153-398: " The Pandorica Opens " is the twelfth episode of the fifth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who , first broadcast on 19 June 2010 on BBC One . It is the first in a two-part finale; the second part, " The Big Bang ", aired on 26 June. The episode was written by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes . In the episode,
306-524: A kissogram was "too sexy" for a family programme. Gillan defended her character, claiming that girls Amy's age often wore short skirts and it showed the character had confidence, while executive producer Piers Wenger said, "The whole kissogram thing played into Steven's desire for the companion to be feisty and outspoken and a bit of a number. Amy is probably the wildest companion that the Doctor has travelled with, but she isn't promiscuous". "The Eleventh Hour"
459-434: A "good jumping off point" for new viewers of Doctor Who . Moffat thought that in the middle of the series, a viewer could "start watching it again" and it should be "something romantic and funny". For the next episode, Moffat asked comedy writer Simon Nye to write a story which challenged the relationship between Amy and the Doctor. The episode, "Amy's Choice", was intended to have the character choose between excitement with
612-567: A "real white knuckle ride" on a boat in Cardiff Bay . Filming began on 20 July 2009 on the Southerndown beach in the Vale of Glamorgan for "The Time of Angels" and "Flesh and Stone". Moffat wrote that in a typical television production the first day of filming "will probably be something fairly inconsequential and involve a minor character getting shot, or a close up of a hand or something", rather than
765-632: A bow tie; Holman and others did not approve, but when he put it on they decided that they had his costume. According to the actor, he was influenced by the Second Doctor 's costume in The Tomb of the Cybermen . Other inspirations were the "element of a professor" and "big, dusty boots like Indiana Jones ". The men's clothing store Topman reported that their bow-tie sales increased by 94 per cent in April 2010, when
918-430: A children's story the "most popular form of entertainment". About the series, he said that they "pushed the fairytale side of it"; Doctor Who "now has to be the most fantastical of the fantasy shows" to be more vibrant and "bonkers" than any other fantasy show. In a 2013 interview, Moffat said that he had worked out a rough idea for how his first series as showrunner would work if David Tennant had decided to remain as
1071-454: A different branch than the original ones; their design was different, with facial prosthetics and no third eye. Richard Curtis , who had worked with Moffat on the 1999 Comic Relief special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death , was contacted by Moffat to return the favour and write an episode ("Vincent and the Doctor"). Curtis had an idea for an episode about van Gogh for "a long while", and
1224-430: A formal introduction, and that more could be made of the costume, as many previous Doctors had picked theirs out quietly. The main story arc is the Doctor meeting the grown-up Amy. Moffat felt that over time the relationships between the Doctor and his companions had become too adult. He wanted to create a childlike relationship like that between Peter Pan and Wendy , rather than boyfriend and girlfriend. He believed this
1377-554: A guide to the series with behind-the-scenes content, in the UK on 30 September 2010. A two-disc soundtrack with 63 tracks of the score from this series (from "The Eleventh Hour" to "The Big Bang"), composed by Murray Gold, was released on 8 November 2010 on Silva Screen Records. It was the second double album after the previous release ; Gold said that the previous double album was popular, and Silva Screen allowed another one. The tracks are presented in episode order, which Gold said "should give
1530-456: A host of blink-and-miss star turns". Zap2it 's Sam McPherson gave the episode an A+, saying that it was "definitely" his favourite and praised the debut of Smith, Gillan and the redesigned TARDIS. Paul Kerton, also of the site, praised Adam Smith for "[handling] the episode beautifully", the depth in Amy's character, and Matt Smith's take on the role. However, he thought the downside to the episode were
1683-472: A lie". He jokingly referred to the season as "series Fnarg", which became a running joke in later issues of the magazine. The March issue, which called it Series Thirty-One, listed production code numbers from 1.1 to 1.13. However, BBC Programme listings, the BBC iPlayer and DVDs refer to it as "Series 5". Despite changes to the show, Moffat wanted to reassure the audience that "nothing has really been lost"; it
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#17328525329071836-467: A replica in early February 2010. The "Underhenge" set was the largest built on Upper Boat Studios and Haynes helped get the actors into the mood by playing music from the Indiana Jones franchise. The alliance of enemies was the first time such an assembly had been seen in the show, and the production team made sure they used the most iconic monsters that they had in good condition. "The Pandorica Opens"
1989-507: A reshoot, Moffat explained that the TARDIS could be just about to go back in time and materialise in Amelia's garden. In post-production, 30 tracks of sound effects, music composed by Murray Gold specifically for the sequence, and Smith's "grunting and groaning" were added. The primarily music-led sequence was produced by Nikki Wilson , who receives a "special thanks" credit. While Amelia waits for
2142-505: A sense of roaming through this gigantic scope". In March 2010, it was reported that Nintendo had signed a £10 million contract for Doctor Who games for Wii and DS . The games were marketed to Nintendo because the brand was known as family-oriented and the Wii, in particular, was something that families played together. The BBC was certain to monitor the games and make sure they did not contain excessive violence. Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth
2295-514: A soothsayer), but Moffat originally considered her "short and dumpy". He later called her "exactly right for the role", although she played the character differently from the way it was originally written. Gillan auditioned for the role in her (natural) Scottish accent and an English one, and after she was cast it was decided that Amy would be Scottish. Gillan felt that the Scottish accent better suited her character. A young version of Amy (Amelia)
2448-483: A temple found in Indiana Jones , and Haynes actually played music from Raiders of the Lost Ark composed by John Williams to help the actors slow down as they explored the set. Haynes believed this would emphasise the awe in the scene as well as the "ghostly" and "haunted" feeling of the chamber. Gillan stated that she found the music very useful. For the scene in which the Doctor, Amy, and River are riding on horses,
2601-496: A three-minute dialogue sequence. This proved to be a challenge, as it typically took an hour and a half to film similar scenes. The rest of the scenes set at Stonehenge were filmed with a lightweight replica set up in Margam Country Park called "Foamhenge" over four nights. Director Toby Haynes thought that they had " established " Stonehenge at the real site and now could get away with seeing less of it. The Doctor's speech to
2754-506: A trailer shown at the press screening of episode one was released online. BBC America , which would air the series in the United States, released an extended trailer on 21 March. Promotional touring for the series began on 29 March and ended two days later, with Smith and Gillan presenting the first episode in Belfast , Inverness , Sunderland , Salford and Northampton . The first episode
2907-459: A variant of the previous sequence. Moffat wanted a new version of the theme music , and composer Murray Gold wanted it to "sound a bit reckless". The new version, composed by Gold, incorporated an electronic-trumpet melody and a faster tempo. Some fans disliked the new theme, and the BBC had received 70 complaints by 18 April 2010. A Doctor Who spokesman responded, "The arranger has made alterations to
3060-399: A variety of things to find a look he would feel comfortable and confident in and which would identify his Doctor. He brought in braces and a tweed jacket ; Holman thought the tweed jacket was "a bit old for him", but it indicated that he was a "professor and student at the same time" and gave him "that quality that the Doctor's still learning, but also has some authority". Smith suggested
