Doctor Whohas had many Doctors over its long life, with some being more popular than others. The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) managed to smooth over the loss of David Tennant in the lead role, which is no small feat. Over three series, the Eleventh Doctor saw many great stories with lots of experimentation with the format of the show, a push into the global mainstream, and even the 50th Anniversary Special of the show.
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All of the incarnations inDoctor Whohave been special for one reason or another, but for many people, the Eleventh Doctor is their favorite. While all episodes throughout the era were at least of good quality, some were better than others.Doctor Whois one of thebest British TV sci-fishows and there are many great episodes that are always worth a revisit.
10Asylum Of The Daleks
The debut episode of Series 7, “Asylum of the Daleks” brings the titular villains back in full force in a story that deals with rogue, insane Daleks and a parliament of the Daleks, including a Prime Minister. While it isn’t thebest Dalek storythe show has produced, it’s certainly above-average.
A great episode that shows the Doctor multi-tasking battling the Daleks, fixing Amy and Rory’s broken marriage, and investigating the mystery of Oswin (Jenna Coleman) and her souffle. A classic Moffat story that builds upon the Daleks and feels like a masterclass in juggling multiple plots.
9The Name Of The Doctor
The finale of Series 7 and the beginning of the loosely connected ‘of the Doctor’ trilogy, this episode features the return of the Great Intelligence, one of the best villains from theClassic Series who deserved a comeback.
There is an ensemble feel to this episode with the Paternoster Gang and River Song all making appearances. Handling the idea of the Doctor visiting his own grave, this episode is full of enjoyable moments.
8The Angels Take Manhattan
A couple of plotholes don’t prevent “The Angels Take Manhattan” from being a fantastic swansong for long-time companions Amy and Rory. With the return of the Weeping Angels, this episode is action-packed and has a stunning noir theme to it.
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With River also appearing, this finally feels like a family outing for the Pond family and the Doctor and makes good use of the scary Moffat-created villains.
7The Day Of The Doctor
Not only is this special episode the 50th Anniversary, but features the return of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and a previously-secret War Doctor (John Hurt) as they battle Zygons in the present while righting the wrong of the Doctor during the Time War.
What’s interesting is that really this is a War Doctor episode that the Tenth and Eleventh take part in. It’s a brilliant special that is a triumph amongst Moffat’s bibliography for all it manages to achieve in 75 minutes. As much as a look back on the show’s history, it is a look forward toDoctor Who’s future seasons.
6The Time Of The Doctor
The swansong of the Eleventh Doctor’s era, The Time of the Doctor details the legendary battle on Trenzalore that led to the Doctor’s death as seen in “The Name of the Doctor.” Featuring tons of villains including the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, Weeping Angels, and more, it is a brilliant ending to the Raggedy Man incarnation and one that always holds up on a rewatch.
5The Pandorica Opens
While its follow-up episode “The Big Bang” fails to deliver, “The Pandorica Opens” is probably the best Part 1 of a New Who finale there has ever been. The Doctor, Amy, and River head to the distant past at Stonehenge, where a super-advanced device - the Pandorica, awaits.
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The build-up of all of the Doctor’s enemies congregating, and the tension over what the Pandorica is, just for it to be revealed to be a prison for him is excellently executed. A brilliant episode and one of the Eleventh Doctor’s best.
4The Impossible Astronaut/ Day Of The Moon
This two-parter changed modernDoctor Whoand is arguably the initial driver in the show’s push for breaking further into global markets during 2011-13. Taking on an American setting, with a more serialized and American-ized feel, this two-parter truly feels likeDoctor Whoreinvented for a while.
The Silence arebrilliantly creepy monstersthat work in a more conventional way than other Moffat creations such as the Weeping Angels and the Vashta Nerada and the story has major ramifications with the Doctor’s ‘death’, an arc that would span the entire series.
3A Good Man Goes To War
A mid-season finale, this episode sees the Doctor taking down Demon’s Run and rescuing Amy from the Clerics, assembling an army to bring with him. Seeing the Doctor pushed into all-out combat is an interesting concept and one that Smith does wonders with.
The episode is also special for revealing the truth about River Song, which had been built up since the previous series and hinted at in Series 4, during the Tenth Doctor’s run. “A Good Man Goes To War” is an often underrated episode that is one of the Eleventh Doctor’s best.
2Vincent And The Doctor
“Vincent and the Doctor” is an episode that could so obviously work for multiple other Doctors, most notably the Tenth. While it doesn’t have the Eleventh Doctor’s feel to it that his later series would evoke, the episode is packed with emotion, compelling dialogue, and a brilliant “Doctor-y” moment at the end that’s sold by Bill Nighy, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Tony Curran’s fantastic acting.
It’s a shame that Richard Curtis never wrote again forDoctor Who, as “Vincent and the Doctor” is regularly considered one of the stronger episodes from New Who and certainly thebest episode about a historical figure.
1The Doctor’s Wife
A long time in the making,Doctor Whobagged Neil Gaiman, a lifelong fan of the show, to write “The Doctor’s Wife” for the series. While his next serial Nightmare in Silver wasn’t quite thebest Cybermen story, “The Doctor’s Wife” is a near-perfectDoctor Whostory.
With a planet-eating entity that has fed on hundreds of Time Lords, the TARDIS possessing a body and being able to speak to the Doctor for the first time in the show’s history, and lots of great moments for the Doctor, Amy, and Rory, “The Doctor’s Wife” is a modern classic.
