Doctor Who: The Best Episodes From Each Modern Series

Although we still have a long way to go, the world has, thankfully, moved on significantly from the downright shocking societal ills Rosa Parks had to endure in 1955.

Series 11 had its far share of politically correct/woke criticism, but Rosa spotlighted how racism is still prevalent in society today. There's no harm in going back to the show's educational roots now and again, especially for our impressionable wee Whovians. Moreover, the fact that racism is still a prevailing evil within a 52nd century character is a stark and damning indictment, albeit this sci-fi element felt a little tacked on.

The episode pulls no punches, and quite literally in Ryan's case as he receives a brutal slap for having the audacity to kindly pick up a white woman's glove, then try to hand it back to her. Though we'd loved to have seen the Doctor dishing out some crowd-pleasing Venusian aikido, it would've cheapened a powerful scene.

We also get a hint of - shock, horror - character development for Yaz as she describes her own struggles against everyday prejudices. But she provides a boon of optimism:

"But they don't win, those people. I can be a police officer now cos people like Rosa Parks fought those battles for me. For us. And in 53 years, they'll have a black President as leader. Who knows where they'll be 50 years after that? But that's proper change."

Segun Akinola harnesses that feeling with a fittingly heroic score. It's very apt that an asteroid - 284996 Rosaparks - should be named after the trailblazing heroine given the extraordinary impact she made on the world.