Doctor Who: 11 Greatest Matt Smith Stories

9. The Eleventh Hour

From the very end to the very beginning, 'The Eleventh Hour' is a classic piece of entertainment. Not only is it one of the best series openers it is one of the most effective first episodes for a Doctor. Matt Smith has his portrayal down from the very beginning and so many things are set up. His lasting friendship with Amy, his enduring ability to relate to children and treat them like equals, The Pandorica, The Silence and Rory's journey to becoming an intergalactic hero.

The dialogue is witty, memorable moments like fish custard offer levity to an episode that is telling a very serious story, the story of a poor, lonely girl who is abandoned by all of her guardians. The Doctor's innate authority is put into question, he's shown to have ruined a poor girl's life €“ accidentally but still irresponsibly €“ it's an interesting dilemma.

Moffat taps into an unsettling idea of mouths speaking with voices that are not their own, adding Prisoner Zero to his roster of freaky baddies. It is clever how Moffat utilities everyday technology to defeat the villain as it makes the resolution to the story that much more satisfying since we understand how it was done. Despite having no TARDIS and no sonic screwdriver the Doctor saves the day in style, leaving the audience satisfied with the new guy at the helm.