3213-447: Is accosted by an adult Amelia, now going by Amy , who has been ridiculed by the townsfolk for her fascination with her "raggedy doctor". The Doctor sees a door hidden by a perception filter in Amy's home, and finds Prisoner Zero inside. They flee before it attacks. The Atraxi arrive in Earth's orbit and, speaking through all communication devices, demand they turn over Zero or they will destroy
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#17328525329073366-426: 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"
3519-639: Is at the onset of the time energy explosion that caused the cracks in the universe, the Doctor warns her to leave immediately, but she finds herself again trapped in the TARDIS as the central control console begins to go critical. Back at Stonehenge, the Doctor discovers that the volunteer legionaries, including Rory, are Autons , and he is quickly captured as his other orbiting foes materialise around him. Above ground, as Rory fights to retain his human identity, Amy suddenly remembers him, but as his Auton identity emerges he fatally shoots Amy. The Doctor's captors reveal that they have formed an alliance to imprison him in
3672-563: 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 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
3825-482: Is revealed in the series finale that the cracks were caused by the TARDIS exploding, and the Doctor is forced to reboot the universe to its state before the cracks appeared. In addition to the six episodes written by Moffat, Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Simon Nye , Richard Curtis , and Gareth Roberts wrote one episode each; Chris Chibnall wrote a two-episode story. The series was meant to be fantastical to stand out from other science-fiction and fantasy shows, and
3978-415: Is the first episode of the series, "The Eleventh Hour" was not the first to be shot. It was filmed in the third production block, after the completion of episodes 2–5. As Smith was aware of how his Doctor would act in the following episodes, he used this one to establish the character. The plan was to retain traces of Smith's predecessor, but the executive producers wanted Smith to be "stranger". The episode
4131-403: Is the first to be led by Steven Moffat , who took over as head writer and executive producer when Russell T Davies ended his involvement in the show after " The End of Time ". The series has 13 episodes, six of which were written by Moffat. Piers Wenger and Beth Willis were co-executive producers, and Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett were producers. Although it is the fifth series since
4284-712: The Ninth Doctor and the revival of the television series), six novels were published corresponding to the series. On 22 April 2010, the first three ( Apollo 23 by Justin Richards , Night of the Humans by David Llewellyn , and The Forgotten Army by Brian Minchin) were published with the Eleventh Doctor and Amy. On 8 July 2010, three more novels were published: Nuclear Time by Oli Smith, The Glamour Chase by Gary Russell and The King's Dragon by Una McCormack, with
4437-650: The Plantasia botanical garden in Swansea on 13 November 2009, and in Cardiff's Temple of Peace and other locations and unusual sets for the Silurian city. "The Vampires of Venice" and "Vincent and the Doctor" were filmed primarily in Trogir , Croatia , which stood in for Venice and Paris respectively. Although a small crew went to Venice for wide shots of coastal buildings, the episode
4590-555: The Tenth Doctor . Its premise would have been similar to the beginning of " The Eleventh Hour " as broadcast: Had David stayed for one final year, it would certainly have been his last, so my pitch was that it would start with the Tardis crashing in Amelia’s back garden – as now – and a terribly battered and bruised Tenth Doctor staggering out. Amelia finds him, feeds him fish custard (no that
4743-563: The fourth series episode " The Fires of Pompeii " and was suggested to Moffat by casting director Andy Pryor. Gillan auditioned for the role in both her natural Scottish and English accents. Only after Gillan was cast was Amy made Scottish. The young Amy, known as Amelia, was played by Karen Gillan's real-life cousin Caitlin Blackwood. Though Gillan recommended Blackwood, the young actor first had to undergo rigorous auditions, lacking any formal acting experience. "The Eleventh Hour"
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4896-413: The second series episode " Fear Her ", did not write his planned episode because he did not believe he would have enough time. Moffat later contacted him and asked him to write a two-part episode for the next series (" The Rebel Flesh " and " The Almost People "). In the first episode, Moffat intended to introduce the Eleventh Doctor and establish his new identity; the second was intended to demonstrate
5049-500: The series 4 episodes " Silence in the Library " and " Forest of the Dead ", reprised her role in the two-part stories " The Time of Angels " and " Flesh and Stone " and " The Pandorica Opens " and " The Big Bang ". Although Kingston did not expect to return, Moffat always intended for River to return to the series. Arthur Darvill appeared in seven episodes as Rory Williams , Amy's fiancé, and
5202-636: The "iconic" scene with the Doctor, Amy, River Song and the TARDIS. Forest scenes in "Flesh and Stone" were filmed at Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean over nine nights in July 2009. Episodes two and three made up the second production block. Scenes for "The Beast Below" were filmed in an orangery at Margam Country Park in Port Talbot during a night shoot on 22 September 2009. Half a scene for "The Pandorica Opens", with Liz 10 ( Sophie Okonedo ) from "The Beast Below",
5355-426: The "slightly poor effects" and "somewhat lightweight story", and while he called the new title sequence "absolutely beautiful", he was unsure of the new variation of the theme tune. Dave Golder of SFX magazine gave "The Eleventh Hour" five out of five stars, thinking that Moffat captured "the way children perceive the Doctor" and praising the debuts of Smith and Gillan. The A.V. Club reviewer Keith Phipps gave
5508-491: The "whole bunch of disparate elements ... never [gelled] into a satisfying whole". Though he said it was not perfect with "a saggy midsection and slightly naff CGI effects", he thought it was still "wondrous in so many ways". New York Times reviewer Mike Hale wrote that the episode worked like "a well-oiled piece of machinery", but it came across as "routine" with "none of the over-the-top exuberance" of Davies' run. While he noted that Gillan "looks promising", he felt that Smith
5661-670: The Atraxi leave Earth, the Doctor declares that he is Earth's protector and cautions them not to threaten the planet again. Intending to take the repaired TARDIS for a short test run, the Doctor returns to Amy's house two years later. While Amy is still bitter over the Doctor's original disappearance and suspicious of his offer to travel with her, she agrees to his offer, so long as the time machine can return tomorrow morning. "The Eleventh Hour" marked several production changes. Steven Moffat succeeded Russell T Davies as executive producer and head writer. Piers Wenger and Beth Willis replaced Julie Gardner as executive producer. A new logo
5814-539: The Cybermen , was released on 26 June after the series finale aired. It was followed by the third game ( TARDIS ) on 27 August, and Shadows of the Vashta Nerada on 22 December. A mobile game app was also developed by Tag Games for BBC Worldwide . Entitled " Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time ", it allowed play as the Doctor and Amy and involved time travel, defeating enemies, and solving problems. The game had over 100 puzzles, seven locations to travel to, music from
5967-482: The Doctor (" Vincent and the Doctor "). The painting is found in 1941 by Winston Churchill ( Ian McNeice ) and Professor Bracewell ( Bill Paterson ) from " Victory of the Daleks ", and River steals the painting from Liz 10 ( Sophie Okonedo ), who previously appeared in " The Beast Below ". The recurring phrase "silence will fall" came to a head in the next series with the introduction of the alien species and organisation of
