Doctor Who: EVERY Steven Moffat Episode Ranked Worst To Best

8. The Eleventh Hour

Doctor Who The Eleventh Hour Matt Smith TARDIS
BBC Studios

Steven Moffat and Matt Smith had major shoes to fill coming into Series 5, and The Eleventh Hour was under a lot of pressure to convince audiences that Doctor Who was still in safe hands. In this, it absolutely succeeded.

The shift in tone from the darker drama of David Tennant's final episodes to a more enchanting, playful vibe worked incredibly well, and proved that, just like the classic series, that the modern series could undergo significant changes both in front of and behind the camera, and continue to thrive.

Moffat added a breath of new life into Doctor Who right from the off, and the decision to introduce the Eleventh Doctor through the big bright eyes of young Amelia Pond instantly gave viewers a similar sense of wonder and awe for this new incarnation.

It accomplished the most important job of a post-regeneration episode – to get audiences onboard with the new Doctor – in record time. And the rest of the episode isn't half bad to boot!

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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.