seattle
2012 Wild Card - Seattle
2015 Wild Card - Green Bay

New York Jets
2010 AFC Divisional Playoffs
7
1
2010 AFC Championship - Pittsburgh

Chicago Bears
2010 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
7
1
2010 NFC Championship - Green Bay

New York Giants
2011 !Super Bowl XLVI
6
1
2016 Wild Card - Green Bay

Los Angeles Chargers
2013 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
4
1
2013 Divisional - Denver

San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC Divisional Playoffs
4
1
2013 NFC Championship - Seattle

Baltimore Ravens
2014 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
3
1
2014 Divisional - New England

Dallas Cowboys
2014 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
3
2
2014 Divisional - Green Bay
2016 Divisional - Green Bay

Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs
3
1
2014 AFC Championship - New England

Kansas City Chiefs
2015 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2
3
2015 Divisional - New England
2016 Divisional - Pittsburgh
2017 Wild Card - Tennessee

Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
2
1
2015 NFC Championship - Carolina

Carolina Panthers
2015 NFC Championship*
2
2
2015 Super Bowl - Denver
2017 Wild Card - New Orleans

Denver Broncos
Super Bowl 50*
2
0
3 game win streak

Houston Texans
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1
1
2016 Divisional - New England

Seattle Seahawks
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
1
1
2016 Divisional - Atlanta

Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs
1
2
2016 AFC Championship - New England
2017 Divisional - Jacksonville

Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
1
1
2016 NFC Championship - Atlanta

2017 Playoff0
Winners

Tennessee Titans
2017 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
0
1
2017 Divisional - New England

Atlanta Falcons
2017 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
0
1
2017 Divisional - Philadelphia

New Orleans Saints
2017 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
0
1
2017 Divisional - Minnesota

Jacksonville Jaguars
2017 AFC Divisional Playoffs
0
1
2017 AFC Championship - New England

Minnesota Vikings
2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
0
1
2017 NFC Championship - Philadelphia

Philadelphia Eagles
2017 NFC Championship*
0
0
2 game win streak

New England Patriots
2017 AFC Championship*
0
0
5 game win streak

Team
Last playoff game win
Seasons
Since Win
Loss
Streak
Playoff Losses - Teams

text:
(*): Franchise earned a bye in the Wild Card round.
(**): Franchise dormant 1996–1998.

text: AFC/NFC Championship game appearance droughts[edit]

text: This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a Divisional playoff game.

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

0†0
Tied for longest drought in team history

text:
Drought Reference [1]

Seasons
Team
Last appearance
in Conference Championship Game
Result

29
Cincinnati Bengals ^
1988 AFC
Won vs. Buffalo

26
Washington Redskins ^
1991 NFC
Won vs. Detroit

26
Detroit Lions ^
1991 NFC
Lost vs. Washington

25
Miami Dolphins ^
1992 AFC
Lost vs. Buffalo

25 [d]
Cleveland Browns ^
1989 AFC
Lost vs. Denver

24
Buffalo Bills ^
1993 AFC
Won vs. Kansas City

24
Kansas City Chiefs †
1993 AFC
Lost vs. Buffalo

22
Dallas Cowboys ^
1995 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

16
Houston Texans ^
1985Never [c]
y —

16
Los Angeles Rams ^ [a]
2001 NFC
Won vs. Philadelphia

15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2002 NFC
Won vs. Philadelphia

15
Oakland Raiders ^
2002 AFC
Won vs. Tennessee

15
Tennessee Titans
2002 AFC
Lost vs. Oakland

10
Los Angeles Chargers [b]
2007 AFC
Lost vs. New England

8
New Orleans Saints
2009 NFC
Won vs. Minnesota

7
New York Jets
2010 AFC
Lost vs. Pittsburgh

7
Chicago Bears
2010 NFC
Lost vs. Green Bay

6
New York Giants
2011 NFC
Won vs. San Francisco

5
Baltimore Ravens
2012 AFC
Won vs. New England

4
San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC
Lost vs. Seattle

3
Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC
Lost vs. New England

3
Seattle Seahawks
2014 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

2
Denver Broncos
2015 AFC
Won vs. New England

2
Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC
Lost vs. Carolina

2
Carolina Panthers
2015 NFC
Won vs. Arizona

1
Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 AFC
Lost vs. New England

1
Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC
Lost vs. Atlanta

1
Atlanta Falcons
2016 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

-.75
Z2017 Conference Finalists
2030
z

0
Jacksonville Jaguars
2017 AFC
Lost vs. New England

0
Minnesota Vikings
2017 NFC
Lost vs. Philadelphia

0
Philadelphia Eagles
2017 NFC
Won vs. Minnesota

0
New England Patriots
2017 AFC
Won vs. Jacksonville

text:
a The Los Angeles Rams last appeared in the NFC Championship game as the St. Louis Rams.
b The Los Angeles Chargers last appeared in the AFC Championship game as the San Diego Chargers.
c The Texans first played in 2002 season
d The Browns were dormant from 1996–1998.

tag: ul

text: Super Bowl or NFL Championship appearance droughts[edit]

text:
Last appearance in Super Bowl or
NFL Championship[1][3]

Seasons
Team
Last appearance
in Super Bowl
NFL
Season
Result

60
Detroit Lions
7003195700000000000♠ 1957 NFL Championship Game
1957
Won vs. Cleveland

49
New York Jets
7003196800000000000♠ Super Bowl III
1968
Won vs. Baltimore Colts

48
Kansas City Chiefs
7003196900000000000♠ Super Bowl IV
1969
Won vs. Minnesota

45 [e]
Cleveland Browns
7003196910000000000♠1969.1 1969 NFL Championship Game
1969
Lost vs. Minnesota