6120-444: The Doctor and Amy, and is a regular character in the next series. Alex Kingston returns as River Song , a mysterious woman from the Doctor's future who summons him twice in this series. The main story arc , covering several episodes, concerns a pattern of cracks in the universe which are sometimes unnoticed by the characters. It is discovered that the cracks can erase things from existence; this happens to Rory, and Amy forgets him. It
6273-626: The Doctor barely hangs onto the crashing TARDIS as it flies over London, was later added to the script to bridge from the conclusion of " The End of Time " to the TARDIS's crash into Amy's garden. Moffat thought it would be funny if they showed him hanging out of the TARDIS and nearly crashing into London, which would start an episode set in a small town in a big way. Moffat also referenced the scene from A.A. Milne 's The House at Pooh Corner , where Tigger claims to like everything, but then proceeds to reject all food offered to him until he finally finds that he likes extract of malt . Moffat's variant had
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6426-428: The Doctor in the garden, the camera returns to her house where something, presumably Prisoner Zero, darts past the camera. It is actually Smith in footage intended for the finale, " The Big Bang ", but when it did not fit into that episode it was recycled here. Originally the scene where the Doctor confirms that he is the man she remembers by showing her the apple she gave him that day was cut due to pacing issues and that
6579-416: The Doctor is a pacifist and does not use the guns commonly found in video games, The Adventure Games utilised a more strategy- and puzzle-based gameplay; much of the first game was based on stealth, exploration, and puzzle-solving. The Doctor was equipped with his sonic screwdriver but, since it was often used as a skeleton key in the show, the game employs puzzle-solving to advance instead of simply using
6732-627: The Doctor or life with Rory. The scene in which Rory dies in the false reality was intended to reveal Amy's feelings for him. Nye wanted to stress that Amy really loved Rory, and he was not "just a cypher boyfriend or fiancé". Moffat contacted Chris Chibnall to write a two-part episode involving the Silurians , villains who had not appeared on the show for over 25 years. Since the Silurians were not as well known as other monsters, he instructed Chibnall to reintroduce them. These Silurians were intended to be
6885-517: The Doctor that "everything that ever hated [him]" is being drawn to the Pandorica. The Doctor is aided by a volunteer group of Roman legionaries; the centurion in charge of them is Amy's fiancé, Rory . Neither Rory nor the Doctor can explain Rory's presence, as he was consumed by a crack in the universe and erased from existence. The Doctor urges River to bring the TARDIS to Stonehenge while he, Amy, Rory, and
7038-505: The Doctor to be nominated for a BAFTA award. The series was accompanied by a soundtrack and tie-in books and video games; four of the latter were released on the BBC website and advertised as additional episodes of the series. Two scenes were filmed for the Complete Fifth Series box set, revealing what happened between pairs of regular episodes. The first scene is set between "The Eleventh Hour" and "The Beast Below", and
7191-462: The Doctor's need for a companion and Amy's importance to him. For the third episode, he asked Mark Gatiss to write an episode about "Churchill versus the Daleks ". Moffat wanted to incorporate the popular Daleks into the new series, and considered redesigning them. Gatiss, Moffat and the production team worked together to create large, more-colourful Daleks, similar to those in the 1960s films . For
7344-479: The Doctor, Amy and Rory. Science-fiction writer Michael Moorcock , who had watched Doctor Who since the beginning , also wrote a novel. The 345-page The Coming of the Terraphiles was published on 14 October 2010. On 16 September 2010, BBC Books published their first Doctor Who graphic novel: The Only Good Dalek , with the Doctor and Amy. BBC Books also published The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011 ,
7497-413: The Doctor, which Moffat believed was consistent with her character development. Toby Whithouse originally planned to write a different episode , but Moffat and Wenger considered it too similar to other episodes in the series. Whithouse wrote "The Vampires of Venice" instead, and his original episode was moved back to the next series . He was asked to write "a big bold romantic episode" which would be
7650-550: The Doctor. The set was designed by Edward Thomas. The previous TARDIS interior was shown at the beginning of "The Eleventh Hour"; the Time Rotor on the console had to be rebuilt, due to the explosive special effects used in " The End of Time ". The sonic screwdriver is destroyed in "The Eleventh Hour" and a new version, with a green light and metal claws, was created. Smith liked to keep the prop with him, "twirling it around and flicking it", and broke four of them. The noise made by
7803-417: The Earth. Searching for Zero, which is able to take the form of any unconscious being that it has telepathically linked to, they run across Amy's boyfriend Rory, who helps spot Zero posing as one of the coma patients in his care. The Doctor directs Amy and Rory to the hospital, while he gate-crashes an online meeting of experts discussing the Atraxi warning to give them instructions. Amy and Rory corner Zero at
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#17328525329077956-453: The Pandorica. Knowing the TARDIS exploding would cause the cracks destroying reality, they believe only the Doctor can operate the TARDIS, and thus removing him will prevent the explosion. As the Doctor is sealed inside the Pandorica, every star in the sky goes supernova. In the first episode of the series, " The Eleventh Hour ", Prisoner Zero tells the Doctor, "The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall". The Pandorica
8109-653: The Silence . The read-through for "The Pandorica Opens" took place on 13 January 2010 in the Upper Boat Studios . It began later than planned as cold weather delayed the arrival of some of the cast and crew. The episode was filmed in the sixth production block along with " The Big Bang ". Half of the scene with Liz 10 ( Sophie Okonedo ) was filmed in advance on 22 October 2009 along with scenes of " The Beast Below " at an orangery at Margam Country Park , Port Talbot . The other half, featuring Alex Kingston as River Song,
8262-440: The TARDIS exploding. The Doctor realises the Pandorica, a fabled prison for the universe's deadliest being, must be stored in a memorable location near the coordinates: Stonehenge. Beneath Stonehenge, the Doctor, Amy, and River find the Pandorica. While examining the Pandorica, Amy confronts the Doctor about an engagement ring she had previously found in the pocket of his jacket and feels a strong emotional attachment to. River warns
8415-472: The TARDIS to self-repair while the Scottish girl Amelia Pond helps him recover. She shows him a crack in her bedroom wall that he recognises as a tear in space-time, leading to an Atraxi prison. The Atraxi alert him to the escape of Prisoner Zero . Before he can respond, he must take the TARDIS for a short trip to help its repairs, and promises Amelia he will be back in five minutes. She packs a suitcase and waits for him. The Doctor returns twelve years later. He
8568-531: The UK and US airings lessened considerably. In New Zealand, the series began airing on Prime on 2 May 2010. On 7 June 2010, the first volume of Series 5 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 2 with "The Eleventh Hour", "The Beast Below" and "Victory of the Daleks". The second volume was released on 5 July on DVD and Blu-ray, with "The Time of Angels", "Flesh and Stone" and "The Vampires of Venice". "Amy's Choice", "The Hungry Earth", and "Cold Blood" followed in
8721-465: The US, the first episode set a record for BBC America with an average of 1.2 million viewers and 0.9 million in the adult 25–54 demographic. Within a week of its broadcast, "The Eleventh Hour" received 1.27 million hits on BBC's online iPlayer service—a record for the most requests in a week. It was the most-requested episode of 2010 (with 2.2 million views), and Doctor Who was also the most-watched programme of
