"Amy as a kissogram does more police work than the actual police companion" Damn....

Nobody's talking about Matt's amazing performance. You can see him slowly transform from Tennant mannerisms into his new, Smith personality. It takes real skill as an actor to pull that off.

When Matt says “hello I’m the doctor, basically run” I get the biggest chills

Amy got more character development in this episode than Ryan Yaz and Graham did in two series

It wasn’t Marie Antoinette in “The Girl in the Fireplace” it was Madame De Pompadour

Rory’s reaction when The Doctor calls back the aliens is priceless lol.

When little Amelia sits on the suitcase and waits for The Doctor and he doesn't come back, my heart breaks. Every time.

"I am the Doctor" was the piece that could just emotionally override any bad writing if there was any. I was always giddy when it started playing. It feels like "Oh shit, he's got this figured out. What's he gonna do?" Always so fun.

Also can we talk about the moment we see him emerge with his bow tie, we see the beginnings of the man River described in the library “I’ve seen whole armies turn and run away, and he’d just swagger off back to his Tardis and open the doors with the snap of his fingers” always gives me shivers watching that scene back when you know Matt Smith’s run as The Doctor

"Eleven's hour is over now, the clock is striking twelves." It was obvious foreshadowing for something we already knew, but when that line strikes home it truly dawned on me that my favorite Doctor was going off the show.

I'm sure you'll bring it up when you discuss the series as a whole later on, but this series gave me my favorite Doctor quote ever. "Didn’t anyone ever tell you? There’s one thing you never put in a trap-if you’re smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow-there’s one thing you never, ever put in a trap. Me."

Basically...run. THAT MUSIC. MURRAAAAAAY...WE MISS YOU.

Can’t believe it’s been ten frickin years man. Remember watching this as a kid and just being amazed. WHY AM I SO OLD NOW

This was my first ever doctor who episode and it made me fall in love with the characters of the doctor amy and rory

The fact that Matt Smith was able to jump around entirely different attitudes with the Doctor always made me love him, same as Tennant. From a younger insanely energetic Doctor to an old, angry and very much bitter Doctor. 11 will always be my favourite Doctor, especially with how the show is looking now.

I love wise old wizards in fairy tales. They always end up being the Doctor.

I usually get pilloried when I say this, but Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor. He just charmed the pants off me, as the saying goes. Such a good turn as the Doctor. I hated to see him go.

I miss the times where the Doctor acted like the Doctor, like an alien genius.

I still to this day cannot get over when the atraxi were scamming everything and it shows all 10 doctors and then Matt Smith just freaking walks through David tenants face and says hello I'm the doctor. That was freaking amazing!

Still love the fact that while everyone is happy that the aliens left the Doctor is like "no wtf come back here you dinguses" Nice to see that he does not take a threat to earth lightly

The moment on the rooftop when Smith steps forward in full costume and says "Hello, I'm The Doctor. Basically, RUN" Still gives me chills. just brilliant. the whole episode is brilliant in General but that moment is iconic.

I think one of my favourite things about this episode comes with hindsight. I remember watching, and the moment Rory said he was Amy's boyfriend thinking "oh no, they gave her a Micky". Not that I didn't end up loving Micky, but it took until School Reunion, and I didn't like that Moffat felt the need to give us the same "companion has a boyfriend but falls in love with the Doctor" dynamic as Davis did with his first companion. But Rory is given so much more to do here than Mickey was in "Rose", and a proper rapport with the Doctor. You can tell Moffat was setting this up as a three-person TARDIS team from the start. Rory is my favourite companion, second only to Donna, and I adored this trio and their dynamic.

Being 10-years-old when watching the episode live, I didn't believe anyone else could work as The Doctor. By the end of the episode, I loved 11.

While I love Ten. Smith is my Doctor.

I've never been so ready to hear this, because it's something I completely agree with. Amy is a forthright and abrasive person and that's the point! She's active and doesn't just sit in her tiny little box letting the Doctor push her around from set piece to exposition. Rory too questions things and has an active part to play. Also the police line about Amy's fake job being taken more seriously than Yaz's actually job is so funny, how did I never think of that? Guess I'm only a half fat video!

Oh my goodness yes. I was about to tuck myself into bed and watch this episode. I dont like rewatching things but I see this episode every six months. Just gold.

