Doctor Who: Best Episode Of Every Series
8. Series 5: The Eleventh Hour
Honourable Mentions: Amy’s Choice, Vincent And The Doctor, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
The Eleventh Hour had so much riding on it. New Doctor, new TARDIS, new companions, new sonic-screwdriver, new showrunner, new production team, new… well everything. No wonder Steven Moffat called it the hardest episode he’d ever written.
And despite all that pressure, it’s one of his best.
A freshly regenerated Eleventh Doctor crash lands at the home of Amy Pond, a young girl terrified of a crack in her bedroom wall. Returning 12 years later, the Doctor and a grownup Amy have just 20 minutes to save the Earth.
As stories go, it’s your standard race against the clock style plot, really entertaining if not a little unspectacular. What makes The Eleventh Hour tick is the performances. Matt Smith is instantly electric in his debut episode. His energy and enthusiasm for the role is infectious to watch. All the doubts about whether he could fill Tennant’s sneakers were instantly squashed. His, “Hello. I’m The Doctor”, scene is the standout moment of the episode, if not Smith’s entire era.
Karen Gillan equally shines as Amy, a very different companion to what audiences had seen before on the show and Arthur Darvill also gets an opportunity to introduce the ever-lovable Rory Williams.
In all the Eleventh Hour gets the Smith/Moffat era off to a bang with a highly entertaining adventure that sets up Series 5 brilliantly.
Fun side note, not only does pre-Oscar win Olivia Coleman feature, but the episode also stars Game Of Thrones and Umbrella Academy star Tom Hopper in a small role. It’s pretty amazing what you learn on a re-watch.