8874-499: The Upper Boat Studios. Haynes wanted the chamber to look "dark" and "physical", and the art department added cobwebs and stones. As the chamber was supposed to be underground and thus there was no natural light to light the actors' faces, Haynes decided to utilise gas-fed flaming torches as the source of light; Gillan was initially nervous about working with the torches and struggled with them. The script referred to it as similar to
9027-410: The alien spaceships was filmed 3 February, while Rory shooting Amy was shot on 4 February. The weather conditions were very cold with wind and rain which caused difficulties as it was hard to communicate over the wind. Haynes wanted the Doctor's speech to be his "big, pop-star moment" and to look as if he was addressing a large site such as Wembley Stadium . The "Underhenge" set was the largest built in
9180-483: The assembly of the Alliance was "rather fanboyish on Moffat's part". He also praised Smith for "hit[ting] the right note" and the revelations at the end for being "genuinely shocking". Like Martin, he said that Rory's return was "unsurprising", though "well-handled" and with some touching moments between him and Amy. Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times called it "perhaps the most epic, salivating Doctor Who ever" and praised
9333-426: The camera angle and decided to reshoot the scene from a different angle, but a different actor who had both arms did the part as the amputee was unavailable. A simple solution was devised to cover his arm with a green sleeve made of the same material as a greenscreen , and the final sequence is a combination of both shots. The Cyberman is killed by Rory, who is unaware he is an Auton; this was meant to signify that there
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#17328525329079486-494: The cinematic scope and cliffhanger, calling it "the most audacious of showstoppers". He thought that so much happened in the episode that Rory's return felt like "a minor plot point", though he believed that to be because the audience knew it was going to happen. Gavin Fuller, writing for The Daily Telegraph , praised it for bringing an "epic, cinematic tale to stick in the memory" that the series had "arguably lacked", though he thought
9639-442: The close-ups of the characters riding were filmed by having the actors sit on a saddle mounted on the back of a truck and act like they were riding horses. Gillan called this the "strangest thing" she had ever done, and was sure she "looked ridiculous". They were filmed performing this as the truck drove to achieve the effect of the passing country. Wide shots were taken of stunt doubles of the three actors riding real horses. This scene
9792-523: The episode an A−, explaining that he liked Smith "a lot" but was not sure if the Eleventh Doctor was separate enough from the Tenth yet. He called Gillan "instantly winning" and that the story was "no exception" from Moffat's typical "exceptionally strong narratives, keen sense of character, and efficient plotting". Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune stated that the episode "works" as an introduction, though it could be "almost too jokey at times". Though she felt
9945-565: 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
10098-577: The episode, the Doctor snaps his fingers to open the TARDIS, a trick his previous incarnation learned from River Song in " Silence in the Library "/" Forest of the Dead ". He also repeats the lines "wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey" and "some cowboys in here" from the Moffat-written episodes " Blink " and " The Girl in the Fireplace ". The read-through for the episode took place in September 2009. Though it
10251-499: The explosive special effects that were used in " The End of Time ". "The End of Time" saw the end of David Tennant 's tenure as the Tenth Doctor and his regeneration into Matt Smith . Moffat was originally looking to cast a middle-aged actor, but he and Wenger went with the 26-year-old Smith in what they considered an easy decision. Karen Gillan was cast as the Doctor's new companion Amy Pond ; she had previously appeared in
10404-416: The fact had been established in a previous scene. The previous scene was then cut and the apple scene returned. Due to the rain, the scene where the Doctor tries to gain the Atraxi's attention with his sonic screwdriver had to be simplified. Adam Smith based the style of the confrontation on a Western film. The destruction of the sonic screwdriver shortly after was achieved with a spark effect concealed inside
10557-476: The fact that "the story wisely doesn't waste too much time with an unstable regeneration". Though he praised Smith, he commented he was "still not feeling" the "Geronimo!" catchphrase. Radio Times reviewer Patrick Mulkern believed it was "obvious" that Smith's Doctor would be "up there with the greatest" and also praised Gillan, though he was unsure of the rescored theme tune . He also praised Moffat's script for "[offering] funny lines...directorial flourishes and
10710-519: The fact that he was nearly too late, the connotation of the phrase . In the DVD commentary, Moffat said it was originally titled The Doctor Returns , and that it was the most difficult script he had ever written, as he had to introduce a new Doctor, a new companion, convince the audience that it was both a new and an old show, and deliver a fast-paced story. While traditionally the Doctor rests after he regenerates, Moffat thought it would be fun to make him save
10863-458: The fall of someone as powerful as the Doctor. Filming was done at the real Stonehenge in Wiltshire on the night of 2 February 2010. The cast and crew had to abide by regulations; they were not allowed to touch the stones, bring heavy equipment in, and the lighting had to be done from the floor. They could only afford to shoot during one night and spent the only hour of daylight in the morning shooting
11016-428: The finales of previous series. He also thought the use of the Alliance was well done, as it portrayed them as being more misguided than evil. The A.V. Club 's Keith Phipps gave the episode an A−, though expressed concern whether the conclusion would be able to satisfy the set-up. "The Pandorica Opens", along with its conclusion , was awarded the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) . This
11169-576: The first few days of February 2010. The Pandorica chamber was filmed in Upper Boat Studios , on the largest set ever built there. Additional scenes for "The Big Bang" were filmed in Brangwyn Hall and Miskin Manor . "Amy's Choice" was partially filmed in Skenfrith , Wales, as Upper Leadworth. Filming of the series lasted about nine months. Production blocks were arranged as follows: The first trailer of
11322-412: The four leads and Moffat for "packing in surprises and slotting together the season puzzle with a dazzling plot, urgent pace and terrific dialogue". IGN 's Matt Wales rated the episode 9 out of 10, saying it "managed to pack in an absurd number of standout moments" and was "beautifully delivered, if not quite as satisfying as other two-part openers thanks to its wilful evasiveness". However, he thought that
11475-536: The fourth and fifth episodes, Moffat planned a two-part sequel to his 2007 " Blink " with the Weeping Angels . The episodes, "The Time of Angels" and "Flesh and Stone", were intended to be more action-oriented than "Blink" and demonstrate that the Angels had a plan other than scavenging. He decided to flesh out the Angels as villains and show more of what they could do. "Flesh and Stone" ends with Amy attempting to seduce
11628-411: The games. Children don't just watch Doctor Who – they join in. They make up games, invent their monsters, create their own stories. Now, there’s something else – now they can be the Doctor in brand new episodes. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games will offer fans a unique opportunity to enter his world, face his challenges and grapple with his deadliest foes. By developing these games alongside
11781-461: The higher profile of screenwriters attracted to the show. Jack Thorne was also in contention to write an episode, but amicably parted ways. Aspects of the finale occurred to Moffat as he planned the series' story arc, although he left room to improvise as the story developed. "The Big Bang" ends with Amy and Rory's wedding; Moffat said that he had intended for them to get married "from the off". The finale left questions (which would be answered in
