Doctor Who: EVERY Doctor Ranked Worst To Best

In theory, following David Tennant was always going to be a tall order. But in practice, the show struck gold with Matt Smith.

The Eleventh Doctor is a combination of unlikely elements – a thousand-year-old Time Lord in the body of a twenty-something, with a great big quiff and the wardrobe of a university professor. Yet Smith absolutely sold it, serving up a quirky yet alluring performance, and singlehandedly making tweed jackets, bow ties, fezzes, and Stetsons cool.

As well as Smith, much of Eleven’s success was down to the way he was written. Elements of the Doctor’s personality that were present before – his intelligence, his eccentricity, his childlike wonder – were dialled up to eleven, resulting in an incarnation who’s intellectually one step ahead, yet easily distracted and utterly hopeless at reading social cues. It was an incredibly fun mix and it's no surprise Smith struck the global chord that he did.

This was also the beginning of Steven Moffat’s examination of the Doctor’s ego, with his opinion of himself, and his place in the universe, constantly questioned. It’s weighty stuff for a children’s TV show, but made for fascinating viewing across a satisfying three-series arc.

All these years later, the love for Eleven is more apparent than ever. And if Tennant can come back, surely he can too!