Rate "The Eleventh Hour" (SPOILERS!)

So what did everyone (who has seen it) think?

SPOILERS are allowed!

I gave it a "Pretty Good"

New Doctor - Excellent. Like him already.

New Theme - Er... maybe it'll grow on me?

New Opening - Really did not like it. Looked really cheesy to me with all the lightning and the metal type.

Story - Not bad. It had more story than the typical series opener. I thought it was pretty exciting.

New Companion - I think Amy will be a winner. So far she's incredibly likable and her introduction was rather sad. And the "twist" at the end was interesting!

New "Thread" - The silence that is coming... not sure how I feel about it. I assume this might be a "thread" that runs through the season. It just contributed a few odd moments to the show... like when the Doctor turned off the screen at the end of the episode... what were we supposed to get from that? The music sounded foreboding.

New TARDIS - Exterior looks great. Interior... I think I love it. I THINK. It's huge and I love the walls and the colors. Still deciding about the central console. And the time rotor looks a bit rude.

11th Doctor - Very Good. Reminded me of 8th at times

Companion - A "Kissogram". Seriously!? But yeah, shes not bad

New Theme - I liked the more classic sort of "#whoo eei whooo#" but they
over did some effects so you cant make out the tune. As for the vortex,
not sure yet

Plot - Ok, nothing too spectacular, standard sort of story. But why is
it called the 11th hour. Just cos its a phrase with 11 in it?

TARDIS - I like it, inside and out. Love the stairs, adds to the bigness.

jonwes wrote:

the time rotor looks a bit rude.

I ROFLed when I saw it, cos the doctor goes, "oh you sexy thing" lol

Over all, my vote is Pretty Good

I gave it average.

Love the Doctor. Really looking forward to get to know him.

Amy? Well, she's a companion. She fits. Nothing special yet. Her boyfriend, though, that guy had me rolling on the floor.

Opening & Theme - Hate it. Tennants had lights and energy and excitement to start it, with the drums going crazy, it really got my heart pumping and ready to go. This opening was the opposite. It's more like "sit back and relax".

Plot - Groan. Another alien invasion of Earth that the whole world knows about. Yay. Didn't get enough of that in the last 5 years . At least their planet didn't appear in the sky. Otherwise a fun story.

And the Tardis... I thought it inside looked pretty cheap and tacky. Not a fan of that at all.

So I'm stuck in the middle right now. Matt Smith has a lot of potential, really happy with him. Off to watch for the third time!

Not bad but I could have done without the bits with the food in the beginning. Matt should work out fine (and I'm a diehard fan of DT).

The theme itself reminds me a bit of McGann's version - it'll take time to get used to.

The TARDIS seems to be more 'alive' with its groans and all (prefer the coral theme though) - hate the center - really cheap look.

Bits of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Seems as though this was the easiest regeneration of the lot.

New Doctor - FANTASTIC! I think he's going to do really well, but I still don't think he's beaten Tennant just yet.

New theme tune - Hate it. Slow and depressing!

New titles (opening) - Same. Really slow and depressing. Cheesy, like said above.

Story - I think it was average. Very enjoyable though. I really like how Moffat keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat.

New companion - Awesome! Think she'll be one of the best, but I also think she'll have more importance in the show, rather than just being "the-tag-along-assistant".

New TARDIS - Love it too! Very modern... apart from the taps and the type writer! Haha!

Overall, I gave this an average. Which thinking about it, I should have given it a Pretty Good. So apologizes for that! The episode gets a 7.5/10 from me!

Story average.
New version of theme, a bust.
The CG effects, even the title effects, looked like CG effects, flat and lifeless.
Matt Smith reminds me a bit of Patrick Troughton, a good thing.
New Tardis interior looks promising at first glance, need to see more.
The Tardis console looks a bit stupid, especially with that old typewriter thrown in.

I was quite happy with Smith and do agree that there is a bit of Troughton to his portrayal.

Check the boxes...tick...
Eccentric...tick...Funny...tick...Watchable...tick...imaginative...tick
happy who is back...tick

time to watch again..tick - nice to feel as happy as a 9 yr old again- this show keeps amazing me...happy joy joy!

I... actually thought it was fantastic! More like an 8.8/10 rather than a 10/10, but yeah. Pretty much everything except the food crap at the beginning of the episode worked for me. Oh, and the "who da man" line was dreadful -- I so hate it when writers have a character say crap lines and then declare that they won't say it again. It's like, "Writer, if you knew it was so bad, why'd you even bother writing it?!?"

Smith reminded me of Tennant more than any of the other previous Doctors -- so I'm not seeing what was supposed to be so totally original about his portrayal -- but it worked well enough.

After a third viewing what entertains me the most is Amy's boyfriend. Roxy or something like that. That guy is great! The first few scenes he reminded me of someone and I couldn't put my finger on it. Then it hit me. Graham Chapman! Similar mannerisms and facial expressions. And I was thrilled to see clips of him in the trailer.

