{"id":523,"date":"2010-04-10T18:11:01","date_gmt":"2010-04-10T17:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.staggeringstories.net\/?p=523"},"modified":"2010-04-10T21:02:41","modified_gmt":"2010-04-10T20:02:41","slug":"doctor-who-the-eleventh-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.staggeringstories.net\/?p=523","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who: The Eleventh Hour"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a>High praise has been thrust upon it from all directions it seems and, I’m afraid, my own opinion of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Hour mirrors those plaudits.<\/p>\n

It would have been a remarkable piece of television even if we’d never heard of Doctor Who before. \u00c2\u00a0That it was so amazing when we were all so used to the series by now is, I believe, an even greater achievement. \u00c2\u00a0It is very clear that the new production team, headed up by writer extraordinaire Steven Moffat, took their immense responsibilities very seriously. \u00c2\u00a0They had a quite the tight rope to walk – retool the series for a new decade but yet keep it recognisably the same. \u00c2\u00a0Personally I had high hopes for their efforts but even I was surprised by just how good a job they have already done.<\/p>\n

Clearly the most obvious change is the new Doctor, as played by Matt Smith. \u00c2\u00a0Moffat is on record as saying he was looking to cast older, probably late 30s to early 40s. \u00c2\u00a0The outcry from certain quarters over the young age of Matt Smith is well documented, as is Moffat’s insistence that Matt got the job because he was the best of the best. Moffat appears to be entirely vindicated as the almost universal opinion appears to be that Matt Smith absolutely nailed the part, with one reviewer, Matthew Bell from the Observer, even saying ‘he might be more the Doctor than anyone who was the Doctor before.’ \u00c2\u00a0That’s incredibly high praise given how nervous everyone seemed to be about Matt, especially given how popular his predecessor, David Tennant, is. \u00c2\u00a0Or perhaps I should say ‘given how popular his predecessor, David Tennant, was’ as I’m seeing, in quite a few places now, people turning around and saying how they were fed up with Tennant or didn’t even like him in the first place! Have these people changed their minds over the 65 minutes or are they only now emboldened enough to admit it? \u00c2\u00a0One thing is clear, Matt Smith has taken the part and really made it his own. \u00c2\u00a0The uncertainty that lingered after so many first stories for a new Doctor just isn’t there this time. \u00c2\u00a0He IS the Doctor and hardly anyone seems upset by that now.<\/p>\n

People who know me will also know that I had high hopes and expectations for the new companion, Amy Pond, as played by Karen Gillan. Yes, I do somewhat exaggerate my infatuation with Karen Gillan for comedic effect but, of course, she is very attractive and, vastly more importantly, incredibly good at her craft of acting. \u00c2\u00a0I’d previous seen her in the BBC’s The Well<\/a> web series and, with rather more range, in the Channel 4 comedy sketch series the Kevin Bishop Show<\/a>. \u00c2\u00a0Again I went into the Eleventh Hour with very high expectations for Amy Pond and was anything but disappointed – she may well end up being both the most interesting and most likeable companion yet. \u00c2\u00a0Just look at those final scenes around the TARDIS console, she absolutely convincingly goes through a whole range of emotions from amazed, suspicious, outright fearful to overjoyed. \u00c2\u00a0Amy is utterly conflicted and you could see all of that in Karen Gillan’s performance. \u00c2\u00a0Amazing stuff.<\/p>\n

Before I get onto the story itself I should also briefly talk about the young Amelia Pond, as played by Caitlin Blackwood. Unfortunately I was already spoiled that we’d meet Amy as a child before Karen Gillan took over as the grown up version. \u00c2\u00a0I also knew that Caitlin is Karen Gillan’s real life cousin. \u00c2\u00a0That sounds a bit unsettling to begin with but when you then hear that this 7 year old also had no prior experience with acting and it was all sounding like a disaster in the making. \u00c2\u00a0We’ve all seen far too many child actors destroy every scene they are in (the Phantom Menace, anyone?) and these first few minutes of a new era of Doctor Who really could be a bit of a make of break situation. \u00c2\u00a0What was Moffat thinking? \u00c2\u00a0Entirely the right thing, as it turns out – Caitlin was amazing, a brilliantly funny and natural performance. \u00c2\u00a0She made little Amelia really\u00c2\u00a0endearing\u00c2\u00a0and it did break your heart to see her sitting out in that dark lonely garden for the Doctor to return when, I’m sure we all knew or had figured out, he just wouldn’t. \u00c2\u00a0A vital set of scenes that both set up Amy’s character and had to hook the audience in to the new series. \u00c2\u00a0The casting people, the director and, of course, Caitlin Blackwood deserve some serious recognition – they gave it a fairytale opening that, I’m sure, almost anyone else would have ruined.<\/p>\n

