Every Doctor Who Series Opener - Ranked Worst To Best

After four years of David Tennant, there were fears Doctor Who would struggle after his and Russell T. Davies' departure. Those fears were not realised.

The Eleventh Hour is one of the best Eleventh Doctor episodes, proving the show could indeed continue with the right actor and showrunner. Matt Smith gives his all and was instantly beloved by audiences, firmly establishing that bow ties are cool, and fish fingers with custard is delicious. Okay, maybe not the second one.

The story is fast-paced and exhilarating, without being too over-complicated. Concluding with The Doctor's excellent rooftop confrontation with the Atraxi, and Smith's: "Hello, I'm the Doctor", still gives fans goosebumps.

This episode also sees the beginning of the crack in the wall and 'Silence will fall' mystery which continued throughout Smith's tenure, and there's even an appearance by future Oscar winner, Olivia Coleman, just to add some extra star quality.

This is the very best series opener, successfully rebooting/continuing Doctor Who into the 2010s, further ensuring that the greatest sci-fi show of all time lives on forever.