Doctor Who: EVERY Series Opener Ranked Worst To Best

Deep Breath is a strong start for the Twelfth Doctor, with superb performances from Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, and some smart use of familiar elements to ease the transition between Doctors (the Paternoster Gang, Victorian London, the Clockwork Robots, and even Matt Smith!).

It’s also the longest single-part opener we've had so far, with an extended runtime of 76 minutes. On the whole, this works well, allowing the Doctor and Clara to rebuild their relationship at a more natural pace. The restaurant scene, in particular, really benefits from the extra breathing room (ahem).

However, other parts – such as Strax’s demonstration of his Blue-Peter-competition-winner gadget – feel pretty dispensable. It’s probably a bit too long overall, and a few more cuts definitely wouldn’t have gone amiss.

That said, Deep Breath still holds up really well. The idea of the Twelfth Doctor struggling with his new identity was the perfect way to begin considering many at home were doing the same thing, so by the time the Matt Smith scene hits, both we and Clara are ready to accept Capaldi as the new Doctor.