"You made me dress up like him!!!"

I rated it "Pretty Good."

The bad bits: Nothing hit me as just plain bad. However, the world has once again witnessed an alien incursion. If the writers want to continue having that happen, they need to commit to the idea and depict human society as changing as a result. Either embrace the notion and run with it, or leave it alone and quit expecting the viewer to accept that the whole planet is pressing the "reset" button after each such incident.

The mediocre bits: The plot was fairly pedestrian. To be fair, though, regeneration stories are generally pretty weak, since there are so many elements to juggle; at least the Doctor was actually in this one most of the time, making it better than virtually every other regeneration story in at least that one regard. While I liked the new theme arrangement, I was a little underwhelmed by the title sequence.

The good: Smith's characterization was superb (I seem to be in the minority in this regard, but I thought the food bit was highly amusing). The Amy Pond character shows great promise, and there are interesting satellite characters in her history. I like the new TARDIS interior. As I already said, I like the ethereal, ghostly theme arrangement. I also really liked that, once again, we saw all the earlier Doctors' faces, including McGann...one more nail in the coffin of that inane "the Eighth Doctor isn't canon" nonsense.

On the whole, my hopes are high. Even if this season doesn't end up working on every level, I imagine series 5 will deliver more good than bad, and the show will be firing on all cylinders by series 6.

Any Big Finish fans notice the voice saying "Prisoner Zero has escaped" was the same as the alien menace from "The One Doctor"?

"Citizens of Generios, you will deliver your 4 greatest treasures as tribute, or be destroyed."

I had to laugh when I first heard it. It's the Skelloids!

I think the reason Smith portrays Troughton is because he actually said on the One Show that his favourite Doctor actually is Troughton. So that would make sense...

I thought it it was great, though I agree that the new theme tune will have to grow on me. That and the logo, I wish they didn't use the DW aspect of it. Just looks like a kids show.

Much Like Tennant before him Smith has captured me. Eccleston couldn't even do that from the start for me. I needed a few episodes with him. I liked him, but took longer to really like him.

A few things though, It did feel a bit like Smith and Jones with an alien on the run from authorities hiding as a human and the Doctor having to flush them out in their own/alien form. Then we have Micky... er Rory, er... well you see where I am going with that. And we have the budget cut CGI work on the show. Such a shame.

I've been hearing everyone say "thank Got Tennant is gone" or "The Tennaet era is over" etc on other forums, but while I enjoyed the 11th Hour, as I said it was just a rehash of "Smith and Jones" and even "The Girl in the Fireplace" (With the imaginary friend coming back into her life "The Ragity Doctor" or "The Fireplace man" ). I was shocked to see so many people saying noting about the borrowing of ideas like they did when RTD was in charge.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the story, but then I loved a lot of the RTD era too, I just like good Who stories. But the reused ideas are glaringly obvious.

Smith = Fantastic.
Karen Gillian was great too.
Moffat is genius, but this time, he pulled an RTD. Hopefully he won't do that again. Even though he wrote a good story, we'd seen it before.

terrasolo, read my review. i think we're of like minds.

I just did, and yeah we do make some of the same points. I did enjoy the story though, just don't think it's worth of all the praise it has gotten. I think Moffatt will Wow us though for sure, but as it is, this is just like RTDs season openers for me. Good, but could have been better.

terrasolo wrote:

I think Moffatt will Wow us though for sure, but as it is, this is just like RTDs season openers for me. Good, but could have been better.

I was also thinking this could have been a RTD story.

It was a bit like an RTD opener... but the scene with Amelia and the suitcase... that felt very much like a Moffat scene. I thought that bit was truly heartbreaking.

matt smith. awsome
i personally dont see what the big fuss on the new opening sequence is all about, the vortex doesent look that different to me, and the theme was fine as well. and not to be a smartass but if the logo at the begin in the sequence looks like a kids show its probably because doctor who is a kids show.
food eating scene was funny, no different in theme to me then tom trying on multiple out fits.
some elements of rtd in the story for sure but i think that makes sense if you want to ease your fan base into the transiton of the regime change.
the story was alright but as others have mentioned its really not about the story in the first ep, its the character developent of the doc and his companion so in that respect i think they did a good job.
the tardis is the tardis, i always thought the coral was cool but to be honest i liked the old tom baker petey d version the best and there as simple as it gets, so this one was fine, i like the stairs, opens it up and gives the appearence that it actually goes many places.
console had some silly elements to it but i think it fits in the sense that its old fashioned lookin much like smiths wardrobe.
amy pond was a great character.
over all i was a winner for me, and i am very excited for the rest of the series.

mystery lad wrote
The bad bits: Nothing hit me as just plain bad. However, the world has once again witnessed an alien incursion. If the writers want to continue having that happen, they need to commit to the idea and depict human society as changing as a result. Either embrace the notion and run with it, or leave it alone and quit expecting the viewer to accept that the whole planet is pressing the "reset" button after each such incident

i agree, and to add to it in a way my only complaint is, can the doctor stop doing his i am the doctor thing about how awsome i am and run scared at how scary and badass i am. it started with eccleston in the first ep with the nestine, which the first time it was fine but over the last four years its been beat into the ground, can we just go back to the pertwee talking down to every body thing instead.lol

hitman hart wrote:

and not to be a smartass but if the logo at the begin in the sequence looks like a kids show its probably because doctor who is a kids show.

