The Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"The Eleventh Hour" is an episode of the British
science fiction
television series Doctor Who
. It was first broadcast on BBC One
and BBC HD
on 3 April 2010.
The first episode under Steven Moffat
's tenure as head writer and executive producer
, "The Eleventh Hour" is also the first full episode to star Matt Smith as the Doctor, and introduces Karen Gillan
as Amy Pond
and Arthur Darvill
as Rory Williams
. Amateur astronomer
and The Sky at Night
presenter Patrick Moore
makes a guest appearance as himself.
Doctor
(Matt Smith) crash-lands his damaged TARDIS
in Leadworth, in 1996. He meets seven-year-old Amelia Pond (Caitlin Blackwood), who shows him a scary crack in her bedroom wall. The Doctor discovers it is a crack in time and space itself, briefly opening it to discover an Atraxi prison. The Atraxi send a psychic message to the Doctor that "Prisoner Zero has escaped". Then the TARDIS's cloister bell is heard; the Doctor races back to his machine, promising Amelia that he will be back in five minutes.
The Doctor returns, unaware that he's 12 years late. On searching the house, he is knocked out and wakes up handcuffed. He discovers his assailant is a much older Amelia, now going by the name Amy
(Karen Gillan
). Amy, having believed in the Doctor's return and created toys and stories about him, has been ridiculed by others in the village. She finds the Doctor's damaged sonic screwdriver
, dodging Prisoner Zero, and they flee the house.
Shortly afterwards, the Atraxi arrive in orbit, alerted by the Doctor's arrival, and issue an ultimatum: if Prisoner Zero is not found, the Earth will be destroyed. Meeting Amy's boyfriend Rory
(Arthur Darvill
), the Doctor realizes that Prisoner Zero, a multiform (shapeshifter
) that can take the form of any unconscious being it has come in contact with, is borrowing the forms of a nearby hospital's coma patients. The Doctor uses a laptop to gatecrash an online meeting of scientific experts and relay specific instructions to them.
The Doctor races to the hospital, and arrives in time to save Amy and Rory from Prisoner Zero. The Doctor reveals his plan: he has created a computer virus that will broadcast the number "zero" across the world. It is tied to Rory's phone, which contains images of the coma patients, identifying Prisoner Zero in whatever form it may take. Prisoner Zero reveals it has one more form that is not on Rory's phone. Prisoner Zero knocks out Amy and transforms into the Doctor and young Amelia, whom it was able to bond with during the Doctor's absence. The Doctor realizes that Amy can hear him speaking and manipulates her subconscious to remember the form of Zero she saw in the house, which forces Zero to reveal its true form; it is identified by the Atraxi and transported away. Zero again warns the Doctor that "the Pandorica will open... silence will fall." The Atraxi fleet leaves the Earth, but the Doctor calls them back and he tells them he is the Earth's protector.
As the Atraxi leave, the Doctor finds the TARDIS, and departs before Amy or Rory can catch up. The Doctor returns back to Amy's house, finding that another two years have passed. Though Amy is still upset with the Doctor, she readily accepts his offer to travel with him, as long as he can return her the next day. As the TARDIS dematerializes, the viewer is shown Amy's bedroom, where, alongside her toys and drawings of the "raggedy Doctor," is her wedding dress.
as lead writer and executive producer of the show. The title of the episode is both a reference to the introduction of the Eleventh Doctor and his being there nearly too late, the meaning of the phrase. Moffat was inspired by a crack in his son's bedroom wall and developed the idea into the main story arc of the series. He also drew inspiration from A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner
, specifically the scene where Tigger
claims to like everything, but then proceeds to reject all food offered to him until he finally finds that he likes extract of malt, to create a similar scenario with the newly regenerated Doctor and young Amy.
still in the Tenth Doctor
's outfit were shot in Cardiff
in October 2009. Some scenes based in the fictional village of Leadworth were filmed on the Cathedral Green, Llandaff
, Cardiff, on 7 October.
appears as himself in the video conference with a brief speaking part, in an appearance similar to that of zoologist Richard Dawkins
in "The Stolen Earth
". Arthur Cox
previously played Cully in the 1968 Second Doctor
serial, The Dominators
.
