Doctor Who: EVERY Steven Moffat Episode Ranked Worst To Best

16. The Beast Below

Starship UK Doctor Who The Beast Below
BBC Studios

After the whimsical feel of the first episode of Series 5, the second episode The Beast Below took on a much darker tone.

This episode immediately proved that Steven Moffat and Matt Smith were capable of delivering a wide range of stories for this new era of Doctor Who, with a fascinating far-future mystery set aboard a starship version of the UK – minus Scotland.

It's a terrific setting for a powerful story, affording the Eleventh Doctor yet another defining moment right at the beginning of his journey:

"Nobody human has anything to say to me today!"

And anyone who didn't cry for the Star Whale is a Cyberman!

In this post: 
Doctor Who
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.