10 Most Watched Episodes Of Modern Doctor Who
7. The Time Of The Doctor- 11.14 Million
An intriguing episode, this Christmas special proved a fitting farewell for Matt Smith while still featuring some of Moffat's weaknesses as head writer. Following up from the success of the 50th anniversary The Day of The Doctor episode which saw the return of Tennant, the unexpected departure of Smith had Moffat scrambling to wrap up all those story arcs that had been dragging on for so long.
The episode proves to be a mixed bag, the rushed conclusion to the 'Silence' and 'Crack in Time' story arcs ringing a little hollow. But as a farewell to Matt Smith's Doctor it works a treat, the premise of the Doctor literally dying of old age proving extremely effective. Smith was at the peak of his powers at this point and his chemistry with Jenna Coleman as the underrated Clara is first rate.
The fact that over 11 million tuned in to watch this episode just a month after the massively hyped The Day of the Doctor was evidence of the love the audience had for Matt Smith. He may have taken a series and a half to really get his teeth into the role, but by the time of his departure he still had fans watching in massive numbers.