11934-432: The hospital, and the Doctor arrives as the experts execute his plan, broadcasting "zero" to the Atraxi, who trace the origin of the message to a mobile phone in the hospital. To hide from the Atraxi, Zero knocks out Amy and takes the form of Amelia. The Doctor speaks to Amy's subconscious to force Zero to take its native form, allowing the Atraxi to recapture it. Zero warns the Doctor as it is taken away "silence will fall". As
12087-415: The legionaries prepare. When River tries to use the TARDIS, an outside force takes control of it and pilots it to Amy's house in the present day, which has been broken into. In Amy's room, River finds a story book about Pandora's box and a children's book about Roman Britain. River communicates this to the Doctor, warning him that the Pandorica must be a trap, created out of Amy's memories. Realising that River
12240-482: The music four times since 2005, so change is nothing new. It is important for the regeneration of the show to keep revisiting the score while always retaining the haunting and ground-breaking essence of the original". A new TARDIS prop was used, with the St John Ambulance logo which had been used in the early days of the show and the mid-1960s Peter Cushing films (of which Moffat was a fan). Moffat said that it
12393-423: The new Doctor, the set designer was briefed to create a design which would suit Smith's Doctor. Moffat liked the old set, but thought it was time for a new one to "surprise people" and believed that the spirit of a new era was to change everything. Piers Wenger said that it took "quite a long time to get the design right", and they were careful not to make it too futuristic-looking since "futuristic" meant nothing to
12546-513: The new TV series, we've been able to weave exciting narrative strands with the very finest game design to create a new kind of Doctor Who , which can be enjoyed by the whole family. Steven Moffat In April 2010 the BBC announced The Adventure Games , four interactive episodes available free-to-download on the BBC Doctor Who website with the Doctor and Amy voiced by Smith and Gillan. Piers Wenger referred to them as four extra episodes in
12699-410: The newly regenerated Doctor reject a variety of foods, with the exception of fish fingers with custard , offered to him by the young Amy. Moffat felt that appealing to children was important to the show's success. The scene where the Doctor creates the virus using Jeff's laptop was originally set in a classroom where the Doctor used the students' computers; this was changed for production reasons. In
12852-401: The next series) about River Song's identity and " the Silence ", which apparently caused the TARDIS to explode. Although the Eleventh Doctor still wears his previous incarnation's costume in the first episode, costume designer Ray Holman said that the costume was broken-down and distressed. During the first episode, he would find his own identity and pick out his unique costume. Smith tried on
13005-439: The notion of Amelia as an unconventional girl. Throughout the episode, the Doctor behaves erratically, as he gradually gets used to his new body and tastes while developing a new personality. Willis stated that he "finally clicks into place" after picking out his new outfit. The rooftop scene was not in the original script; the Doctor simply ran away from the ward and returned to the TARDIS. Moffat felt that he did not really have
13158-453: The performances of Smith, Gillan, and Darvill. However, reviewers noted Amy's lack of character development and the series' diminished emotional appeal. It received a number of awards and nominations; "Vincent and the Doctor" and the two-part finale were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) , with the award going to the finale. Smith was the first actor playing
13311-641: The previous series included a new logo, title sequence, variant of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver , interior and exterior of the TARDIS, and a change in the theme music . The series premiere was watched by 10.085 million viewers (the most-watched premiere since " Rose " of the first series ), and set records on BBC America in the United States and the BBC's online iPlayer. Although overnight ratings declined compared to other series, one writer calculated that viewership had not changed significantly when time-shifted ratings were taken into account. The series received positive reviews, with praise for Moffat's story arc and
13464-507: The production team strove for a fairy-tale quality because Moffat believed that media aimed at children were some of the most popular among adults. The episodes were directed by directors who were new to Doctor Who . Filming began in late July 2009, lasting about nine months. The series was filmed primarily in Wales, except for " The Vampires of Venice " and " Vincent and the Doctor " (which had scenes filmed in Trogir , Croatia ). Design changes from
13617-417: The safety net." Adam Smith directed the first, fourth and fifth episodes, and Andrew Gunn , Ashley Way, Jonny Campbell , Toby Haynes and Catherine Morshead directed two episodes apiece. Rehearsing episodes four and five (the first episodes produced), director Adam Smith suggested that Smith and Gillan "have an adventure" in which they could experience something exciting, laugh and scream; he took them on
13770-428: The screwdriver was added in post-production with a synthesizer . Moffat described the changes as starting with a "clean slate", which made sense after the previous cast and crew had left. Murray Gold composed the soundtrack to this series, with orchestration by Ben Foster . All the series' directors were new to Doctor Who ; Moffat said that he wanted to "shake things up", and it was "never too early to get rid of
13923-506: The screwdriver, activated by an electrical charge that reached the screwdriver by an electrical wire that ran up Smith's sleeve and connected to a receiver. Special effects head Danny Hargreaves then used a remote control to activate the device. Contrary to reports, the effect did not injure Smith. The "fish fingers and custard" scene was shot in 12 takes. The fish fingers were actually a breaded coconut-flavoured food item; Smith estimated that he had eaten some 14 of them. "The Eleventh Hour"
14076-450: The screwdriver. The first installment, City of the Daleks , was originally scheduled for release on 5 June 2010, but was made available two days earlier. The BBC explained the early release as a testing procedure, and final tweaks were expected to be made before its official release. In its first twelve days of availability the game was downloaded over 500,000 times, and traffic on the website had increased. The second game, Blood of
14229-459: The second is set between "Flesh and Stone" and "The Vampires of Venice". The series introduced the Eleventh Doctor , played by Matt Smith . This followed the departure of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor , who left the show to help ease the transition from Davies to Moffat. Smith's agent called him, suggesting that he audition for the role. Moffat wanted to cast a middle-aged actor, "young enough to run but old enough to look wise". When Smith
14382-417: The series began airing. Gillan had substantial input into Amy's costume, hairstyle and make-up. Holman said that Amy's identity was unclear in the first episode, but she later wore her own clothes. According to the actress, Amy had the inner confidence to wear clothes which showed "a bit of skin from time to time". Although she tried on a number of costumes, when it came to short skirts she "just thought it
14535-434: The series was in good hands with Smith and Gillan, she derided the Atraxi for being "alarmingly static and ultimately uninteresting" and the story's "little substance". IGN 's Matt Wales rated the episode 8 out of 10, praising it for easily fitting into the show's continuity, especially with Smith's portrayal of the Doctor. However, he thought the "calamity plot" was the "weakest link in an otherwise superb opening episode" and
14688-462: The series was shown on television and released online shortly after the broadcast of the second part of "The End of Time" on 1 January 2010. On 17 February, a new promotional image was released. A second trailer was released on 20 February, and a 3D version was shown in cinemas with Alice in Wonderland . Moffat confirmed the series' 3 April start date on the 19 March BBC Breakfast . That day,