Onto the plot of The Eleventh Hour itself. \u00c2\u00a0On the face of it, it’s a bit slight. \u00c2\u00a0That’s not the point of a first episode like this though, is it? We need to see the new Doctor stamp his mark on the series, we need to be introduced to the new companion. \u00c2\u00a0Not since the episode ‘Rose’ in 2005 has so much had to be done in a single story of Doctor Who. \u00c2\u00a0But wait, is it as slight as it at first appears? I don’t think it is, I think there is a lot more going on in this story than meets the eye (no pun intended!) I’ll leave such speculations to the end, though. \u00c2\u00a0For now, the plot – there is a crack in Amelia’s bedroom wall and the Doctor discovers it’s actually a crack in space\/time (or something like that). \u00c2\u00a0On the other side of the crack is a prison and ‘Prisoner Zero’ has escaped through that crack to Earth. \u00c2\u00a0The Doctor appears to close the crack before having to rush back to the TARDIS, where upon he returns not 5 minutes later but 12 years. \u00c2\u00a0Grown up Amelia (now Amy) and the Doctor rush around for 20 minutes trying to avert the destruction of planet Earth by Prisoner Zero’s gaolers by pointing out the shapeshifting prisoner’s whereabouts to them. \u00c2\u00a0Once that is done, and the Earth is safe, the Doctor goads the alien destructor fleet back to give them a good\u00c2\u00a0tongue\u00c2\u00a0lashing\u00c2\u00a0and a\u00c2\u00a0veiled\u00c2\u00a0threat that he’d sort ’em out if they ever tried that sort of thing again.<\/p>\n

As plots go that doesn’t sound much for the extended 65 minute (well, 63 minute) running time. \u00c2\u00a0It doesn’t but I didn’t find any slack moments, in fact it is just full of gem after gem. \u00c2\u00a0Little Amelia ‘praying’ to Santa (despite it being Easter) for some help with the crack in her wall, maybe a policeman, just as a Police Box crashes in her back garden. The wonderfully funny food sequence, including the immortal line – “You’re Scottish, fry something!” \u00c2\u00a0No doubt the sales of custard and fish fingers have increased markedly this past week, too! \u00c2\u00a0A bit earlier the whole: “You’re soaking wet.” “I was in the swimming pool.” “You said you were in the library.” “So was the swimming pool.” \u00c2\u00a0Or how about: “On this floor, how many rooms? Count them for me now.” “Why?” “Because it will change your life.” \u00c2\u00a0Or, a minute or two later: “Oh yeah, yeah, course! It’s an interdimensional multi-form from outer space, they’re all ‘terrified’ of wood!” \u00c2\u00a0Then there’s the: “Blimey. Get a girlfriend, Jeff.” \u00c2\u00a0Or the whole scene: “Amy, he’s taking his clothes off. … Are you not going to turn your back?” “Nope.” \u00c2\u00a0Or: “No TARDIS, no screwdriver, two minutes to spare… Who da man? … Alright, I’m never saying that again, fine!” \u00c2\u00a0Or: “Hello. I’m The Doctor. Basically… run.” \u00c2\u00a0I could go on and on but I think we all get the idea!<\/p>\n

I’m rapidly running out of time here, trying to finish off this review before the Beast Below begins in about 10 minutes! \u00c2\u00a0I don’t want to spoil this review by tainting it with knowledge of the next episode. \u00c2\u00a0I’ll just sum up the episode quickly then, before getting onto a bit of speculation. \u00c2\u00a0Doctor Who: The Eleventh Hour was a triumph. \u00c2\u00a0It had the darkness, that much talked about ‘fairy tale’ quality that we’d been told to expect, a great sense of humour that really enhanced the darkness by contrast. \u00c2\u00a0Great pacing, wonderful music (ignoring the new theme tune, I’m still undecided on that at this point!) and generally (and\u00c2\u00a0genuinely) a fresh and invigorating take on Doctor Who. \u00c2\u00a0I can’t say enough good things about it. Superlatives\u00c2\u00a0fail me!<\/p>\n

On 2nd, 3rd and 4th viewing I am noticing things that might hint at the wider story arc. \u00c2\u00a0People were a bit concerned that Moffat made it all a bit too obvious with the crack and the talk of the Pandorica and silence falling. \u00c2\u00a0I suspect that’s only the tip of the iceberg and in 12 weeks time we will look back at The Eleventh Hour in an entirely new light. \u00c2\u00a0My theory is currently that time has shattered somehow and Amy’s home village of Leadworth is either at the heart of it or at one point of failure. \u00c2\u00a0Some potential evidence:<\/p>\n