41
Minnesota Vikings
7003197700000000000♠ Super Bowl XI
1976
Lost vs. Oakland

33
Miami Dolphins
7003198400000000000♠ Super Bowl XIX
1984
Lost vs. San Francisco

29
Cincinnati Bengals
7003198800000000000♠ Super Bowl XXIII
1988
Lost vs. San Francisco

26
Washington Redskins
7003199100000000000♠ Super Bowl XXVI
1991
Won vs. Buffalo

24
Buffalo Bills
7003199300000000000♠ Super Bowl XXVIII
1993
Lost vs. Dallas

23
Jacksonville Jaguars
7000100000000000000♠ Never (enfranchised 1995)

z —

23
Los Angeles Chargers [f]
7003199400000000000♠ Super Bowl XXIX
1994
Lost vs. San Francisco

22
Dallas Cowboys
7003199500000000000♠ Super Bowl XXX
1995
Won vs. Pittsburgh

18
Tennessee Titans
7003199900000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXIV
1999
Lost vs. St. Louis Rams

16
Houston Texans
7000200000000000000♠ Never (enfranchised 2002)

z —

16
Los Angeles Rams [g]
7003200100000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVI
2001
Lost vs. New England

15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7003200200000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVII
2002
Won vs. Oakland

15
Oakland Raiders
7003200210000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVII
2002
Lost vs. Tampa Bay

11
Chicago Bears
7003200600000000000♠ Super Bowl XLI
2006
Lost vs. Indianapolis

9
Arizona Cardinals
7003200800000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIII
2008
Lost vs. Pittsburgh

8
New Orleans Saints
7003200900000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIV
2009
Won vs. Indianapolis

8
Indianapolis Colts
7003200900000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIV
2009
Lost vs. New Orleans

7
Green Bay Packers
7003201000000000000♠ Super Bowl XLV
2010
Won vs. Pittsburgh

7
Pittsburgh Steelers
7003201010000000000♠ Super Bowl XLV
2010
Lost vs. Green Bay

6
New York Giants
7003201100000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVI
2011
Won vs. New England

5
Baltimore Ravens
7003201200000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVII
2012
Won vs. San Francisco

5
San Francisco 49ers
7003201210000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVII
2012
Lost vs. Baltimore Ravens

3
Seattle Seahawks
7003201420000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIX
2014
Lost vs. New England

2
Carolina Panthers
7003201500000000000♠ Super Bowl 50
2015
Lost vs. Denver

2
Denver Broncos
7003201500000000000♠ Super Bowl 50
2015
Won vs. Carolina

1
Atlanta Falcons
7003201600000000000♠ Super Bowl LI
2016
Lost vs. New England

.75
ZSuper Bowl LII teams
2016
2016
zz

0
New England Patriots
7003201700000000000♠ Super Bowl LII
2017
TBD

0
Philadelphia Eagles
7003201700000000000♠ Super Bowl LII
2017
TBD

text:
e The Browns were dormant from 1996–1998.
f The Los Angeles Chargers last appeared in the Super Bowl as the San Diego Chargers.
g The Los Angeles Rams last appeared in the Super Bowl as the St. Louis Rams.

text: Super Bowl win droughts[edit]

text: This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship.

text: Competing in the 2017 NFL Playoffs

text:
Drought References[1][3]

Seasons
Team
Last Super Bowl crown
(1966–present)
NFL
Season
Last League Championship crown
Before 1970 Merger
(1920–1969)
Seasons

52
Arizona Cardinals[a]
Never
—
1947 NFL Championship
70

52
Detroit Lions
Never
—
1957 NFL Championship
60

52
Philadelphia Eagles
Never
—
1960 NFL Championship
57

52
Tennessee Titans[b]
Never
—
1961 AFL Championship
56

52
Los Angeles Chargers
Never
—
1963 AFL Championship
54

52
Buffalo Bills
Never
—
1965 AFL Championship
52

49
Cleveland Browns [d]
Never
—
1964 NFL Championship
50

52
Minnesota Vikings
Never
—
1969 NFL Championship[c]
48

52
Atlanta Falcons
Never (enfranchised 1966)
—

50
Cincinnati Bengals
Never (enfranchised 1968)
—

49
New York Jets[e]
Super Bowl III
1968

48
Kansas City Chiefs[e]
Super Bowl IV
1969

44
Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VIII
1973

34
Oakland Raiders[f]
Super Bowl XVIII
1983

32
Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX
1985

26
Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI
1991

23
Jacksonville Jaguars
Never (enfranchised 1995)
—

23
Carolina Panthers
Never (enfranchised 1995)
—

23
San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX
1994

22
Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX
1995

18
Los Angeles Rams[g]
Super Bowl XXXIV
1999

16
Houston Texans
Never (enfranchised 2002)
—

15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII
2002

11
Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLI
2006

9
Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIII
2008

8
New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl XLIV
2009

7
Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLV
2010

6
New York Giants
Super Bowl XLVI
2011

5
Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XLVII
2012

4
Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLVIII
2013

2
Denver Broncos
Super Bowl 50
2015

.75
ZDefending champion
2015
z

0
New England Patriots
Super Bowl LI
2016

text:
a Team won as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947.
b Team won as the Houston Oilers in 1961.
c AFL and NFL league champions met in Super Bowls I thru IV before the 1970 merger (1966–1969). They are not generally counted in the overall league championship list.
d Cleveland's drought does not include three seasons (1996–98) when the franchise was dormant.
e Super Bowl winner was not the NFL league champion till after 1970 merger (Super Bowl V).
f Team was based in Los Angeles when it won Super Bowl XVIII.
g Team was based in St. Louis when it won Super Bowl XXXIV.

