10 Greatest Cold Opens In Doctor Who
These episodes had audiences on the edge of their seats before the opening titles had even rolled...
The cold open, or pre-titles scene, has been a staple of Doctor Who since its 2005 revival (well, until Chris Chibnall decided otherwise) and has almost become as synonymous with the show as the iconic WOOOOO-EEEEE-OOOO that it precedes.
The intention of these scenes is to grab and hold the attention of the casual audience and give them a hook to draw them into the rest of the episode.
More often than not, these cold opens fall into one of two categories: a) The Doctor and their companion arrive in the TARDIS and notice something is awry; or b) A nameless redcoat is murdered by the monster of the week.
Whilst these scenes are often more than serviceable and do their job, many are forgettable and are mainly there to inject some energy early into the episode. Some cold opens can even be skipped without impacting the viewing experience whatsoever, but sometimes these scenes shine, building hype in casual and hardcore viewers alike and adding vital context or depth to the episode. Here are 10 standout cold opens that do just that.
10. Danny's Demise - Dark Water
It's not often that a member of the main cast is killed off before the opening titles, not just in Doctor Who, but in television full stop. Perhaps that's why the unceremonious offing of Danny Pink just moments into Dark Water works so well. The audience feel as blindsided by his sudden death as Clara does, making it one hell of a gut-punch.
There is zero indication that Danny's time has come, with the car coming very much out of nowhere (much like it would happen in real life), and it is made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that Clara was, for the first time, being honest with him about her trips with the Doctor. The following moments are beautifully acted and shot, as the world carries on turning around Clara whilst she is rooted in the spot he died.
A memorial springs up in front of her, accompanied by a voice over of Coal Hill's headteacher announcing Danny's death to the pupils. These scenes really help this death feel more permanent (and to be fair, for once it actually is, after some brief shenanigans).
Clara's demeanor changes entirely in the final scene of this cold open, in which she speaks to her granny and phones the Doctor. She tells the former that Danny's death was 'boring' which feels like a very believable response for her character, and whilst its clear to the audience that she is about to betray the Doctor, we do not know the severity of what is about to happen or if there will be lasting repercussions.
It's worth noting that at this point, viewers did not know if Jenna Coleman would be returning for the Christmas special or series 9, meaning that those watching when it first aired could absolutely buy this betrayal as being the end of Twelve and Clara's relationship.
All in all, this was a lot of meaty content to include in the opening scenes, but it set up a finale that really broke the mold in terms of formula.