Doctor Who: 15 Real Historical Characters The Doctor Has Met
10. Queen Victoria
The first signs of just how good David Tennant's reign as The Doctor was set to be was evident in his third episode, 'Tooth and Claw'. While the episode features entertainingly bonkers ideas like werewolves and flying monks, Vanessa Redgrave's brilliant portrayal of Queen Victoria is the real highlight.
The episode beautifully fuses the science fiction aspects of the show with a fascinating history lesson of the Queen, with the delving into her character thoroughly engaging. While interesting facts regarding the many assassination attempts on her life and the history of her prized jewel were fused seamlessly into the plot, it was the portrayal of Queen Vic's longing for her late husband that was truly absorbing.
The conclusion of the episode is a bit of a mixed bag, with the werewolf aspects of the script clumsily linked to the royal family's hemophilia for the sake of a couple of cheap gags. The Queen's final decree to set up a new establishment called Torchwood works excellently as not just a fitting cliffhanger, but also in setting Queen Victoria up as a major antagonist for the Doctor for the rest of the series