text: Super Bowl crown droughts by division[edit]

text:
Division
Last Super Bowl crown
Seasons

AFC South
XLI — Colts
11

NFC South
XLIV — Saints
8

NFC North
XLV — Packers
7

NFC East
XLVI — Giants
6

AFC North
XLVII — Ravens
5

NFC West
XLVIII — Seahawks
4

AFC West
50 — Broncos
2

AFC East
LI — Patriots
0

text: Cities/regions awaiting first Super Bowl crown[edit]

text: Listed according to seasons waited. Current NFL cities/regions only

text: Competing in the 2017 NFL Playoffs

text:
Last city to leave list - Seattle, 2013 season

City/region
Seasons waited
Conference Title(s)
Team(s)
Notes

Detroit
52
None
Detroit Lions (1966–)
Played in the 1991 NFC Championship Game

Philadelphia
52
1980, 2004, 2017
Philadelphia Eagles (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XV, XXXIX, and LII

Buffalo
52
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Buffalo Bills (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII

Atlanta
52
1998, 2016
Atlanta Falcons (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XXXIII and LI

Minneapolis–St. Paul
52
1969, 1973, 1974, 1976
Minnesota Vikings (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI

Cincinnati
50
1981, 1988
Cincinnati Bengals (1968–)
Played in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII

Cleveland
49
None
Cleveland Browns (1966–1995, 1999-)
Played in the 1986, 1987, and 1989 AFC Championship Games

Houston
47
None
31 Oilers seasons (1966–1996) and 16 Texans seasons (2002–)
Played in the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games

Phoenix
30
2008
Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988–)
Played in Super Bowl XLIII

Jacksonville
23
None
Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–)
Played in the 1996, 1999 and 2017 AFC Championship Games

Charlotte
23
2003, 2015
Carolina Panthers (1995–)
Played in Super Bowls XXXVIII and 50

Nashville
21
1999
Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1997–)
Played in Super Bowl XXXIV

text: Division title droughts[edit]

text: Listed according to seasons waited. Updated through the 2017 season.

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

text:
Franchise
0 0 Most recent0 0
division title
0Year0
Seasons

Cleveland Browns^
AFC Central
1989
25**

Detroit Lions^
NFC Central
1993
24

Buffalo Bills^
AFC East
1995
22

Oakland Raiders^
AFC West
2002
15

New York Jets
AFC East
2002
15

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC South
2007
10

Miami Dolphins^
AFC East
2008
9

Tennessee Titans
AFC South
2008
9

Los Angeles Chargers
AFC West
2009
8

Chicago Bears
NFC North
2010
7

New York Giants
NFC East
2011
6

Baltimore Ravens
AFC North
2012
5

San Francisco 49ers
NFC West
2012
5

Indianapolis Colts
AFC South
2014
3

Cincinnati Bengals
AFC North
2015
2

Denver Broncos
AFC West
2015
2

Washington Redskins
NFC East
2015
2

Carolina Panthers
NFC South
2015
2

Arizona Cardinals
NFC West
2015
2

Houston Texans
AFC South
2016
1

Dallas Cowboys
NFC East
2016
1

Green Bay Packers
NFC North
2016
1

Atlanta Falcons
NFC South
2016
1

Seattle Seahawks
NFC West
2016
1

2017 Division Champions

New England Patriots
AFC East
2017
—

Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC North
2017
—

Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC South
2017
—

Kansas City Chiefs
AFC West
2017
—

Philadelphia Eagles
NFC East
2017
—

Minnesota Vikings
NFC North
2017
—

New Orleans Saints
NFC South
2017
—

Los Angeles Rams
NFC West
2017
—

text: **Does not include the three seasons (1996–1998) during which the franchise suspended operations.

text: Historical team droughts[edit]

text: Closest approaches without winning the Super Bowl[edit]

text: Counted from the first Super Bowl seaon, 1966, to present. Updated through the conference finals.

text: Competing in the 2017 NFL Playoffs

text:
Last team to leave this list - 2013 Seattle Seahawks

Team
Wild Card appearances1
Divisional Round appearances2
Conference Final appearances3
Super Bowl appearances
Fewest wins short of
Super Bowl Title

Minnesota Vikings
12
21
9
4
1 win short : 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976

Buffalo Bills
7
10
5
4
1 win short : 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993

Philadelphia Eagles
15
13
7
3
1 win short : 1980, 2004, 2017

Cincinnati Bengals
8
6
2
2
1 win short : 1982, 1988

Atlanta Falcons
7
10
4
2
1 win short : 1998, 2016

Carolina Panthers
4
7
4
2
1 win short : 2003, 2015

Los Angeles Chargers
6
10
4
1
1 win short : 1994

Tennessee Titans
13
13
4
1
1 win short : 1999

Arizona Cardinals
4
6
2
1
1 win short : 2008

Cleveland Browns
3
8
6

2 wins short : 1968, 1969, 1986, 1987, 1989

Jacksonville Jaguars
6
5
3

2 wins short : 1996, 1999, 2017

Detroit Lions
8
3
1

2 wins short : 1991

Houston Texans
4
3

3 wins short : 2011, 2012, 2016

text: Playoff droughts of 5 plus seasons[edit]

text:
0^0
Denotes active streak

text:
Last place NFL finishes
Last place AFL finishes (1960–1969)

text:
List of Droughts[1]

Seasons
Team
Drought Duration
Division or Conference Last Place
finishes during drought
League Worst win-loss record
during drought

Last Place
Seasons

7001250000000000000♠25
Washington Redskins A !Washington Redskins
1946–1970
4
1950, 1952, 1960–1961
1961

