1. The Steam World Speed Record: 1938
Now this may seem like an odd choice but hear me out. This was a period in the late 1930s when British railway companies were competing to claim the fastest steam trains from London to Scotland. This resulted in a locomotive named Mallard reaching 126 mph, a speed unmatched by any other steam engine. I admit that I'm a bit of a railway enthusiast myself, so I may have been a little biased here, but I really think that this could make a fantastic Doctor Who episode. For a start, the steam locomotive is part of Britain's national heritage, like Doctor Who. Also, a time when lots of engineers were working to make these retro machines reach their peak performance seems like something the Doctor would love. Just imagine him (any one of him really) looking over a loco shed exclaiming, "Oh, you're beautiful! Fantastic!" This episode would have to see the Doctor on the footplate the day Mallard breaks the record, for some reason or other. It is a shame that we have never seen the Doctor drive a steam train in all his fifty years on air. There isn't a single incarnation of the Time Lord that I can't imagine being thrilled to sound the engine whistle. If there's a first time for everything, it may as well be on the fastest ever loco, which happens to be the same colour as the TARDIS. Not big on ideas, I'll admit, but the perfect recipe for a big, fun, sentimental old romp. Well that's my personal choice of ten eras for Doctor Who. If you think I've forgotten any good ones, please leave a comment as always. I'll be biding my time until November 23rd....