14841-401: The series, the episode was not followed by a short trailer for the next episode, the finale. Initial overnight ratings showed that 5.38 million viewers had watched the episode on BBC One, while a further 497,000 watched on BBC HD, combining for a total of 5.88 million. Final consolidated figures showed a total of 7.57 million viewers, with 6.94 million on BBC One and 635,000 on BBC HD. The episode
14994-537: The series, with all content part of the Doctor Who universe . The games, developed by Charles Cecil and Sheffield -based game company Sumo , were written by Phil Ford and James Moran and overseen by Moffat and the show's producers. Cecil was contacted by BBC Wales interactive editor Iain Tweedale, who asked him about developing a Doctor Who game. Smith and Gillan's movements were captured by rotoscoping . Since
15147-411: The series; the rest were written by others, since he believed that Doctor Who benefited from different voices. According to Moffat, he primarily supplied the other episode concepts and had a "pretty good idea" of what would happen in each episode. He knew the guest writers "to some degree", and called his meetings with them "quite joyous". Matthew Graham , co-creator of Life on Mars and writer of
15300-404: The shadow of Amy's imaginary Doctor. Moffat was inspired by a crack in his son's bedroom wall and developed the idea into the main story arc for the fifth series. He thought that a child might think that something interesting lived inside such a crack. The hidden room in Amelia's house was based on Moffat's recurring childhood dream of a nonexistent hidden room in his grandmother's house. Moffat
15453-460: The show before. The episode also features Amy battling a Cyberman; Gillan stated she "really wanted" to work with the iconic monster. As the Cyberman had been guarding the Pandorica for a long time, Haynes wanted to make it look "rusted, creaky, and old" and compared its behavior to Frankenstein . The Cyberman was originally played by an amputee with one arm, but the production team was dissatisfied with
15606-518: The show's revival in 2005 (and the thirty-first since it began in 1963), the series' production code numbers were reset. It was the first series to feature Matt Smith as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor , an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in his TARDIS (a spacecraft whose exterior resembles a British police box ). Karen Gillan is introduced as the Doctor's new companion , Amy Pond . Her fiancé, Rory Williams ( Arthur Darvill ), appears in seven episodes, travels with
15759-419: The show, and the Daleks, Cybermen and Silurians as enemies. The app was released for Apple IOS devices on 16 December 2010, and for Android on 17 August 2011. Final consolidated viewing figures showed that the premiere, "The Eleventh Hour", was seen by 10.085 million viewers —the most-watched premiere since " Rose ", and the eighth-highest figure for an episode of Doctor Who since its 2005 revival. In
15912-514: The slow-motion ending "dipped a little too violently into melodrama", though it was "hard to fault that bravado downbeat cliffhanger". SFX magazine's Richard Edwards awarded the episode five out of five stars, praising the "delicious twist", "great character stuff", and "touching scenes" between Amy and Rory. He thought that the Alliance was "unlikely" but it worked because the series arc had been "cleverly constructed". Sam McPherson of Zap2it gave it an A+, praising it for being an improvement upon
16065-695: The television air date, on 16 April. The show was broadcast two weeks after airing in Britain, as the BBC required a fortnight to edit down the Doctor Who Confidential: Cut Down . There was no room for the accompanying Doctor Who Confidential due to the hour-long running time, but ABC holds the rights and has made it available on iView. The episode aired in New Zealand on 2 May on Prime . "The Eleventh Hour" received positive reviews from critics. Benji Wilson, for The Daily Telegraph , wrote "It
16218-455: The third volume, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 August 2010. The fourth and final volume, with "Vincent and the Doctor", "The Lodger", "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang", was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 6 September. A collection of the series' episodes was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 2 on 8 November 2010 and in Region 1 the following day. In Region 4, the box set
16371-452: The time-travelling archaeologist River Song ( Alex Kingston ) summons alien time traveller the Doctor ( Matt Smith ) and his companion Amy Pond ( Karen Gillan ) to Roman Britain in 102 AD, where underneath Stonehenge lies a fabled prison called the Pandorica that legend tells holds the most fearsome being in the whole universe. However, it is discovered that the Doctor has been put in a trap by an alliance of his greatest enemies to save
16524-421: The universe from cracks in time that were caused by the Doctor's space-time vessel the TARDIS . Amy's fiancé, Rory ( Arthur Darvill ), who had previously been erased from existence from one of the cracks in the universe, makes a return, though he is revealed to be an Auton duplicate outfitted with his consciousness. Moffat wanted the episode to be "big" and "mad". Filming was done at the real Stonehenge and at
16677-668: The video conference with a brief speaking part, though not all his lines survived the final cut. The man above Moore is the brother of Adam Smith. Marcello Magni, who played a man Prisoner Zero impersonates that barks like his dog, had already worked as a canine impersonator. Academy Award -winning actor Olivia Colman and The Umbrella Academy star Tom Hopper make pre-stardom appearances in small roles (as one of Prisoner Zero's forms, and Jeff, respectively). Arthur Cox , who played Mr. Henderson, previously played Cully in The Dominators in 1968. "I thought it would be fun if, while he
16830-454: The world instead. He described it as a comedy of a man whose day keeps getting worse and worse. Believing that London and companions from London had become a cliché and the audience had become bored with it, Moffat set the episode in the fictional village of Leadworth. Moffat, a Scot, debated whether to locate the episode in a village in Scotland. He ultimately decided on England, in keeping with
16983-481: The year on the service. The Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who) " 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
17136-407: Was a companion in six of the episodes. Darvill had worked with Smith on a play, Swimming with Sharks . He received two scenes from the first episode and one from the sixth for his audition, but (except for Rory being Amy's boyfriend) he was not informed of the character's details. Moffat noted "just how funny" Darvill was during his audition. The actor felt "privileged" to be part of the show, and
17289-512: Was achieved with a helicopter. Smith stated that the scene was hard to visualise as it relied heavily on computer-generated images. Nearly every scene in the sequence is a visual effects shot, including a 3-D TARDIS flying over London and a CG Doctor hanging out of the TARDIS in the aerial shots. Moffat realised that the Millennium Dome was visible in the final footage, and so the scene could not be set in 1996 before it had been built. Instead of
17442-621: Was also filmed there. Scenes for Amy and Rory's town of Leadworth in the first episode, "The Eleventh Hour", were filmed in the village of Llandaff in Cardiff over a number of days in the autumn of 2009: 29 September, 5–7 October, and 20 November. The fourth production block, consisting of "The Hungry Earth" and "Cold Blood", was filmed in October and November 2009; location filming was done in Llanwynno , Wales. Scenes for "Cold Blood" were also filmed at
17595-407: Was also mentioned by River in " Flesh and Stone " as the next time she would meet him, and the Doctor dismissed the Pandorica as a fairy tale. In River's timeline this takes place before " The Time of Angels "/"Flesh and Stone". The painting of the TARDIS explosion passes through several characters from previous episodes: the painting is created by Vincent van Gogh ( Tony Curran ) after his meeting with