7001250000000000000♠25
Arizona Cardinals A !Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals
1949–1973
5
1951, 1953–1954, 1957, 1959
1953, 1954, 1957 tie, 19591959 tie

7001240000000000000♠24
Pittsburgh Steelers A !Pittsburgh Steelers
1948–1971
5
1955, 1965, 1967–1969
1965, 1969 tie

7001200000000000000♠20
New Orleans Saints A !New Orleans Saints
1967–1986
9
1967, 1970–1972, 1975, 1977, 1980–1981, 1986
19751975 tie, 1980

7001170000000000000♠17
Denver Broncos A !Denver Broncos
1960–1976
8
1960, 1963–1967, 1970–1971
1960, 1963, 1964, 1965 tie, 1967

7001170000000000000♠17
Philadelphia Eagles A !Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1977
7
1962–1963, 1968–1970, 1972, 1975
1968 tie

7001170000000000000♠17
New York Giants D !New York Giants
1964–1980
9
1964, 1966, 1971, 1973–1974, 1976–1978, 1980
1964, 1966, 1974 tie

7001170000000000000♠17
Buffalo Bills A !Buffalo Bills
2000–2016
8
2001–2002, 2008–2013
—

7001160000000000000♠16
Detroit Lions A !Detroit Lions
1936–1951
4
1942, 1946–1948
1942, 1946, 1948

7001150000000000000♠15
Arizona Cardinals B !Chicago Cardinals
1932–1946
10
1933, 1935–1936, 1938–1940, 1943–1946
1933, 1938 tie, 1939, 1943, 1944 tie[a], 1945

7001150000000000000♠15
Green Bay Packers A !Green Bay Packers
1945–1959
4
1949, 1953, 1957, 1958
1957 tie, 1958

7001150000000000000♠15
Arizona Cardinals C !St. Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals
1983–1997
7
1985–1986, 1990–1992, 1995, 1997
—

7001150000000000000♠15 ^
Cleveland Browns A !Cleveland Browns
2003–2017
13
2003–2006, 2008–2009, 2011–2017
2015 tie, 2016, 2017

7001140000000000000♠14
Pittsburgh Steelers B !Pittsburgh Pirates / Steelers
1933–1946
7
1933–1934, 1938–1939, 1941, 1944–1945
1938 tie, 1941, 1944 tie[a]

7001140000000000000♠14
Philadelphia Eagles B !Philadelphia Eagles
1933–1946
5
1935–1937, 1940, 1942
1935, 1936, 1940

7001140000000000000♠14
Kansas City Chiefs A !Kansas City Chiefs
1972–1985
5
1977–1979, 1983, 1985
19771977 tie

7001140000000000000♠14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers A !Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1983–1996
8
1983, 1985–1986, 1989, 1991, 1993–1995
19831983 tie, 1985 tie, 1986

7001140000000000000♠14
Cincinnati Bengals A !Cincinnati Bengals
1991–2004
6
1991–1993, 1998, 2001–2002
1993, 1998 tie, 2002

7001130000000000000♠13
Chicago Bears A !Chicago Bears
1964–1976
5
1969–1970, 1972–1974
1969 tie

7001130000000000000♠13
San Diego Chargers A !San Diego Chargers
1966–1978
3
1972–1973, 1975
1975 tie

7001130000000000000♠13
Oakland Raiders A !Oakland Raiders
2003–2015
6
2004–2007, 2013–2014
2003 tie, 2006

7001120000000000000♠12
Detroit Lions B !Detroit Lions
1958–1969
2
1966, 1968
—

7001120000000000000♠12
San Francisco 49ers A !San Francisco 49ers
1958–1969
3
1963–1964, 1969
1963

7001120000000000000♠12
New England Patriots A !Boston / New England Patriots
1964–1975
4
1967, 1970, 1972, 1975
1970

7001120000000000000♠12
Atlanta Falcons A !Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977
3
1967–1968, 1974
1967, 1968 tie

7001120000000000000♠12
Los Angeles Rams A !St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams
2005–2016
6
2007–2009, 2011, 2013–2014
2009, 2011 tie

7001110000000000000♠11
Los Angeles Rams B !Los Angeles Rams
1956–1966
4
1956, 1959, 1962, 1965
19591959 tie, 1962

7001110000000000000♠11
New York Jets A !New York Jets
1970–1980
1
1980
—

7001110000000000000♠11
Detroit Lions C !Detroit Lions
1971–1981
1
1979
19791979 tie

7001110000000000000♠11
Detroit Lions D !Detroit Lions
2000–2010
6
2001–2003, 2006, 2008–2009
2008

7001100000000000000♠10
Philadelphia Eagles C !Philadelphia Eagles
1950–1959
2
1956, 1958
1956

7001100000000000000♠10
Green Bay Packers B !Green Bay Packers
1983–1992
1
1988
—

7001100000000000000♠10
Seattle Seahawks A !Seattle Seahawks
1989–1998
4
1992–1994, 1996
1992 tie

7001100000000000000♠10 ^
Tampa Bay Buccaneers B !Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2008–2017
7
2009, 2011–2015, 2017
20142014 tie

7000900000000000000♠9
Green Bay Packers C !Green Bay Packers
1973–1981
2
1976, 1980
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Indianapolis Colts A !Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts
1978–1986
4
1978 - 1979, 1982, 1986
1981 tie, 1982

7000900000000000000♠9
San Diego Chargers B !San Diego Chargers
1983–1991
4
1984, 1986, 1989, 1991
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Los Angeles Rams C !Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams
1990–1998
6
1991–1994, 1997–1998
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Arizona Cardinals E !Arizona Cardinals
1999–2007
4
2000, 2002–2003, 2006
2003 tie