When Matt Smith was cast, I had no belief in him. I didn't know anything about him, and he just looked like a weird boy-man with no eyebrows (sorry Matt). I'd known a lot about Christopher Ecclestone going in, and had huge respect for him, especially for his amazingly-played death scene in 'Cracker'. I knew less about Tennant, but I'd seen him in 'Blackpool' and he seemed like a great fit for the role. Then I watched the episode. With the slightly cringe-y 'Geronimo' out of the way, I was soon interested. Five minutes in, I was fascinated. Who * was * this guy? How was he doing all this? I'm still not sold on Matt Smith as the best portrayal of the Doctor, but I've never switched opinions on an actor as fast as I have watching this episode. He was strangely human-yet-inhuman, deranged yet in control. He hit the ground running and set out his version of the Doctor so completely, I had to wonder what he had left. No disrespect to Matt Smith's originality, but I felt like we got a blend of Ten's confident fast-talk, Two's obfuscating stupidity, Four's alien weirdness and Five's boyishness... with a touch of Jack Sparrow thrown in.

The eleventh hour was the first episode of doctor who I ever saw. I knew next to nothing about the series and had no clue what was going on, but I was instantly captivated by Smith's almost manic energy and the dynamic between he, Gillian and Darvill. Five years on, and it's still one of my absolute favorites.

The Girl in the Fireplace wasn’t Marie Antoinette. It was Jeanne Antoinette Poisson/Madame de Pompadour

Totally agree. the "Basically Run" speech at the end is one of the best ever. Matt Smith is still my favourite Doctor and Amy Pond my favourite companion.

The fact how little Amelia waited all night in the garden for the Doctor to return really broke my heart... Also later in season 7, when doctor keeps coming and going into Amy and Rory's life, it shows how the companion's life are temporary when compared to the doctor's long long long life. I really liked how they showed this.

"Moffat is on fire here" Very nice.

6:00 THANK YOU, I’ve been saying this since series 11, fun fact we’ve actually seen Amy in a police uniform more times than yaz

I thought I was alone in thinking The Eleventh Hour was the definitive Doctor Who opener. Probably my favourite Matt Smith episode too. Moffat hit the ground running with an opener that was absolutely packed with energy and charm. Also a superb supporting cast...that we never. saw. again. For some reason.

4:26 Ehh Uhm no. This is not Queen of France Maria Antonieta (1755 - 1793) It is The French kings Mistress Madam de Pompadour (1721 - 1764)

"You were a little girl five minutes ago!" Is still one of my favorite lines ever. It kinda sums up the show in a way.

Gotta love how we were all so scared of David's regeneration, and it turned out (for the most part) to be just fine. Wish I could say the same for the fear we all felt when Jodie came around. I love her as an actress, but... Man. Chris Chibnall has made things pretty funky. Hopefully this whole debacle will lead to a fresh change in scenery for Dr.Who.

Murray Gold's music in Matt Smith's era was the best.

"10 years on" WHAT DO YOU MEANNNN I swear it only came out like 4 years ago wtf

I think it has all the elements of a great "new doctor regeneration" story. 1. being high on regeneration energy/ being "powered down" in some way e.g. not having the sonic for most of the episode 2. running around in the previous doctor's outfit but finding a new one of their own that perfectly fits their vibe by the end of the episode 3. huge stakes and managing to pull it off despite everything 4. showing off new personality well (calling aliens back to tell them off like a disappointed teacher/parent, lmao) 5. new companion/s and them being very confused 6. a line that's along the lines of "I'm the doctor, here's who I am, I save people" at the climax of the episode that really shows who the doctor is as a character ("basically, run")

Your analysis is always in depth, you're very perceptive and analytical when it comes to the topic at hand. Hence why I love your videos.

Every time I see this episode, I cry such happy tears. Tennant might have been my first Doctor, but Smith's era was when I really got into the show and this episode encapsulates everything I love about his run. For once, it seemed like the show was less-concerned with picking up the pieces from the Time War (for the moment), and just decided to go full-out with the outlandish sci-fi concepts and embrace the wonder of the universe. I actually really miss this era a lot.

Something that's overlooked is that almost every Doctor of the revival had themes running through various stories in their tenure that told us something about their character. For 10 it was romance; e.g. Rose, River, Redforn, Madame Da Pompadour, for 12 it's being a teacher e.g Clara, S10 he's a lecturer. Smith's was children and I love how that's established right here, he is the imaginary friend of a child, a fairy story told to children. Then as the series grows up we see the reverse of that, the dangerous side and the impact 11 has on the lives he touched like a Good Man Goes to War or the Girl Who Waited.

