The Big Bang is the 2011 Doctor Who episode that follows “The Pandorica Opens” and depicts the apparent destruction of the universe.
It is the thirteenth and final episode of Doctor Who’s fifth series, written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes. The episode continues the Pandorica storyline, in which the Doctor and his companions confront a prison designed to contain him.
The story takes place against a universe in which stars and other features have vanished. Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song, and the Doctor each contribute to resolving the crisis, while the narrative uses time travel, memory, and the consequences of altered history.
Although its title resembles the scientific term for the origin of the universe, the episode is a television title rather than a documentary explanation of cosmology. It is also distinct from “The Pandorica Opens,” the preceding episode.