7000900000000000000♠9
Houston Texans A !Houston Texans
2002–2010
5
2002–2003, 2005–2007
2005

7000900000000000000♠9
Jacksonville Jaguars A !Jacksonville Jaguars
2008–2016
4
2008–2009, 2012, 2016
2012 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
New York Jets B !New York Titans / Jets
1960–1967
2
1962–1963
—

7000800000000000000♠8
Tennessee Titans A !Houston Oilers
1970–1977
4
1970, 1972–1973, 1976
1972, 1973

7000800000000000000♠8
San Francisco 49ers B !San Francisco 49ers
1973–1980
2
1978–1979
1978, 1979 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
Atlanta Falcons B !Atlanta Falcons
1983–1990
7
1983–1985, 1987–1990
1987

7000800000000000000♠8
San Diego Chargers C !San Diego Chargers
1996–2003
5
1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003
2000, 2003 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
San Francisco 49ers C !San Francisco 49ers
2003–2010
2
2004–2005
2004

7000800000000000000♠8
Tennessee Titans B !Tennessee Titans
2009–2016
3
2010, 2014–2015
20142014 tie, 2015 tie

7000700000000000000♠7
Los Angeles Rams D !Cleveland Rams
1937–1944 [b]
2
1937, 1941
1937

7000700000000000000♠7
San Francisco 49ers D !San Francisco 49ers
1950–1956
0
—
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Oakland Raiders B !Oakland Raiders
1960–1966
2
1961–1962
1961, 1962

7000700000000000000♠7
Minnesota Vikings A !Minnesota Vikings
1961–1967
3
1961, 1966–1967
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Buffalo Bills B !Buffalo Bills
1967–1973
2
1968, 1971

1968
1971

7000700000000000000♠7
Cleveland Browns B !Cleveland Browns
1973–1979
3
1974–1975, 1977
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Seattle Seahawks B !Seattle Seahawks
1976–1982
3
1976, 1980–1981
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Detroit Lions E !Detroit Lions
1984–1990
1
1987
—

7000700000000000000♠7
New England Patriots A !New England Patriots
1987–1993
2
1990, 1992
1990, 1992 tie

7000700000000000000♠7
Indianapolis Colts B !Indianapolis Colts
1988–1994
2
1991, 1993
1991

7000700000000000000♠7
New Orleans Saints B !New Orleans Saints
1993–1999
3
1995–1996, 1999
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Miami Dolphins A !Miami Dolphins
2009–2015
1
2015
—

7000700000000000000♠7 ^
Chicago Bears B !Chicago Bears
2011–2017
4
2014–2017
—

7000700000000000000♠7 ^
New York Jets C !New York Jets
2011–2017
3
2014, 2016–2017
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Chicago Bears C !Chicago Bears
1957–1962
0
—
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Dallas Cowboys A !Dallas Cowboys
1960–1965
1
1960
1960

7000600000000000000♠6
Arizona Cardinals E !St. Louis Cardinals
1976–1981
2
1979, 1981
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Tennessee Titans C !Houston Oilers
1981–1986
4
1983–1986
19831983 tie

7000600000000000000♠6
Buffalo Bills C !Buffalo Bills
1982–1987
2
1984–1985
1984, 1985 tie

7000600000000000000♠6
Philadelphia Eagles D !Philadelphia Eagles
1982–1987
1
1984
—

7000600000000000000♠6
New York Jets D !New York Jets
1992–1997
3
1994–1996
1995, 1996

7000600000000000000♠6
Washington Redskins B !Washington Redskins
1993–1998
2
1993–1994
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Oakland Raiders C !Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders
1994–1999
0
—
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Chicago Bears D !Chicago Bears
1995–2000
4
1997–2000
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Carolina Panthers A !Carolina Panthers
1997–2002
2
2001–2002
2001

7000600000000000000♠6
Miami Dolphins B !Miami Dolphins
2002–2007
3
2004, 2006–2007
2007

7000500000000000000♠5
New York Giants D !New York Giants
1951–1955
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Chicago Bears E !Chicago Bears
1951–1955
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Indianapolis Colts C !Baltimore Colts
1953–1957
1
1954
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cleveland Browns C !Cleveland Browns
1959–1963
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Buffalo Bills D !Buffalo Bills
1975–1979
2
1976–1977
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cincinnati Bengals B !Cincinnati Bengals
1976–1980
3
1978–1980
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Washington Redskins C !Washington Redskins
1977–1981
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cincinnati Bengals C !Cincinnati Bengals
1983–1987
1
1987
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Dallas Cowboys B !Dallas Cowboys
1986–1990
2
1988, 1989
1988, 1989

7000500000000000000♠5
Tennessee Titans D !Houston / Tennessee Oilers
1994–1998
1
1994
1994

7000500000000000000♠5
Kansas City Chiefs B !Kansas City Chiefs
1998–2002
1
2002
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Washington Redskins D !Washington Redskins
2000–2004
1
2004
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Jacksonville Jaguars B !Jacksonville Jaguars
2000–2004
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
New Orleans Saints C !New Orleans Saints
2001–2005
1
2005
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Denver Broncos B !Denver Broncos
2006–2010
1
2010
—

Seasons
Team
Drought Duration
Last Place
Seasons
League Worst win-loss record
during drought

Division or Conference Last Place
finishes during drought

text: Most consecutive post-season losses in team history[edit]

text: This is a sortable table of all 32 current NFL teams. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought.

text: Updated through the 2017 season.