It's not a kid's show. Sarah Jane Adventures is a kid's show. Doctor Who is a family show. There's quite a difference. (And I like them both.)

see i would argue that its a kids show that families watch.lol but i do see your point, and i think that doctor who was a kids show by brittish standards and sja is a kids show by american standards.

Downloaded it on Saturday but didn't get to watch it until last night and have to say I am mightily impressed.

Not so much by the story itself as it was a pretty standard cut-and-paste affair which unfortunately felt lifted from "Smith and Jones" (Alien fugitive hiding among humans from alien police). But in this instance I have to give it a pass because I don't feel it was intended so much to be a story but rather a device by which to accomplish several goals, and on THAT level it succeeds.

First, we are formally introduced to The Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith who I felt absolutely knocked it out of the park. I think he's silenced a great many of the haters and naysayers who claimed he was too young. He's got a fantastic combination of youthful excitement and seasoned wisdom. As my wife pointed out, it also seems as if he's finally dropped the emotional baggage that went along with the Time War and the Destruction of Gallifrey and now just wants to get back down to cruising the universe again. I think this guy is going to be truly great.

Then it has to introduce a new companion which again, I think was handled great. Very much like "Girl in the Fireplace" in the way they met, except this time, she does end up running off with him.

As for Amy herself, possibly the best NEW companion yet. Seems very intelligent and funny yet slightly broken emotionally, and not at all hard on the eyes. Very glad she's using her proper accent too rather than sporting a fake British accent.

Loving the new Tardis, love how it looks like he raided Fred Sandfor's junkyard to assemble it, yet it's still clean and has an odd kind of order to it.

So in terms of accomplishing all the goals it set out to do 10/10, if it were just an average episode of Who 7/10.

Can't wait for the rest of this season!!

I'm hoping that the new series will grow on me. I liked Matt Smith's performance, but it was still a bit difficult adjusting when some of Eleven's behaviours were like Ten. I know that this is normal, so it's merely watching each episode as they come. I really reserved judgment on the upcoming Matt Smith era because I wanted to like it for my own reasons and if I wound up disliking it, I wanted it to be because of my own thoughts and not others.

The opening title sequence felt sluggish and I almost started whistling the X-Files theme. However, I am glad that it is a lot different because it now stands apart from series 1-4 of the nuWho. I'm also in favour of a TARDIS redecoration because it leaves no traces of 9 or 10.

It will take a lot for me to like Amy Pond though. My favourite companion is Sarah Jane Smith, and while Amy has potential, I just can't see myself getting all excited right now over her. The stuff I've seen in the upcoming series trailer looks promising, so I haven't written her off entirely, or the show itself.

It's just taking some getting used to. If it helps, I first started with series 2 of the nuWho because it was all my library had. It took two episodes for me to like 10 and half the first series to like 9. Tom Baker was the only one I liked from the start. So it taking a few episodes for me to adjust might be just normal for me. Again, I haven't written the show off nor did I think it was rubbish. I rated it "pretty good".
~

Overall, the show was decent. I won't say it was bad, or great, but pretty good.

The opening credits felt slow, and reminded me a bit of Stargate and X-Files. Plus I felt like I was being dragged through it. It is nice that it is different as with each Doctor there was a unique opening sequence. I like that diversity as it does set him apart from the others.

I am a bit partial to Sarah Jane Smith myself as well as a couple other classic companions. In order for me to like Amy, she has to prove herself to me. She seemed a bit contradictory, since she is supposed to not be smitten with the Doctor yet, everyone else who knew Amy constantly brought up her fantasy and stories about the Doctor. It didn't seem to jive really for me.

I won't really make much of a judgment call on Matt Smith until a few episodes in. He seems to have potential, but I want to see him really get into his role. There were several moments where I felt like he was trying to incorporate Ten in some of his actions and quips. Once he gets himself established as Eleven he needs to have his own unique traits and I am looking forward to seeing what that is.

If I squint really hard at Youtube I could swear there were Sea Devils? During the warning montage all the rest of the monsters were invading aliens. Except for the Ood who actually were invaded and sold into slavery by the humans. Really the ood are an incredibly bad example for that montage as they demonstrate the Earth is a galactic threat.

But anyhow, the Sea Devils aren't alien invaders! So the Doctor wishes to stress that not only does he protect Earth from aliens, but he's also final judge of life on Earth willing to wipe out any other local species who threaten the humans. It's great to see a classic monster, but perhaps a Zygon might have been more appropriate.

Also would have been nice if Matt Smith had moved out of the way of Hartnell's picture. You can never have too much Hartnell.