As the long-running sci-fi series has grown over the years, Doctor Who has unfortunately become harder to start watching without doing a great deal of homework, but this episode is the perfect introduction to the legendary show. Doctor Who premiered 62 years ago on November 1963 as a true experiment for British TV, originally following the elderly First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions as they travel around time and space in a bigger-on-the-inside police box, the TARDIS. Over the last six decades, Doctor Who has become an institution, and it continues to attract new audiences.
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Doctor Who has just been through the departure of the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), which means there are countless stories that new viewers may feel the need to watch in their entirety. If you’ve never watched any of Doctor Who before, and if you’re not interested in doing a full rewatch in chronological order — whether including the classic era of the series or just the revival — an argument could be made for “The Eleventh Hour” being the perfect starting point. This episode introduced a new era of Doctor Who, and set a new standard for the series going forward.
Why “The Eleventh Hour” Is the Perfect Starting Point for Doctor Who
It was Russell T. Davies who brought Doctor Who back in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston — soon replaced by David Tennant — and Billie Piper headlining. Of course, “Rose” would be a clear place for new audiences to begin, but the revival series’ first episode released 20 years ago, and these extra episodes might be too daunting for some. Arguments could also be made for “Smith and Jones,” “The Pilot,” and even the Doctor-lite episode, “Blink.” However, “The Eleventh Hour,” originally released on April 3, 2010, established a new status quo for the series that has continued in the years since.
The start of Doctor Who season 5 marked the debut of Steven Moffat as the series’ new showrunner and the first full adventure of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). Rid of his former companions and with a destroyed TARDIS, the Doctor started from scratch in “The Eleventh Hour.” Meeting the young Amelia Pond (Caitlin Blackwood) gave the Doctor the chance to explain his history again, introducing his new persona with Amelia, and then Amy (Karen Gillan), acting as the audience’s proxy. The Doctor got a new style, new TARDIS, and new companion, and set out on brand-new adventures.
Many consider the first few episodes of Doctor Who season 1 to be quite slow and a bit of a drag, which might make it difficult for new audiences to get on board. “The Eleventh Hour,” however, is high-octane, visually-interesting, and sets up exciting new story threads that keep viewers gripped. Followed by the emotional “The Beast Below,” the twist on a classic villain in “Victory of the Daleks,” and the reintroduction to one of Doctor Who’s best antagonists in “The Time of Angels,” “The Eleventh Hour” is a fantastic place for new Doctor Who audiences to begin — though the previous episodes, especially those featuring Tennant’s Tenth Doctor, also deserve to be watched.
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