The Eleventh Hour

The Eleventh Hour, Spearhead from Space and Power of the Daleks are the clear frontrunners for "best debut story" across the (currently) 13 Doctors. But as this is the story that caught me at the tender age of 17, this is the one I have the most powerful connection to. I teared up a couple of times on my most recent viewing - it had the biggest emotional impact of anything from the marathon so far. So much praise needs to be heaped on Adam Smith for his direction of this story. Bar from Skins, then a couple of Doctor Who credits, his CV is fairly minimal. How that could be based on the monumental introduction to Matt Smith's Doctor is beyond me.

Matt Smith, Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill just work. Inspired casting. Steven Moffat's trick with the time jumps adds a sentimental longing to story which gives it an spooky fairy-tale vibe.* Amy, the girl who waited, twice. And now she's waited long enough. The scenes with child Amelia are so sweet, so perfectly acted, and a great introduction to the new Doctor. You can see the instant connection between the two characters, then the psychological impact that being left behind has on Amy . And how the impact of having to live up to the whirlwind presence of the Raggedy Doctor impacted Rory.

Plot wise proceedings are thin but it doesn't matter in the slightest. You have to introduce two new companions, a new Doctor and the re-energised tone of the show. The future of the show has never looked so bright, so hopeful.

The only thing I'd change in 2023 is the "kiss-o-gram" theme. I'd have had Amy in "fancy dress" when she is reintroduced to The Doctor. Having Karen Gillian in a short skirt is one thing, but then immediately sexualise her on arrival as an adult is a bit icky. The flaw in the Persian rug.

*I know Moffat said the whole "fairy-tale" tag was just nonsense branding, but I think he is wrong. Series 5 is a fairy-tale through and through. So there