What are your favourite Doctor Who episodes from Matt Smith's time in the TARDIS? It was an era of big story arcs and movie style episodes, so to get you thinking guest contributor Nathan Browne takes a look back and presents his top 5 Eleventh Doctor stories. Do you agree with his choices?
I'm going to count down my personal top 5 Matt Smith stories, you may agree or disagree with my choices as we all often like different things. Episodes that came close for me (they would make up a top 10, but not in this order) are The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, Asylum of the Daleks, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, A Good Man Goes To War and The Time Of The Doctor.
I'm a real sucker for this episode. When I first watched it I felt as if the 50th anniversary had come early. It was so good to see the cameo's of all the other Doctor's, even if the CGI wasn't the best, and the idea behind Trenzalore, the Doctor's final resting place was a very clever one. I for one was quite happy with the Impossible Girl resolution, it wrapped up River Song's story nicely and left us with a huge mouth on the floor type shocker.
I would really like to see Richard Curtis write another Doctor Who episode because this was him at his best. The story is so moving, so emotional and yet quite funny in places. Tony Curran is brilliant as Vincent Van Gogh, and to have Bill Nighy in the same episode too, well that just pushes it over the edge for me.
This had to achieve so much, a new Doctor, a new companion (2 if you count Rory), a new TARDIS and a new show runner. Any aspect could've failed but instead they all performed at 100%. I would say that this is the finest opening episode any Doctor has had. Matt Smith won over all his naysayers in a wonderful hour of madness and authority. It also needs to be said that the young Amy, Caitlin Blackwood, was brilliant.
First Richard Curtis, then Neil Gaiman. We'd never had it so good. Suranne Jones channeled her inner Helena Bonham-Carter for her portrayal of Idris, and it was clear why the Doctor called 'the old girl' sexy when in private. It's such a brilliant idea that could've only come from the pen of Gaiman, and would've easily been my number one choice had a certain anniversary not fallen during Smith's era.
How can this not be number 1? It has everything a great episode of Who needs and so much more. I know it's a multi-Doctor story but it still very much feels like it's a Matt Smith adventure. Still it didn't hurt to see David Tennant, John Hurt and Tom Baker. The Day Of The Doctor delivered on everything it promised as far as I'm concerned and really was a global event. I think it has changed Who forever and opened up the show to many new possibilities. Everything we always believed to be true might not be, because when someone like Steven Moffat comes along anything can happen. That's a good thing because the last thing I'd want from Doctor Who is for it to become predictable.
So what are your 5 favourite Matt Smith episodes of Doctor Who?
Let us know in the comments below, and join us next week to tell us your favourite David Tennant stories.
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