Spies, a wall dividing an entire city and two superpowers on the brink of nuclear war what more could you possibly want as the inspiration for a Doctor Who episode? Cold War East Berlin is among the most-fascinating places in history with intrigue etched around every corner. With troops and secret agents present from Britain, France, the USA and the USSR in the two partitioned areas of the former German imperial capital, tension and excitement are guaranteed. Soviet and American suspicion of one another has inspired countless films, TV series and books but Doctor Who is yet to fully embrace this magnificent and important period of world history. It is easy to imagination Capaldi and Jenna Coleman the Doctors latest faithful companion, Clara Oswald running through the streets of Communist East Berlin, darting in and out of allies and attempting to avoid capture by the Stasi or their informants. Due to its position as a free city pocket within Communist East Germany, Berlin was prioritised by both the Americans and the Soviets almost resulting in World War Three on a number of occasions. If anyone knows how to avert complete devastation and disaster at the last minute, it is the Doctor so where better to save the world than from arguably the most potentially toxic city on the planet when it came to superpower relations? There is no doubt that a Doctor Who episode set in East Berlin would instantly become a classic.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
