Stories Television Doctor Who Series 5 Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 The Eleventh Hour 5 images Overview Characters How to Watch Reviews 7 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 8 Transcript + Script Overview First aired Saturday, April 3, 2010 Production Code 1.1 Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Adam Smith Runtime 62 minutes Story Type Clean break, New TARDIS interior, New Companion Introduction, New Doctor Introduction Time Travel Present Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Shape Shifting, The Doctor Falls Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) Crack in time, Silence Will Fall Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Psychic Paper, Handcuffs, Sonic Screwdriver Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, England, Leadworth UK Viewers 10.09 million Appreciation Index 86 Synopsis After a literally explosive regeneration, the brand new Eleventh Doctor survives a crash-landing to Earth. However, he has little time to recover. With a mysterious crack in a little girl's wall and a missing alien prisoner, the Doctor is in for an adventure. However, with the TARDIS damaged and the sonic screwdriver destroyed, can the Doctor capture the rogue alien before its jailers burn Earth to a crisp? Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save Characters Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith Amy Pond Karen Gillan First Appearance Prisoner Zero First Appearance Rory Williams Arthur Darvill First Appearance Show All Characters (4) How to watch The Eleventh Hour: Watch on iPlayer Doctor Who Confidential Blu-Ray The Complete Fifth Series [Steelbook] The Complete Fifth Series DVD The Complete Fifth Series DVD Series 5: Volume 1 Blu-Ray Series 5: Volume 1 Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 7 reviews 1 May 2025 · 1 words Review by gabe_the_cool interestant gabe_the_cool View profile Like Liked 0 21 April 2025 · 73 words Review by joeymapes21 An incredibly comforting piece of Doctor Who. From his first moments, this Doctor feels perfectly formed. No other Doctor has stepped into the role, showcasing their Doctor in the first episode as well as Smith. The mission statement of the era is layed out clear - fairy tale Doctor Who. For me, it's just beautiful, from the music, direction, performances, it's a wonderful story to lay out this era, and is just fantastic. joeymapes21 View profile Like Liked 0 17 January 2025 · 770 words Review by mndy Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Re-watched this recently with a friend to introduce her to DW. Her boyfriend and I are on a mission here. Man, this was my first episode all those years ago! My Doctor! I’ll try to be critical, but honestly, how can I when this is why I’m even here in the first place? This is such a good intro episode to the show. The plot is quite simple, but already plays with the key elements of the show, aliens and time travel (of course). Prisoner Zero is not really menacing as a villain (does it even do anything harmful to anyone?), but the Atraxi threat is clear and appropriately high stakes. But that’s not really the important thing here, is it? Matt Smith (and Steven Moffat, the new showrunner) had gigantic, immense shoes to fill. David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor was an icon, there’s no way to deny it. His last episodes were a big, emotional farewell not only to Ten, but to the whole RTD era. Looking back, I can help but feel like they overdid it with the drama of Ten’s regeneration. I mean, he goes through the stages of grief for like half an hour of television, and his “I don’t wanna go” tells us he doesn’t quite reach acceptance. That probably made Matt’s and Moffat’s work here harder than it had to be, as the new men who were “sauntering away” with the Doctor and the show. But yeah, DT was a tough act to follow: a fantastic actor with huge charisma. Matt Smith does not have huge charisma. He is, and I believe this can be scientifically proven, the source of all charisma in the universe. I really think it’s impossible to not like this guy within 30 seconds of seeing him. And he’s also a fantastic actor. Eleven, much like Ten, has a motormouth, but his performance still manages to keep the dialogue grounded and interesting. The whole way he moves is just fascinating to watch. He talks with his hands, he’s never still. I’ve seen it pointed out that he never just turns left or right, he spins 270 degrees, and that’s true! Oh, and he can deliver badass Doctor veeeery well. Ten was usually either silent, cold fury or yelling outrage; Eleven is more boastful, more prone to big speeches, to open-armed “come and get