The Iris Affair writer looks back at his iconic Doctor Who speech – and his spiralling initial reaction

The episodes “The Rings of Akhaten” and “Hide” are particularly well-regarded. “The Rings of Akhaten” features a now-famous speech by the Doctor (played by Matt Smith) that’s become a fan favorite and is often shared online.

During an interview with The TopMob Writers’ Room—our series exploring the minds of screenwriters—Cross discussed a specific episode, how it was received, and especially how fans have embraced a particular speech from it.

I wrote ‘The Rings of Akhaten’ after finishing ‘Hide,’ which is the ghost story episode. Steven Moffat jokingly called ‘Akhaten’ a difficult episode to follow up on after that.

Introducing a new companion in the second episode of a story is always tricky. The new character has to figure out who the Doctor is, while the audience already knows him. Plus, Steven Taylor specifically asked for a more hopeful tone.

Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of that episode. However, it aired at a time when a single tweet could become a major news story. The day before it went live, Steven called me and said that it usually takes a year for any Doctor Who episode to be properly received. He advised me to try and ignore the immediate reaction, whether positive or negative, which was good advice.

The Sun newspaper ran a scathing review – calling it the worst episode ever. Because it was Doctor Who, and meant a lot to me personally, it really upset me and I felt terrible for a while.

If you’re not seeing the box above, you might need to adjust your privacy preferences. At the bottom of the TopMob website, click ‘Manage Privacy Settings’. Then, under ‘Site Vendors’, make sure you’ve allowed ‘YouTube’ and save your changes by clicking ‘Save & Exit’.

He explained that it all started with a single tweet. The Sun newspaper then picked up the story and featured it prominently. His immediate concern was how his sister – who he always pictured as his ideal reader – would react to this portrayal of his work on Doctor Who.

There’s an old saying that a negative review can ruin your morning, but you shouldn’t let it ruin your whole day. That’s how I feel – it might sting at first, but you have to move past it.

I was completely floored by the reaction to my Doctor Who speech. It genuinely made me very unhappy for weeks. So, seeing it now recognized and appreciated feels like a true vindication – it’s even better than getting revenge. It’s a satisfying outcome, and that’s what matters.

As a big Doctor Who fan, I’ve seen a lot of clips go viral, and Cross is right – that speech is *hugely* popular. Looking at the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, it’s actually the third most-watched clip, racking up over 10 million views! Only two things have been seen more: the clip from the 50th anniversary special, ‘Day of the Doctor’ (with 13 million views), and a really moving scene from Richard Curtis’s ‘Vincent and the Doctor’ which has a massive 30 million views. It just shows how powerful that speech really is.

During a conversation for The TopMob Writers’ Room, Cross also mentioned his involvement with The Iris Affair, a show featuring Niamh Algar as the mysterious and brilliant character, Iris.

In the thriller Sky, she’s hired by Cameron (played by Tom Hollander), a businessman who needs her help to start up a machine with the potential to change the course of human history. After she steals a journal containing the instructions to activate the device, she’s pursued across Italy.

The full interview with Neil Cross from The TopMob Writers’ Room will be released on Thursday, October 16th.

You can watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer. The new episode, The Iris Affair, will be available on Sky and NOW starting Thursday, October 16th. If you’re interested in subscribing to Sky TV, you can find details on how to sign up.