Doctor Who: Every 11th Doctor Episode Ranked Worse To Best
From the Eleventh Hour to The Time of The Doctor, here is every 11th Doctor story ranked...
When announced as the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith was faced with an almost impossible challenge. He had to take over the reins of the beloved character from not just one of the most beloved Doctors of all time, but one of the most popular actors in the country: David Tennant.
Aged just 26 at the time of his casting, it seemed he could only fail. However, he managed to create an eccentric and lovable Doctor that paid tribute to the previous incarnations while providing something fresh.
His tenure as the Doctor saw the return of the beloved Weeping Angels, the introduction of more timey-wimey plots and (after the debut of his outfit) saw bow tie sales increase by 94%. This speaks to the immense popularity of such an iconic embodiment of the Time Lord as he influenced the fashion of a nation.
While he had his kooky catchphrases, "geronimo" and "[insert blank] are cool", the 11th Doctor was more than the one-dimensional eccentric ball of energy he appeared to resemble. Never has such a young face successfully conveyed the pain and complexity of this world-weary Time Lord since Smith.
There were many highs during the three series of the 11th Doctor, from the invention of the creepy Silence to the eagerly anticipated revelation of who River Song actually was. However, for every golden moment there were also some episodes which fans would rather forget.
39. The Rings Of Akhaten
Terrible CGI scooters flying through space, cringe-worthy dialogue and a forgettable plot. This may be a contender for worst Doctor Who story of the 21st century but for now the title of worst 11th Doctor episode will have to do.
It may seem cruel to pick on Neil Cross’s first stab at writing a story for the Time Lord but considering he created and wrote the incredible Luther this should have been so much better. This episode also features the predictable formula of making the new companion’s first adventure a space station full of aliens which had already been done with Rose in The End of the World and Amy in The Beast Below.
There are glimpses of good ideas in The Rings of Akhaten such as the Doctor exploring Clara’s childhood at the beginning of the episode. However, the episode's finale where Clara holds up the leaf responsible for her mum and dad meeting to a CGI villain is laughable and marks a low point for the show.