, by almost 2.5 million viewers. This high rating placed the episode in the top ten programmes of the week, ranking at number eight; all of the other top ten programmes are soap operas. The final BBC1 rating was 9.59 million viewers. This placed the episode at number two for the entire week on BBC1 and number four for the entire week across all channels. Once viewers to the BBC HD channel were included, the BARB figure rose to 10.08 million in total, placing the show at number three.
on 17 April 2010 and in Canada on the same date on Space. The episode was viewed by almost 1.2 million on BBC America, making it their highest rated telecast at the time.
The episode aired in Australia on 18 April on ABC1. It could also be viewed on ABC's website iView two days prior to the television air date, on 16 April. The show was broadcast two weeks after airing in Britain, as the BBC required a fortnight to edit down the Doctor Who Confidential: Cut Down. There was no room for the equivalent Doctor Who Confidential
"Call Me the Doctor" due to the hour running time, but ABC holds the rights and has made it available on iView.
The episode aired in New Zealand on 2 May on Prime
. This episode was broadcast in South Africa on 15 November 2010 on BBC Entertainment
and in France on 12 February 2011 on France 4
.
", "Victory of the Daleks
" and special features was released on 7 June 2010.
reviewer Sinclair McKay called "The Eleventh Hour" a "deft first epsiode" that was "packed with one-liners and an even more fantastical feel than of late. But it had that old reassuring combination of intense Britishness, quirkiness and a sense of the macabre". He also praised Gillan's "winning" performance and Smith's adaption to the role, concluding, "Smith might turn out to be one of the best Time Lords of the lot". Benji Wilson, for The Daily Telegraph
, wrote "It was ridiculous but it felt right: mad, alien, brand-new but very old. A+ to the casting director. A+ to Smith". He also said that Gillan "110 per cent nailed it". Though he compared Prisoner Zero's low-budget CGI makeup to a "draught excluder", he said that Moffat "turned a weakness into a strength" by having Prisoner Zero take the form of humans. Matthew Bell, in The Observer
, said: 'From the moment he appeared, dangling from the doorway of his time machine, the new boy demonstrated that he can more than fill the shoes of his predecessor.' 'Matt Smith fights aliens. He wears tweed. He loves custard. He is the Doctor. And he might be more the Doctor than anyone who was the Doctor before.' Roland White for The Times
wrote, "The previous doctor, David Tennant, smouldered his way across the space-time continuum. Smith is more of a geek-chic Time Lord...Smith is a much more quixotic, light-hearted Doctor than Tennant, who seemed to carry the cares of the universe on his shoulders".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It was first broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
on 3 April 2010.
The first episode under Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
's tenure as head writer and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, "The Eleventh Hour" is also the first full episode to star Matt Smith as the Doctor, and introduces Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan
Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and former model who is best known for her current portrayal of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
as Amy Pond
Amy Pond
Amelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Arthur Darvill
Arthur Darvill
Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill. He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute and Swimming with Sharks , but is probably best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's Companion Rory Williams in the television series Doctor Who.-Early and...
as Rory Williams
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
. Amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
and The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
presenter Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
makes a guest appearance as himself.
Synopsis
The newly regeneratedRegeneration (Doctor Who)
Regeneration, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey. This process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new...
Doctor
Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
(Matt Smith) crash-lands his damaged TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
in Leadworth, in 1996. He meets seven-year-old Amelia Pond (Caitlin Blackwood), who shows him a scary crack in her bedroom wall. The Doctor discovers it is a crack in time and space itself, briefly opening it to discover an Atraxi prison. The Atraxi send a psychic message to the Doctor that "Prisoner Zero has escaped". Then the TARDIS's cloister bell is heard; the Doctor races back to his machine, promising Amelia that he will be back in five minutes.