Smith had this look to him, maybe his hair or clothing, that tennant, eccleston and capaldi didn't quite capture for me. His whole look feels alien ( the old man professer type suit on a man in his twenties) and the fact smith made 11 so human is a testament to his ability and season 5s writing.

Me and my older brother, him now 31 and me 21, used to adore watching David Tennant's Doctor together over a decade ago. When his time ended, and we first saw Matt Smith on the trailer, we both agreed that we couldn't watch it any longer, it seemed so wrong. However, 10 years later, we both decided it was time to get back into the show and see if it was as good as we had heard. We started from Season 1 again and moved through Eccleston and Tennant, loving every minute. Then the time came to watch season 5... this episode brought us back! Matt Smith is amazing, I loved every second of his Doctor and was extremely sad to see him come to an end. We then had to move onto Peter Capaldi. In his first moments, especially with the usual energetic tone of Tennant and Smith being reduced by this old, greyed man, we were a little unsure of how he would play out in our minds. However, we let it run and by the end of season 10 he was yet another to add to the list of great Doctors. I'm now at the start of season 11 and once again am unsure about the new Doctor, after all it's the first time a woman has played the character. I've only watched two episodes but I have faith in Moffatt to deliver. My love of Doctor Who was reignited in a way I never thought possible. I will treasure it to the end.

And I like how the question "How do you know if it's a duck pond if there aren't any ducks?" is answered later in the series and ties in thematically.

Yeah, I'll never get over that moment where Matt Smith steps through the image of Tennant's face and announces himself as the Doctor. What a moment.

This episode was how I was introduced to the show. Got me hooked right off the bat. It's still where I tell people to start if they're interested in watching

I think a lot of problems with Moffat’s era stems from him being unable to keep up with the production pace of the show. Part of the reason why I think Series 5 is so perfect is that the guy had almost a year to work on it, in comparison to much shorter time spans for other seasons (resulting in more ex machinas than one would like). Series 5 is the best of Moffat and upon comparing it with Chibnal’s first season there’s zero competition.

Matt Smith taught me to give actors a chance before judging them. I was a big David Tennant fan (still am) and I was more than upset when he left so I came to the conclusion that Doctor Who was dead after he left... Boy was I wrong...

Series five is still my favourite series and I think it always will be. The fairytale aesthetic, warmth, how homely the tardis felt, the relationship with the companions, Amy's character growth and Smiths energy. In later series he almost became somewhat of a parody of himself, thanks to some lazy writing, but here he IS the doctor - young and old, alien and human, dark and campy, eccentric and calculating. Smith had it all and I'm convinced he would have got the appreciation he deserved if he didn't take over from the powerhouse that was Tennant.

There's a lot of mention about how Moffat had to start a new, new cast, new characters etc etc. But we were already expecting a plot, River Song. There was no way she was a one off character after her first/last meeting with 10. We knew she would return and there was big a huge story arc around her. He had the whole thing planned out when he wrote "Silence In The Library" when replacing Davies during series 4. He knew where he was taking series 5 before series 4 was even finished.

This for me is possibly the best episode of Doctor Who, for both people new to the show and older fans. The introduction of a new, younger yet still somewhat familiar Doctor whose brilliant performance and magnificent script manages to both reassure Tennant and Davies fans that the show is in good hands, as well as opening the door to people who've never seen the show before. As well as this it also pays tribute to the classic Doctors, showing how they all are at the end of the day the same person no matter their differences in one of the best fucking scenes for any fandom ever, I genuinely get so emotional everytime I see the "I am the Doctor" scene. And speaking of "I am the Doctor", Murray Gold is absolutely fantastic here, his best performance in my opinion, I commend him, Matt Smith and Steven Moffat and anyone else involved for the best episode of modern Doctor Who to date

More character and charisma in one episode than 13 had in two entire series.

I’m so glad you mentioned Murray Gold’s mastery of music All the way through the video I was like “You better mention “I Am The Doctor” it was one of the best elements of series”

I liked how Matt Smith looked young and sometimes acted very childish but when the heat was on and he got serious he took on a lot if old man mannerisms, even the look in his eyes changed and made him look ancient.

8:45 God first yhe doctor goes snooping through his Internet history, then his dad sends him to the moon. Man can't catch a break!