text:
0^0
Denotes active drought

text:
Team
Streak lasted
Last win
Games Lost
Playoff Losses
Score
Opponent
Next win

Arizona Cardinals
7001510000000000000♠ 51 years
1947
Championship
4.1 !4
1948 NFL Champ.
1974 Div.
1975 Div.
1982 1st Round
-1 !0–7
14–30
23–35
16–41
Eagles
Vikings
Rams
Packers
1998 Wild Card

Atlanta Falcons
7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
2004 Divisional
4.2 !4
2004 NFC Champ.
2008 Wild Card
2010 Div.
2011 Wild Card
10–27
24–30
21–48
2–24
Eagles
Cardinals
Packers
Giants
2012 Divisional

Baltimore Ravens
7000700000000000000♠ 7 years
2001
Wild Card
3.1 !3
2001 Div.
2003 Wild Card
2006 Div.
10–27
17–20
6–15
Steelers
Titans
Colts
2008 Wild Card

Buffalo Bills^
7001220000000000000♠ 22 years
1995
Div !1995
Wild Card
5.3 !5
1995 Div.
1996 Wild Card
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2017 Wild Card
21–40
27–30
17–24
16–22
3–10
Steelers
Jaguars
Dolphins
Titans
Jaguars
TBD

Carolina Panthers
7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
2005
Divisional
3
2005 NFC Champ.
2008 Div.
2013 Div.
14–34
13–33
10–23
Seahawks
Cardinals
49ers
2014 Div !2014 Wild Card

Chicago Bears
7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1994
AF !1994
Wild Card
3.2 !3
1994 Div.
2001 Div.
2005 Div.
15–44
19–33
21–29
49ers
Eagles
Panthers
2006 Divisional

Cincinnati Bengals^
7001270000000000000♠ 27 years
1990 Div !1990
Wild Card
8
1990 Div.
2005 Wild Card
2009 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
10–20
17–31
14–24
10–31
13–19
10–27
10–26
16–18
Raiders
Steelers
Jets
Texans
Texans
Chargers
Colts
Steelers
TBD

Cleveland Browns
7001170000000000000♠ 17 years
1969 Divisional
6
1969 NFL Champ.
1971 Div.
1972 Div.
1980 Div.
1982 1st Round
1985 Div.
7–27
3–20
14–20
12–14
10–27
21–24
Vikings
Colts
Dolphins
Raiders
Raiders
Dolphins
1986 Divisional

Dallas Cowboys
7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
1996
Div !1996
Wild Card
6.2 !6
1996 Div.
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2006 Wild Card
2007 Div.
17–26
7–20
10–27
10–29
20–21
17–21
Panthers
Cardinals
Vikings
Panthers
Seahawks
Giants
2009 Wild Card

Denver Broncos
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1977
Conference
Championship
5.1 !5
1977 !Super Bowl XII
1978 Div.
1979 Wild Card
1983 Wild Card
1984 Div.
10–27
10–33
7–13
7–31
17–24
Cowboys
Steelers
Oilers
Seahawks
Steelers
1986 Divisional

Detroit Lions^
7001260000000000000♠ 26 years
1991
Divisional
9
1991.2 !1991 NFC Champ.
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1995 Wild Card
1997 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
10–41
24–28
12–16
37–58
10–20
13–27
28–45
20–24
6-26
Redskins
Packers
Packers
Eagles
Buccaneers
Redskins
Saints
Cowboys
Seahawks
TBD

Green Bay Packers
005 (2 loss) streaks
7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1997 Conference
Championship
2.2 !2
1997.2 !Super Bowl XXXII
1998 Wild Card
24–31
27–30
Broncos
49ers
2001 Wild Card

7000200000000000000♠ 2 years
2001
Wild Card
2.3 !2
2001.1 !2001 Div.
2002 Wild Card
17–45
7–27
Rams
Falcons
2003 Wild Card

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
2003
Wild Card
2.4 !2
2003.1 !2003 Div.
2004 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
17–31
Eagles
Vikings
2007 Divisional

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
2007
Divisional
2.5 !2
2007.2 !2007 NFC Champ.
2009 Wild Card
20–23 (OT)
45–51 (OT)
Giants
Cardinals
2010 Wild Card

7000200000000000000♠ 2 years
2012
Wild Card
2.6 !2
2012 Div.
2013 Wild Card
31–45
20–23
49ers
49ers
2014 Divisional

Houston Texans
7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
2012 Wild Card
2
2012.1 !2012 Divisional
2015 Wild Card
28–41
0–30
Patriots
Chiefs
2016 Wild Card

Indianapolis Colts
002 (5 loss) streaks
7001240000000000000♠24 years
1971
Divisional
5.2 !5
1971.1 !1971 AFC Champ.
1975 Div.
1976 Div.
1977 Div.
1987 Div.
0–21
10–28
14–40
31–37 (2 OT)
21–38
Dolphins
Steelers
Steelers
Raiders
Browns
1995 Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1995
Divisional
5.3 !5
1995.3 !1995 AFC Champ.
1996 Wild Card
1999 Div.
2000 Wild Card
2002 Wild Card
16–20
14–42
16–19
17–23 (OT)
0–41
Steelers
Steelers
Titans
Dolphins
Jets
2003 Wild Card

Jacksonville Jaguars
002 (2 loss) streaks
2 years
1996
Divisional
2.6 !2
1996.2 !1996 AFC Champ.
1997 Wild Card
6–20
17–42
Patriots
Broncos
1998 Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1999
Divisional
2.7 !2
1999.2 !1999 AFC Champ.
2005 Wild Card
14–33
3–28
Titans
Patriots
2007 Div !2007 Wild Card