17748-472: Was also the debut of Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams , who became a regular in the sixth series . Moffat stated that what stood out about Darvill's audition was "just how funny" he was. EastEnders star Nina Wadia was chosen for the part of the doctor at the Leadworth Hospital. Wadia speculated that she was cast because she had worked with Adam Smith before. Patrick Moore appears as himself in
17901-466: Was announced during an episode of the Doctor Who companion show Doctor Who Confidential , when he described the role as "a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on". Karen Gillan was cast as Amy Pond , the Doctor's companion . Casting director Andy Pryor suggested Gillan to Moffat after her performance in the fourth series episode " The Fires of Pompeii " (when she played
18054-402: Was announced in October 2009. According to the BBC, it was the eleventh version of the show's logo. According to Moffat, the "DW" insignia in the shape of the TARDIS was "something really new". The logo was incorporated in a new title sequence, which was not revealed to an audience outside the BBC until the first transmission of "The Eleventh Hour"; previous press screenings and previews had used
18207-606: Was begun "from scratch". The story was inspired by the desire to see the Doctor in normal, every-day human circumstances and Roberts' enjoyment of stories set on Earth, rather than in space. Roberts was interested in doing a television version of the story, but had not mentioned it; Moffat enjoyed the comic story, and asked to adapt it into an episode when he became showrunner. In a 2021 interview, Robert Shearman revealed he had been involved in development for Series 5, but later departed. Moffat extended an open invitation to return, but Shearman declined, citing changes in his career and
18360-502: Was designed to appear "spooky but ordinary" and reminiscent of a castle. Most scenes based in Leadworth were filmed in Llandaff village in Cardiff on 29 September, 5–7 October, and 20 November 2009. Photographs were taken on 5 October for the stop-frame animation sequence representing the Doctor's thought process. As the stills were taken by members of the crew and not computers the result
18513-430: Was directed by Adam Smith, who was attracted to the "brilliant script" and working with Matt Smith after seeing him on stage. Smith was asked to direct "the same but make it a bit different – the producers didn't want it to be radically different, but they did want it to be different". The goal was to make it more "cinematic" and magical, and Smith took inspiration from E.T. and Tim Burton 's work. Amelia's house
18666-434: Was filmed 5 February 2010. Showrunner and episode writer Steven Moffat wanted the episode to be "big" and say that "we are turning it up to a level, we are really going mad with it". Atmospheric lighting was added by director of photography Stephan Pehrsson, who wanted to give it a movie feel. Moffat chose Stonehenge as the primary location for the episode because the monument was large and important enough to be suitable for
18819-418: Was filmed on 1 February 2010. At the episode's conclusion an alliance of many of the Doctor's enemies appear, including the Daleks , Cybermen , Sontarans , Judoon , Autons , Sycorax , Hoix , Silurians , and Roboforms. The Alliance was made up of the "very best" costumes and props they still had in good condition and of the most iconic monsters. So many enemies standing side-by-side had never been seen in
18972-512: Was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 3 April 2010. Overnight figures reported that 8 million watched the episode on BBC One and the simulcast on BBC HD . Final consolidated figures rose to 9.59 million on BBC One and 494,000 on BBC HD, making the final rating for the episode 10.08 million viewers, the most-watched premiere since " Rose " and the eighth highest rated episode since Doctor Who 's 2005 return. The episode
19125-574: Was for Matt, it would have been something more Davidy) and generally helps him. But we, the audience, can see he’s in a truly bad way. Dying maybe. Eventually he heads back to his TARDIS, and flies off. But when he returns – many years later for Amy – he seems perfectly fine, and indeed doesn’t remember any of those events…And of course over time, we realise what we saw was the Tenth Doctor at the end of his life, about to regenerate. Events that we return to in Episode ;13 ... Moffat wrote six episodes for
19278-580: Was given an "excellent" Appreciation Index of 88, higher than the previous episodes of series 5 and second highest for that series, after the final episode , which scored 89. "The Pandorica Opens" was released in Region 2 on DVD and Blu-ray on 6 September 2010 with " Vincent and the Doctor ", " The Lodger " and " The Big Bang ". It was then re-released as part of the Complete Fifth Series boxset on 8 November 2011. "The Pandorica Opens" received positive reviews. Dan Martin of The Guardian praised
19431-423: Was incorporated into a new title sequence with a new variation of the theme tune , composed by Murray Gold . By the end of "The Eleventh Hour", the Doctor has a new sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS sported a new interior and exterior, similar to the one used from 1963 to 1966. The previous TARDIS interior was shown at the beginning of "The Eleventh Hour"; the Time Rotor on the console had to be rebuilt due to
19584-456: Was intrigued that van Gogh never knew he was famous. Gillan noted that there was a different approach and style to the episode, and it was more character-driven. Although Neil Gaiman had written " The Doctor's Wife ", it was moved to the next series due to budgetary constraints and replaced with "The Lodger". "The Lodger" was adapted from a comic strip of the same name by Gareth Roberts for Doctor Who Magazine , although he said that most of it
19737-435: Was keen to give the monster a giant eyeball, and commented that the Atraxi's design — a giant eyeball on a star — was easy for children to draw, as he used to draw Doctor Who monsters as a child. These aspects reflect Doctor Who 's "domestically-scaled menace" principle. Moffat wrote a scene that explained Prisoner Zero's crime, but cut it because he figured no one would care. The opening sequence, in which
19890-505: Was marketed as series 1 , although it had been broadcast on BBC Television for 26 years (from 1963 to 1989). When the series was confirmed by the BBC in September 2007, it was called "series 5" and followed 2008's series 4 . In August 2009, Doctor Who Magazine reported that the series would be produced and marketed as "Series One". The January 2010 issue contained an interview with Moffat in which he called Series One "exciting", Series Thirty-One "awe-inspiring", and Series Five "boring and
20043-542: Was named the most watched programme of the year on the service. "The Eleventh Hour" was first broadcast in the US on BBC America on 17 April 2010 and in Canada on the same date on Space . It set a record for BBC America, with an average of 1.2 million viewers and 0.9 million in the adults aged 25–54 demographic. The episode aired in Australia on 18 April on ABC1. It could also be viewed on ABC's website iView two days prior to
20196-522: Was not filmed there because it would take too long to cover up the modern shops in the present-day city. Scenes for "The Vampires of Venice" were also filmed at Atlantic College , Caerphilly Castle , Castell Coch , Trogir's town hall, and Llancaich Fawr Manor . The grounds of the Margam Country Park estate were used for the placement of "Foamhenge", a lightweight replica of Stonehenge for "The Pandorica Opens". Several other scenes for "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang" were also filmed there during
20349-408: Was not perfect, which Adam Smith thought provided an "organic" feel. Plagued by torrential rain, the crew returned on 20 November to shoot the final Leadworth scenes. The production crew heavily dressed the area, adding flowers, street signs and souvenirs specific to Leadworth. The Doctor hanging out of the TARDIS was filmed with Smith in front of a greenscreen , while the aerial footage of London
20502-405: Was played by Gillan's 10-year-old cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, in the first and last episodes. The actresses had not met until the show but, although Blackwood had to audition, Gillan recommended her for the role. Blackwood and Gillan appeared together in "The Big Bang", which Gillan initially found "weird" (although the actresses quickly got used to it). Alex Kingston , who played River Song in