Is it weird that I associate the show runners' eras with colours? RTD: Red, Moffat: Blue, Chibnall: Yellow.

Fun fact: (Young)Amelia Pond is Scottish, but the actress is northern Irish

I've never seen anyone comment on this before, but the tie that he is wearing before he opts for the bow-tie is also the tie that David Tennant wore in The Girl in the Fireplace episode, just to demonstrate that it is literally the same concept, I only noticed this because The Girl in the Fireplace is my favourite episode of all time lol :)

Series 5 was like an utterly different universe, it was very important to get Matt's opening right due to that, and my god did they do that. They didn't dwell on the past, they started off with a fresh new take on the Doctor and immediately introduced the companion who would be the crux of the entire series. Series 5 is easily my favourite series ever, as the 11th Doctor is my favourite. This is definitely the best opening for the best series with the best companions and the best Doctor.

Just swinging in to say your video essays have reignited the old love I felt for Doctor Who as a young'un, so thank you for that. Also the parallel between Amy and Eleven and Wendy and Peter Pan is my favourite thing in the history of the universe.

The moment he walked through that hologram of Tennant will always be epic. And I loved Matt Smith as the Doctor, and I say that as a Tennant fanboy.

Personally, this trio is the best of all. Great character dev and story arc on all 3 of them, especially Rory. Who would've thought the skinny, awkward man could be the bravest and greatest dad/husband ever?

The Eleventh Hour was the first episode of Doctor Who I ever watched, and I was hooked within 5 minutes. Less than that, actually: I remember watching the cold open and thinking, "Well, this is promising" and then the theme music started playing and I got chills. That's when I knew this was indeed something special. I'd first heard about the show years before but for some reason never got around to checking it out until 2010. Having now seen the majority of Classic and New Who, I'm kind of glad I waited until then to start, because I honestly don't know if the earlier seasons would have sucked me in as quickly as this one did. As a jumping-on point, this episode is basically perfect. You get all the necessary background information thanks to characters who know as little as you, the new viewer, do. Plus with the Doctor newly regenerated, he's basically playing catch-up as well, getting a feel for who he is in this new body. And you get a taste of the wacky shenanigans that tend to happen around the Doctor. It works for established fans as well, with the little call-backs to previous Doctors and stories, while also reminding them that things are going to be different now. Basically, this is one of my very favorite episodes of Doctor Who and I highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about watching the show.

For me, it used to be the Eleventh Hour by a mile. Going back and seeing Rose though... It's tough. And also I do love Smith and Jones. And Partners in Crime too as a treat.

I’m kinda disappointed you didn’t bring up the delicious cherry on top, and that’s the goddamn Coming Soon trailer originally shown at the end of the episode. My god, what a way to get hyped for the rest of the epic series. Even after the Eleventh Hour launched the new series brilliantly, that Coming Soon trailer proved not only that Doctor Who was in good hands, but the best is yet to come.

9:30 I thought you were about to bring up the music there, but then you never mentioned it once. It amazes me how often people completely overlook the music and its importance, subtly but definitively affecting your emotions, informing the audience how they should be feeling about the thing they're currently seeing. I mean, the main action theme has this "Here we go again... and again, and again, and again!" quality to it. Sorta makes one freshly excited at the prospect of going again, and again, and again... which I'm guessing was the idea, given the circumstances. And the sad little magical lullaby when little Amelia is packing her suitcase and eagerly running down the stairs to go wait for the Doctor. Really pulls at the heartstrings. Might be my favorite piece in the whole series (and I'm using the American definition of the word "series"). I hate when they cut the episode down to fit into an hour time-slot and completely omit that moment.

S5 was my jumping on point of the show, almost 10 years later and it has barely aged a day. It was great back then, and it's still great today. Matt Smith's doctor will always be my doctor.

My favourite of the revived series. For all of your reasons, and one more. Karen Gillan. Does more with a look than most actors do with an entire page of monologue. Watch that scene where the Doctor zips off in his "you sexy thing" TARDIS, Amy catches up just a few seconds too late. He's off. And that heartbreak, anger, upset, rejection - six or seven different emotions in a single push in shot. My Doctor. My companion. Couldn't wait for the rest of the series. First rate Who.

And especially considering the climax of the Tenth Doctor's end in the 2010 New Year special, this new Doctor really needed to stick it with fans in this episode. Needless to say, Matt Smith was and is a great Doctor, and this episode is a brilliant jumping in point for anyone wanting to get stuck in.