The Doctor returns, unaware that he's 12 years late. On searching the house, he is knocked out and wakes up handcuffed. He discovers his assailant is a much older Amelia, now going by the name Amy
Amy Pond
Amelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan
Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and former model who is best known for her current portrayal of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
). Amy, having believed in the Doctor's return and created toys and stories about him, has been ridiculed by others in the village. She finds the Doctor's damaged sonic screwdriver
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
, dodging Prisoner Zero, and they flee the house.
Shortly afterwards, the Atraxi arrive in orbit, alerted by the Doctor's arrival, and issue an ultimatum: if Prisoner Zero is not found, the Earth will be destroyed. Meeting Amy's boyfriend Rory
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
(Arthur Darvill
Arthur Darvill
Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill. He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute and Swimming with Sharks , but is probably best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's Companion Rory Williams in the television series Doctor Who.-Early and...
), the Doctor realizes that Prisoner Zero, a multiform (shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
) that can take the form of any unconscious being it has come in contact with, is borrowing the forms of a nearby hospital's coma patients. The Doctor uses a laptop to gatecrash an online meeting of scientific experts and relay specific instructions to them.
The Doctor races to the hospital, and arrives in time to save Amy and Rory from Prisoner Zero. The Doctor reveals his plan: he has created a computer virus that will broadcast the number "zero" across the world. It is tied to Rory's phone, which contains images of the coma patients, identifying Prisoner Zero in whatever form it may take. Prisoner Zero reveals it has one more form that is not on Rory's phone. Prisoner Zero knocks out Amy and transforms into the Doctor and young Amelia, whom it was able to bond with during the Doctor's absence. The Doctor realizes that Amy can hear him speaking and manipulates her subconscious to remember the form of Zero she saw in the house, which forces Zero to reveal its true form; it is identified by the Atraxi and transported away. Zero again warns the Doctor that "the Pandorica will open... silence will fall." The Atraxi fleet leaves the Earth, but the Doctor calls them back and he tells them he is the Earth's protector.
As the Atraxi leave, the Doctor finds the TARDIS, and departs before Amy or Rory can catch up. The Doctor returns back to Amy's house, finding that another two years have passed. Though Amy is still upset with the Doctor, she readily accepts his offer to travel with him, as long as he can return her the next day. As the TARDIS dematerializes, the viewer is shown Amy's bedroom, where, alongside her toys and drawings of the "raggedy Doctor," is her wedding dress.
Continuity
- In the closing scene of this episode, The Doctor snaps his fingers to open the doors of the TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
and reveal to the interior to Amy. This is a special trick that his previous incarnationTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
learned from River SongRiver Song (Doctor Who)River Song is a fictional character played primarily by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS...
in "Silence in the LibrarySilence in the Library"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
" / "Forest of the DeadForest of the Dead"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008...
".
- When the Doctor tries to signal the Atraxi ship, his sonic screwdriverSonic screwdriverThe sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
is destroyed, having been malfunctioning previously in the episode. He acquires a new screwdriver of a new design, with a green light, from the TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
console as the episode closes. This episode also marks the first appearance of the new interior and exterior TARDIS designs. The TARDIS exterior features the logo of the St John Ambulance, last seen in 1965.
- When the Doctor scans the crack in Amelia's wall with his sonic screwdriver, he says 'Wibbley wobbley, timey wimey', a statement used by the Tenth DoctorTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
in Moffat's previous episode "BlinkBlink (Doctor Who)"Blink" is the 10th episode of the third series of the new production of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2007, and is the only episode in the 2007 series written by Steven Moffat; the episode is based on a previous short story written by...
"
- While inspecting the crack in Amy's wall early in the episode, he mentions that she's "had some cowboys in here", repeating a line from the Moffat-written "The Girl in the FireplaceThe Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
".
- When the Doctor calls back the Atraxi, he refers to their threat to incinerate the Earth as illegal under the Shadow Proclamation, a space government organisation first mentioned in "RoseRose (Doctor Who)"Rose" is the first episode of Series One of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak, the episode was first broadcast on 26 March 2005....
