The Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who)

203 – "The Eleventh Hour"
Doctor Who episode
The newly regenerated Doctor confronts one of the Atraxi. This scene was described as where the new incarnation, played by Matt Smith, "finally clicks into place"; however, it was not originally included in the script.
Cast
Doctor Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor)
Companion Karen Gillan (Amy Pond)
Others Arthur Darvill – Rory Williams Caitlin Blackwood – Amelia Nina Wadia – Dr Ramsden Marcello Magni – Barney Collins Perry Benson – Ice Cream Man Annette Crosbie – Mrs Angelo Tom Hopper – Jeff Arthur Cox – Mr Henderson Olivia Colman – Mother Eden Monteath – Child 1 Merin Monteath – Child 2 David de Keyser – Atraxi Voice William Wilde – Prisoner Zero Voice Patrick Moore – Himself
Production
Directed by	Adam Smith
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	Lindsey Alford
Produced by	Tracie Simpson Nikki Wilson (cold open)
Executive producer(s)	Steven Moffat Piers Wenger Beth Willis
Incidental music composer	Murray Gold
Production code	1.1
Series	Series 5
Length	65 minutes
Originally broadcast	3 April 2010
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → The End of Time "The Beast Below"

"The Eleventh Hour" is the first episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 3 April 2010. The episode saw a complete change in cast and production crew. The episode was written by new head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith.

In the episode, the newly regenerated Doctor (Matt Smith) crashes his time and space machine, the TARDIS, into the small English village of Leadworth, where he meets a young Scottish girl named Amelia Pond (Caitlin Blackwood). The Doctor is forced to leave, but promises Amelia he will return in five minutes. However, he arrives twelve years late and is confronted by the grown-up Amelia, now known as Amy (Karen Gillan), who does not trust him. He attempts to gain her trust to help return the shape-shifting alien Prisoner Zero to the galactic police, the Atraxi, before they destroy the planet.

The episode is the debut of Smith as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor and Gillan as his new companion. It also introduced Arthur Darvill as Amy's boyfriend Rory Williams, who would later become a main cast member. The show's tradition is for the Doctor to rest after he regenerates, but Moffat decided to have him save the world instead. The episode sets up the main story arc of the series by introducing the cracks in the universe. "The Eleventh Hour" was seen by 10.08 million viewers in the UK, the highest rated premiere since "Rose". It also attracted popularity on the online BBC iPlayer and on BBC America in the United States. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who welcomed Smith and Gillan into the series.