me” stances. His speech to the Atraxi in this episode already shows it. I remember when I first watched it. The combination of the outfit reveal (another hit), Murray’s ICONIC “I’m the Doctor” (best Doctor theme, no contest), and his delivery of “I am the Doctor. Basically, run” gave me honest to God goosebumps. And didn’t even properly grasp the context of what was happening there, because it was my first ever episode! Apart from the ditzyness, motormouth, “uncoolness”, and unexpected authority, the rest of Eleven’s main traits don’t show up yet, but that’s fine. It is only a 45min episode after all, and he has a whole series ahead of him. Getting the companion right on the first episode was also important. Our last companion was powerhouse Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, after all. But Amy was also an instant hit. A little girl praying to Santa to help her with the crack in her wall? Loved that. From the start we see that she’s clever, resourceful, rebellious, and brave. And then comes Karen Gillan, and gives us a perfect grown up version of her who is still all those things, but also without purpose or prospects, seemingly settling for the uncomplicated childhood friend Rory more due to inertia than true love (at this point in time, of course!). So when adventure presents itself in the form of her long lost “imaginary friend”, she confronts him for abandoning her, yes, but of course she goes with him. As another reviewer said, we could have done without the kissogram aspect, although Amy is consistently a very flirty character. Okay, Doctor is check, Amy is check. The last thing they had to nail is their chemistry. Tennant and Tate worked so well together that they’re friends to this day. Could Matt and Karen match that energy? Yes. Yes, they could, and they did. I wrote too much already, but yeah, in the end, this episode and everything it represents have a very special place in my heart, and I don’t think it’s nostalgia talking. Hat’s off to Moffat. He really hit a homerun on the start of his reign as showrunner by showing solid and fun characters with a solid and fun story, with a great cast to back it up. mndy View profile Like Liked 1 23 November 2024 · 80 words Review by VoRus1 2 I will be as honest as I can: this is not an ideal episode of Doctor Who. But it was one of the first episodes I ever watched. And I love it for it. Nothing too special, simple premise, but a really good time (and also really effective Clean Break for new Whovians). And... Yes... My review is shamelessly written for the sake of getting the new badge! Although I truly rewatched it, don't think I'm trying to fool you VoRus1 View profile Like Liked 2 18 August 2024 · 23 words Review by captainjackenoch 1 I thought this episode was boring as sin when I was a kid and 11 was my favorite doctor based on cultural osmosis alone. captainjackenoch View profile Like Liked 1 Show All Reviews (7) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating891 members 4.28 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating1,571 votes 4.30 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1751 Favourited 306 Reviewed 7 Saved 3 Skipped 1 Related Stories The Blogs of Doom Prisoner Zero Rating: ??? Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Blogs of Doom Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who Lockdown The Raggedy Doctor by Amelia Pond Rating: 3.62 Story Skipped Webcast Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Lockdown Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: I'm the Doctor. Do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off. — Eleventh Doctor, The Eleventh Hour Show All Quotes (8) Open in new window Transcript + Script [TARDIS] (The TARDIS is tumbling out of control and exploding inside. It flies over the Millennium Dome with the Doctor dangling from the threshold, sonic screwdriver between his teeth and trying to pull himself back inside. They are heading straight for the Parliament Clock Tower, so the Doctor sonics the controls and changes course just in time. He climbs back inside and shuts the doors behind him, exhausted, as the TARDIS careers on its way.) [Bedroom] (Night time. A pinwheel rattles in the overgrown garden of an old house. A little red-haired Scottish girl is saying her prayers.) AMELIA: Dear Santa. Thank you for the dolls and pencils and the fish. It's Easter now, so I hope I didn't wake you, but honest, it is an emergency. There's a crack in my wall. Aunt Sharon says it's just an ordinary crack, but I know it's not, because at night there's voices, so please, please, could you send someone to fix it? Or a policeman. Or a- Show Full Transcript Open in new window View Script (PDF)