Kansas City Chiefs
7001210000000000000♠ 21 years
1993
Divisional
8
1993.2 !1993 AFC Champ.
1994 Wild Card
1995 Div.
1997 Div.
2003 Div.
2006 Wild Card
2010 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
13–30
17–27
7–10
10–14
31–38
8–23
7–30
44–45
Bills
Dolphins
Colts
Broncos
Colts
Colts
Ravens
Colts
2015 Wild Card

Los Angeles Chargers
7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
1994
AFC Championship
4.8 !4
1994.2 !Super Bowl XXIX
1995 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
2006 Div.
26–49
20–35
17–20 (OT)
21–24
49ers
Colts
Jets
Patriots
2007 Div !2007 Wild Card

Los Angeles Rams
7001230000000000000♠ 23 years
1951
Championship
5.5 !5
1952 Nat. Conf.
1955 NFL Champ.
1967 NFL W Conf.
1969 NFL W Conf.
1973 Div.
21–31
14–38
7–28
20–23
16–27
Lions
Browns
Packers
Vikings
Cowboys
1974 Divisional

Miami Dolphins ^
002 (4 loss) streaks
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1973
Super Bowl
4.5 !4
1974 Div.
1978 Wild Card
1979 Div.
1981 Div.
26–28
9–17
14–34
38–41 (OT)
Raiders
Oilers
Steelers
Chargers
1982 First Round

7001170000000000000♠ 17 years
2000
Wild Card
4.9 !4
2000 Div.
2001 Wild Card
2008 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
0–27
3–20
9–27
12–30
Raiders
Ravens
Ravens
Steelers
TBD

Minnesota Vikings
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1988
Wild Card
6.3 !6
1988 Div.
1989 Div.
1992 Wild Card
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1996 Wild Card
9–34
13–41
7–24
10–17
18–35
15–45
49ers
49ers
Redskins
Giants
Bears
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card

New England Patriots
7001220000000000000♠ 22 years
1963
Divisional
4.6 !4
1963 AFL Champ.
1976 Div.
1978 Div.
1982 1st Round
10–51
21–24
14–31
13–28
Chargers
Raiders
Oilers
Dolphins
1985 Wild Card

New Orleans Saints
7001320000000000000♠ 32 years
1967 Enfranchised
No Playoff
Wins
till 2000
4.7 !4
1987 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
1991 Wild Card
1992 Wild Card
10–44
6–16
20–27
20–36
Vikings
Bears
Falcons
Eagles
2000 Wild Card

New York Giants
7001180000000000000♠ 18 years
1938
Championship
6.4 !6
1939 NFL Champ.
1941 NFL Champ.
1943 East Div.
1944 NFL Champ.
1946 NFL Champ.
1950 Am. Conf.
0–27
9–37
0–28
7–14
14–24
3–8
Packers
Bears
Redskins
Packers
Bears
Browns
1956 Championship

New York Jets
005 (2 loss) streaks
7001140000000000000♠ 14 years
1968
Super Bowl III
2.8 !2
1969 AFL Div.
1981 Wild Card
6–13
27–31
Chiefs
Bills
1982 First Round

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1982 2nd Round
2.9 !2
1982.1 !1982 AFC Champ.
1985 Wild Card
0–14
14–26
Dolphins
Patriots
1986 Wild Card

7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1986 Wild Card
2.91 !2
1986 Div.
1991 Wild Card
20–23 (2 OT)
10–17
Browns
Oilers
1998 World !1998 Divisional

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1998 Divisional
2.92 !2
1998.1 !1998 AFC Champ.
2001 Wild Card
10–23
24–38
Broncos
Raiders
2002 Div !2002 Wild Card

7000500000000000000♠ 5 years
2004
Wild Card
2.93 !2
2004.1 !2004 Divisional
2006 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
16–37
Steelers
Patriots
2009 Wild Card

Oakland Raiders ^
004 (2 loss) streaks
7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1970
Divisional
2.94 !2
1970 AFC Champ.
1972 Div.
17–27
7–13
Colts
Steelers
1973 Divisional

7000700000000000000♠ 7 years
1983
Super Bowl XVIII
2.95 !2
1984 Wild Card
1985 Div.
7–13
20–27
Seahawks
Patriots
1990 Divisional

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1990 Divisional
2.96 !2
1990.2 !1990 AFC Champ.
1991 Wild Card
3–51
6–10
Bills
Chiefs
1993 Wild Card

7001150000000000000♠ 15 years
2002 AFC Championship
2.96 !2
1990.2 !Super Bowl XXXVIII
2016 Wild Card
24-41
14-27
Bucs
Texans
TBD

Philadelphia Eagles
7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1980
Conference
Championship
5.4 !5
1980.1 !Super Bowl XV
1981 Wild Card
1988 Div.
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–27
21–27
12–20
7–21
6–20
Raiders
Giants
Bears
Rams
Redskins
1992 Wild Card

Pittsburgh Steelers
002 (3 loss) streaks
7000500000000000000♠ 5 years
1989
Wild Card
3.3 !3
1989.1 !1989 Div.
1992 Div.
1993 Wild Card
23–24
3–24
24–27
Broncos
Bills
Chiefs
1994 Divisional

7000400000000000000♠4 years
2010 AFC Championship
3
2010.1 !Super Bowl XLV
2011 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
25–31
23–29
17–30
Packers
Broncos
Ravens
2015 Wild Card

San Francisco 49ers
7000400000000000000♠4 years
1984
Super Bowl XIX
3.4 !3
1985 Wild Card
1986 Div.
1987 Div.
3–17
3–49
24–36
Giants
Giants
Vikings
1988 Divisional