Absolutely brilliant start to an era. Still my favourite of the 21st Century openers, and my favourite Doctor

"Amelia Pond! Get your coat!" :)

I adore this story so much, and I’m so glad that series 5 was my introduction to this show. Looking back on it, it remains one of if not the best first foot forward in the series (though Smith & Jones is no slouch in that department and always deserved a bit more recognition for it, I felt).

David Tennant is my Doctor but I agree with you, this is the best series opener of Doctor Who. This is how you introduce new Doctor, new companions, new Tardis AND a new vision of the show in just one episode in a convincing way. Moffat had many problems (RTD as well) but when the episode was good, it wasn't only good, it was GREAT.

When Doctor enters someone's life on different points of their life and it's years for them, but just a moment for him, now that's something I hate, it scares me

I’m 100% with you on this! The 11 hour is still one of my favourite episodes to date and gave Smith an epic opening. It managed to do so much in a small amount of time and the pacing never felt wrong.

The speech that The Doctor makes when getting changed is one of my favourites. He just comes out like "I'm in charge, leave now"

Wow when you reminded me it was ten years ago at the end, I just lost it

"Amy as a histogram does more work than the actual police officer companion" Me: oh I forget she was a police officer

That one disliker is probably a Chibbs fan

The Eleventh Hour is how you introduce a new Doctor, sorry Spearhead and Power of the Daleks I still love ya but this episode takes the top spot!

4:26 the Girl in the Fireplace was Madame de Pompadour, not Marie Antoinette who got executed.

I do like the way Moffat knew what he was doing from the beginning, he knew where he wanted 11 to end.

"Moffat is on fire here" Ha, get it...... because they put the clip of the fire engine over it

The Eleventh Hour is my favorite season premiere of any season of Nu Who so far and it's probably my most re-watched episode of Doctor Who ever.

Smith's Doctor:"AND STAY OUT!" Ruth: *Staring at bread and butter* "Proper." Full Fat: "What a character arc."

Yea, that whole interaction with the Atraxi as 11 is getting his look together. As he ends it with the "Basically... Run." bit, I knew Smith was gonna be a interesting Doctor for sure.

Matt its my favorite doctor, i wish he return for a special episode in the future.

This opening is a huge influence for why Eleven was my favorite Doctor.

the Pond arch is my favorite set of seasons, Midnight is my favorite episode, 12 is my favorite Doctor; Graham is my favorite companion, I have a crippling weakness for old cockney men; and the Emperor of the Daleks is my favorite villain. What a sampler.

100% agree... this was the most powerful opening of any Dr let alone New Who. You immediately fell in love with 11.

I loved Matt Smith as the Doctor. It was weird to see someone else in David Tennant's role (who was my Doctor during my teenage years) but he really hit the spot with the Eleventh Hour. I loved his time as the Doctor, and him, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darville are my favorite Doctor Who trio. Even surpassing the previous trio that was David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, and John Barrowman. But those three are a close second :)

I got so frustrated with Moffat and Eleven at the end of their run, I forgot the series 5 was really good; and Matt Smith was great

My personal favorite is the fact that he literally steps into the role.

My Doctors are Tennant and Smith. I really love the "warrior" and strong doctor with justice the 10th was, or the merciful and playful yet amazing doctor that the 11th could be. Always there protecting everybody. Couldn't take the twist to the 12th, or just was me growing off the younger age. Still I was kinda ok with the story of the 11th and how it ended, probably I didn't need anything more to see from that franchise. Yet I watched all the 9th, 10th and 11th doctor's adventures like, I don't know, 3 or 4 times :D One of the very best series out there for sure

I remember the 6 door moment as a, child has me SHOOOK. Even watching it now bought back memories ❤️ Matt Smith is my favorite doctor and he's very relatable to me as a person. His impulsive and recklessness like an adult who refused to grow up. But also his observation to things other don't notice. It really resonated with me as someone who has ADHD and I LOVE MATT FOR THAT ❤️❤️ Edit: 11:34 I just cried so thank you 😊

At least 11 only said that "who the man" once, noticed it was cringy and then never did it again... As compared to a certain """fam"""

"Hello I'm the doctor, basically, run" Is the single moment in the show I've returned to the most, whenever I'm feeling a bit nostalgic I just look up the clip on KZfaq

I love how The Eleventh Hour takes place almost immediately after The End of Time