" and seen in "The Stolen EarthThe Stolen Earth"The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was written by show runner and head writer Russell T Davies and is the first of a two-part crossover story; the concluding episode is...
". He states that Earth is a fully established Level Five planet by the Proclamation's standards.
- When the Atraxi are then bidden to check Earth media records and so confirm the Doctor's threat that the planet is protected, flashbacks from both the revived and classic series are shown. These include previous Doctors and various monsters, including the Sea Devils, SontaranSontaranThe Sontarans are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and also seen in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. They were created by writer Robert Holmes.-Culture:...
s, CybermenCybermanThe Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
, Hath, OodOodThe Ood are a fictional alien species with telepathic abilities from the long running science fiction series Doctor Who. In the series' narrative, they live in the distant future ....
and Daleks.
- At the end of the episode, the Doctor and Amy talk in front of the TARDIS's monitor, showing a waveform with the same shape as the crack in time and space shown earlier in the episode, and which is also seen in later episodes. The Doctor, noticing this, turns off the monitor before Amy sees the crack.
- The series finale, "The Big BangThe Big Bang (Doctor Who)"The Big Bang" is the 13th and final episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part season finale started with "The Pandorica Opens", at the end of which The Doctor is trapped, the TARDIS destroyed, and Amy Pond has been shot...
", revisits two scenes from this episode. The opening scene of young Amelia praying (to Santa) for help with the crack on her wall is reproduced, though in "The Big Bang" the TARDIS does not arrive. In "The Eleventh Hour", after the Doctor leaves Amelia, she packs a suitcase and waits outside for his return; in "The Big Bang", Amelia has fallen asleep waiting, but the Doctor does return and tucks her in bed, telling a tale to her subconscious to assure her help in the future.
- In the first episode of Series 6, "The Impossible AstronautThe Impossible Astronaut"The Impossible Astronaut" is the first episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Steven Moffat, and directed by Toby Haynes, the episode was first broadcast on 23 April 2011 in the United Kingdom, as well as the United States...
", Amy swears to the Doctor on fish fingers and custardCustardCustard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
that they are not being threatened. This is a reference to the scene in this episode where the Doctor and Amelia are trying to find food he will like in his new body.
- The "fish custard" is also mentioned in "The Doctor's WifeThe Doctor's Wife (Doctor Who)"The Doctor's Wife" is the fourth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on 14 May 2011 in the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States...
", when Idris asks the Doctor, "What are fish fingers?", and, "Do fish have fingers?"
Writing
This is the first Doctor Who episode written by Steven MoffatSteven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
as lead writer and executive producer of the show. The title of the episode is both a reference to the introduction of the Eleventh Doctor and his being there nearly too late, the meaning of the phrase. Moffat was inspired by a crack in his son's bedroom wall and developed the idea into the main story arc of the series. He also drew inspiration from A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner
The House at Pooh Corner
The House at Pooh Corner is the second volume of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. It is notable for the introduction of the character Tigger, who went on to become a prominent figure in the Disney Winnie the Pooh franchise.- Plot :The title...
, specifically the scene where Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
claims to like everything, but then proceeds to reject all food offered to him until he finally finds that he likes extract of malt, to create a similar scenario with the newly regenerated Doctor and young Amy.
Filming
Scenes with Amy Pond in her police kissogram outfit and the Eleventh DoctorEleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
still in the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
's outfit were shot in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in October 2009. Some scenes based in the fictional village of Leadworth were filmed on the Cathedral Green, Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
, Cardiff, on 7 October.
Casting
The young Amy, known as Amelia, is played by Karen Gillan's cousin Caitlin Blackwood. Patrick MoorePatrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
appears as himself in the video conference with a brief speaking part, in an appearance similar to that of zoologist Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
in "The Stolen Earth
The Stolen Earth
"The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was written by show runner and head writer Russell T Davies and is the first of a two-part crossover story; the concluding episode is...
". Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox , is a British actor of television and film.His most regular role was as George, the driver of Jim Hacker in the comedy Yes Minister. His other television credits include The Avengers, Terry and June, and Harbour Lights...
previously played Cully in the 1968 Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
serial, The Dominators
The Dominators
The Dominators is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in five weekly parts from 10 August to 7 September 1968.-Plot:...
.
Broadcast
Overnight figures placed "The Eleventh Hour" as the most-watched programme of the night. At about 8 million combined BBC One and BBC HD viewership, it exceeded the second most-watched programme, CasualtyCasualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, by almost 2.5 million viewers. This high rating placed the episode in the top ten programmes of the week, ranking at number eight; all of the other top ten programmes are soap operas. The final BBC1 rating was 9.59 million viewers. This placed the episode at number two for the entire week on BBC1 and number four for the entire week across all channels. Once viewers to the BBC HD channel were included, the BARB figure rose to 10.08 million in total, placing the show at number three.
International broadcast
This episode was first broadcast in the US on BBC AmericaBBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
on 17 April 2010 and in Canada on the same date on Space. The episode was viewed by almost 1.2 million on BBC America, making it their highest rated telecast at the time.
The episode aired in Australia on 18 April on ABC1. It could also be viewed on ABC's website iView two days prior to the television air date, on 16 April. The show was broadcast two weeks after airing in Britain, as the BBC required a fortnight to edit down the Doctor Who Confidential: Cut Down. There was no room for the equivalent Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly...
"Call Me the Doctor" due to the hour running time, but ABC holds the rights and has made it available on iView.
The episode aired in New Zealand on 2 May on Prime
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
. This episode was broadcast in South Africa on 15 November 2010 on BBC Entertainment
BBC Entertainment
BBC Entertainment is an international television channel showcasing comedy, drama, light entertainment and children's programming from the BBC and other UK production houses...
and in France on 12 February 2011 on France 4
France 4
France 4 is a french public channel owned by France Télévisions, dedicated to the entertainment. At first named Festival, the channel took its current name in 2005, to mark better its membership to the group France Télévisions...
.
Teasers
Two teasers were shown on BBC Television for this episode prior to broadcast. One shows the opening scene, which features the Doctor hanging from the TARDIS doorway as it flies out of control over London with the sonic screwdriver between his teeth. A second shows the Doctor and a young Amy Pond with the TARDIS, explaining it is a time machine and telling her that he will be back in five minutes.DVD release
A Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray, containing this episode together with "The Beast BelowThe Beast Below
"The Beast Below" is the second episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 10 April 2010....
", "Victory of the Daleks
Victory of the Daleks
"Victory of the Daleks" is the third episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is written by Mark Gatiss and first broadcast on BBC One on 17 April 2010....
" and special features was released on 7 June 2010.
Reception
The Mail on SundayThe Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
reviewer Sinclair McKay called "The Eleventh Hour" a "deft first epsiode" that was "packed with one-liners and an even more fantastical feel than of late. But it had that old reassuring combination of intense Britishness, quirkiness and a sense of the macabre". He also praised Gillan's "winning" performance and Smith's adaption to the role, concluding, "Smith might turn out to be one of the best Time Lords of the lot". Benji Wilson, for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, wrote "It was ridiculous but it felt right: mad, alien, brand-new but very old. A+ to the casting director. A+ to Smith". He also said that Gillan "110 per cent nailed it". Though he compared Prisoner Zero's low-budget CGI makeup to a "draught excluder", he said that Moffat "turned a weakness into a strength" by having Prisoner Zero take the form of humans. Matthew Bell, in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, said: 'From the moment he appeared, dangling from the doorway of his time machine, the new boy demonstrated that he can more than fill the shoes of his predecessor.' 'Matt Smith fights aliens. He wears tweed. He loves custard. He is the Doctor. And he might be more the Doctor than anyone who was the Doctor before.' Roland White for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
wrote, "The previous doctor, David Tennant, smouldered his way across the space-time continuum. Smith is more of a geek-chic Time Lord...Smith is a much more quixotic, light-hearted Doctor than Tennant, who seemed to carry the cares of the universe on his shoulders".