20655-520: Was pleased with Rory's storyline. Guest stars in the series included Olivia Colman , James Corden , Annette Crosbie , Tony Curran , Iain Glen , Daisy Haggard , Terrence Hardiman , Tom Hopper , Toby Jones , Helen McCrory , Neve McIntosh , Ian McNeice , Patrick Moore , Stephen Moore , Lucian Msamati , Bill Nighy , Sophie Okonedo , Bill Paterson , Alex Price , Robert Pugh , Nia Roberts , Mike Skinner , Meera Syal and Nina Wadia . Doctor Who
20808-511: Was released for the DS and featured the Daleks, and Doctor Who: Return to Earth featured the Cybermen and was released for the Wii. Both games featured the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond, voiced by Smith and Gillan. Evacuation Earth was released on 12 November 2010, with Return to Earth following on 19 November. Wii remotes and DS styluses modeled after the sonic screwdriver were released to accompany
20961-580: Was released on 2 December 2010. It contained the two "Meanwhile, in the TARDIS" additional scenes, profiles of enemies in "The Monster Files", abridged versions of Doctor Who Confidential , out-takes, in-vision commentaries, video diaries, and trailers and promos for the series. The commentaries were a departure from previous releases, with six instead of a full thirteen. In the BBC Books Doctor Who New Series Adventures line (a series of spin-off novels which began in 2005 with
21114-451: Was renewed for a fifth series in September 2007. Russell T Davies was succeeded by Steven Moffat as executive producer and head writer and Julie Gardner was replaced as executive producer by Piers Wenger , who had replaced Gardner as BBC Wales head of drama. Beth Willis was an executive producer, and the series was produced by Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett . Murray Gold remained as composer. The 2005 Doctor Who revival
21267-439: Was ridiculous but it felt right: mad, alien, brand-new but very old. A+ to the casting director. A+ to Smith". He also said that Gillan "110 per cent nailed it". Though he compared Prisoner Zero's low-budget CGI makeup to a "draught excluder", he said that Moffat "turned a weakness into a strength" by having Prisoner Zero take the form of humans. Daniel Martin of The Guardian called "The Eleventh Hour" "an absolute triumph" and
21420-403: Was right" and indicated that Amy was "comfortable and confident about her look". Gillan believed that the skirts reflected what young women typically wear at her age. Executive producer Piers Wenger noted that Amy's 1970s flying jacket (which she wore "quite a lot") reflected Gillan as a "born adventurer", and Amy developed a love of travel and adventure. The series introduced a new logo, which
21573-579: Was screened in New York's Paley Center for Media and the Village East Movie Theatre on 14 April. The fifth series of Doctor Who debuted on BBC One on 3 April 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour", an extended 65-minute episode. It concluded with "The Big Bang" on 26 June. The sixth episode ("The Vampires of Venice") was broadcast at 6:00 p.m. BST , the earliest start time for an episode of Doctor Who since its 2005 return. The series
21726-470: Was second for the entire week on BBC One and number four for the week across all channels. The episode earned an Appreciation Index of 86, considered "excellent". The episode was also popular on BBC's online iPlayer . Within one week of broadcast, "The Eleventh Hour" received 1.27 million hits on BBC's online iPlayer service, the record for most requests in a week. It went on to become the most requested episode of 2010 with 2.241 million views; Doctor Who
21879-468: 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. The newly regenerated Eleventh Doctor crash-lands his TARDIS in the English village of Leadworth. The Doctor leaves
22032-497: Was seen by 7.57 million viewers in the UK and received an Appreciation Index of 88. The episode was well-received by critics and the two-part story won the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) . The Eleventh Doctor and Amy , following a message from River Song , arrive in Roman Britain in 102 AD. River shows the Doctor a Vincent van Gogh painting she recovered titled The Pandorica Opens , which depicts
22185-526: Was shown in Australia on the ABC 's iview service, launching at midnight on 16 April 2010 before airing on ABC1 two days later. It began airing in the United States on 17 April 2010 on BBC America and in Canada that day on Space . This was the first initial airing of a full series of Doctor Who on BBC America; the first four series premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel , rerunning on BBC America. The gap between
22338-472: Was something different about Rory, as he would have normally panicked in that situation. At the end of the episode Rory is overcome by the Nestene Consciousness's control and shoots Amy, which reflected Moffat's belief that all good love stories end in tragedy. "The Pandorica Opens" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One and simulcast on BBC HD on 19 June 2010. For the first time in
22491-469: Was something he "really wanted to do", was for "no other reason than that [he] thought it was prettier", and he wanted the St John Ambulance sticker on the front. It is a brighter shade of blue, like Cushing's TARDIS. A new set of the TARDIS interior was designed, which Moffat estimated was three times larger than the previous set. Although he did not decide to create the new interior specifically for
22644-406: Was still regenerating, he had to run around and save the world. He's barely out of the box when he realises: I haven't changed my shirt yet and I've got 20 minutes to save the world. It's like trying to save the world with flu. And he does it with two minutes to spare." Steven Moffat The title of the episode is a play on words , referring both to the introduction of the eleventh Doctor and to
22797-546: Was the fifth time Doctor Who has won the award, and the fourth time a Steven Moffat episode had won. The Mill , Doctor Who 's computer-generated effects team, won a Royal Television Society Craft and Design Award for its work on the episode. Doctor Who (series 5) The fifth series of the British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who was originally broadcast on BBC One in 2010. The series began on 3 April 2010 with " The Eleventh Hour ", and ended with " The Big Bang " on 26 June 2010. The series
22950-529: Was the kind of relationship viewers had with the Doctor, regardless of their age. When the Doctor returns for Amy, she is a very different person from the seven-year-old he had met before. Moffat explains that she developed a tough element and had become distrustful and cynical due to him not returning as promised, forcing her to accept that he was an imaginary friend . Rory was completely in love with Amy, but Amy wanted adventures before admitting she loved him, too. Moffat described Rory as someone who had grown up in
23103-479: Was the same show, and the Doctor was the same character. The story arc of cracks in the universe was inspired by a crack in the wall of Moffat's son's bedroom. Moffat wanted to ensure that the show appealed to young children; if they could not follow the plot, there would be "big pictures" to entertain them. He believed that although Doctor Who is fundamentally a children's show, it has a universal appeal comparable to Star Wars and Toy Story . Moffat considered
23256-430: Was the third person to audition the production team knew "[they] had their man", although he was 26 years old. The producers were cautious about casting Smith because they felt that a 26-year-old actor could not play the Doctor; although BBC Head of Drama and executive producer Piers Wenger agreed, he said that Smith was capable enough to play the part. According to Moffat, Smith did not appear youthful. Smith's casting
23409-533: Was too much like Tennant and would "[need] to start shaping his own take on the role". Den of Geek selected the episode as Doctor Who 's highlight in their "Best TV Episodes of 2010" article. In 2011, after the airing of the next series , Digital Spy called the episode "still Smith and Moffat's finest hour". Digital Spy also named "The Eleventh Hour" the seventh best episode of the entire programme in 2013. The episode attracted some criticism from viewers who complained that Amy's character and occupation as
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