Seattle Seahawks
7001210000000000000♠ 21 years
1984
Su !1984
Wild Card
6.5 !6
1984.2 !1984 Div.
1987 Wild Card
1988 Div.
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
10–31
20–23 (OT)
13–21
17–20
27–33 (OT)
20–27
Dolphins
Oilers
Bengals
Dolphins
Packers
Rams
2005 Divisional

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
002 (3 loss) streaks
7001180000000000000♠ 18 years
1979
Divisional
3.5 !3
1979.2 !1979 NFC Champ.
1981 Div.
1982 1st Round
0–9
0–38
17–30
Rams
Cowboys
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card

7000300000000000000♠3 years
1999
Divisional
3.6 !3
1999.3 !1999 NFC Champ.
2000 Wild Card
2001 Wild Card
6–11
3–21
9–31
Rams
Eagles
Eagles
2002 Divisional

Tennessee Titans
004 (3 loss) streaks
7001170000000000000♠ 17 years
1961 AFL
Championship
3.7 !3
1962 AFL Champ.
1967 AFL Champ.
1969 AFL Div.
17–20 (2 OT)
7–40
7–56
Chief !Dallas Texans
Raiders
Raiders
1978 Wild Card

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1988
Wild Card
3.8 !3
1988 Div.
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–17
23–26 (OT)
14–41
Bills
Steelers
Bengals
1991 Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1991
Div !1991
Wild Card
3.9 !3
1991.1 !1991 Divisional
1992 Wild Card
1993 Divisional
24–26
38–41 (OT)
20–28
Broncos
Bills
Chiefs
1999 Wild Card

7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
2003
Wild Card
3.91 !3
2003.3 !2003 Div.
2007 Wild Card
2008 Div.
14–17
6–17
10–13
Patriots
Chargers
Ravens
2017 Wild Card

Washington Redskins ^
002 (4 loss) streaks
7001100000000000000♠ 10 years
1972
NFC Championship
4.9 !4
1972.2 !Super Bowl VII
1973 Div.
1974 Div.
1976 Div.
7–14
20–27
10–19
20–35
Dolphins
Vikings
Rams
Vikings
1982 First Round

7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
2005
Wild Card
4.9 !4
2005 Div.
2007 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
10–20
14–35
14–24
18–35
Seahawks
Seahawks
Seahawks
Packers
TBD

Team
Streak lasted
Last win
Games Lost
Playoff Games
Score
Opponent
Next win

text: Longest post-season droughts in team history[edit]

text: Note that the NFL did not institute a permanent playoff tournament until 1967 and that the NFL Championship Game and any impromptu one-game playoffs (played only in the event of a tie atop the division standings) were the only postseason matchups in this era (the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl is considered an exhibition game for the purpose of this list).

text: Updated through the 2017 season.

text:
0^0
Denotes active streak

text:
No post season appearances

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season appearances
Seasons

Washington Redskins
1946–1970
25

Arizona Cardinals
1949–1973
25

Pittsburgh Steelers
1948–1971
24

New Orleans Saints
1967–1986
20

Denver Broncos
1960–1976
17

Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1977
17

New York Giants
1964–1980
17

Buffalo Bills
2000–2016
17

Detroit Lions
1936–1951
16

Green Bay Packers
1945–1959
15

Cleveland Browns^
2003–2017^
15

Kansas City Chiefs
1972–1985
14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1983–1996
14

Cincinnati Bengals
1991–2004
14

Chicago Bears
1964–1976
13

Los Angeles Chargers
1966–1978
13

Oakland Raiders
2003–2015
13

San Francisco 49ers
1958–1969
12

New England Patriots
1964–1975
12

Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977
12

Los Angeles Rams
2005–2016
12

New York Jets
1970–1980
11

Seattle Seahawks
1989–1998
10

Indianapolis Colts
1978–1986
9

Houston Texans
2002–2010
9

Jacksonville Jaguars
2008–2016
9

Tennessee Titans
1970–1977
2009–2016

8

Minnesota Vikings
1961–1967
7

Miami Dolphins
2009–2015
7

Dallas Cowboys
1960–1965
6

Carolina Panthers
1997–2002
6

Baltimore Ravens
1996–1999
4

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season appearances
Seasons

No post season victories

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season victories
Seasons

Arizona Cardinals
1948–1997
50

Pittsburgh Steelers
1933–1971
39

Detroit Lions
1958–1990
33

New Orleans Saints
1967–1999
33

Washington Redskins
1944–1971
28

Cincinnati Bengals^
1991–2017^
27

Indianapolis Colts
1972–1994
23

Los Angeles Rams
1952–1973
22

New York Giants
1959–1980
22

Buffalo Bills^
1996–2017^
22

New England Patriots
1964–1984
21

Kansas City Chiefs
1970–1990
1994–2014
21

San Francisco 49ers
1950–1969
20

Chicago Bears
1964–1983
20

Seattle Seahawks
1985–2004
20

Cleveland Browns^
1995, 1999–2017^
20

Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1978
18

Denver Broncos
1960–1976
17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1980–1996
17

Miami Dolphins^
2001–2017^
17

Green Bay Packers
1945–1960
16

Tennessee Titans
1962–1977
16

Los Angeles Chargers
1964–1979
16

Oakland Raiders^
2003–2017^
15

New York Jets
1969–1981
13

Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977;
1979–1990
12

Dallas Cowboys
1997–2008
12

Houston Texans
2002–2010
9

Jacksonville Jaguars
2008–2016
9

Minnesota Vikings
1961–1968;
1989–1996
8

Carolina Panthers
2006–2013
8

Baltimore Ravens
2002–2007
6

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season victories
Seasons