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
Companions Karen Gillan – Amy Pond Arthur Darvill – Rory Williams
Others 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[a] – Mother Eden Monteath, Merin Monteath – Children David de Keyser – Atraxi Voice William Wilde – Prisoner Zero Voice Patrick Moore – Himself
Production
Directed by	Adam Smith
Written by	Steven Moffat
Produced by	Tracie Simpson Nikki Wilson (cold open)[1]
Executive producers	Steven Moffat Piers Wenger Beth Willis
Music by	Murray Gold
Production code	1.1[2]
Series	Series 5
Running time	65 minutes
First broadcast	3 April 2010 (2010-04-03)
Chronology
← Preceded by "The End of Time" Followed by → "The Beast Below"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"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, written by then-new head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, saw a complete change in cast and production crew.

In the episode, the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) crashes 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 in order to repair damage to the TARDIS caused during his recent regeneration and crash, 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 regain her trust to help return the shape-shifting alien Prisoner Zero^[b] to the galactic police, the Atraxi, before they destroy the Earth for harbouring Prisoner Zero.

The episode is the first to be led by Moffat, alongside executive producer Piers Wenger, after Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner stepped down after David Tennant's final two-part Christmas episode, "The End of Time". It is also the starring appearances of Smith as the Doctor, Gillan as his new companion and 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 achieved popularity on the online BBC iPlayer and on BBC America in the United States. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who welcomed Smith, Gillan and Darvill into the series.

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