10 Most British Doctor Who Moments

Fittingly for a show that is itself an integral part of British history, Doctor Who has delved into its homeland's past countless times.

These adventures have taken place across multiple eras and involved encounters with a number of "celebrity" historical figures, many of them writers – including William Shakespeare, Gothic icon Mary Shelley, Victorian authors H. G. Wells and Charles Dickens, and the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie.

And surprise surprise, it turns out that "them aliens" have been the inspiration for many renowned works of fiction, such as the Gelth informing Dickens’ later ghost stories, the Carrionites inspiring the witches in Macbeth, and the Lone Cyberman influencing Frankenstein.

Another popular category is inventors, with railway engineer George Stephenson saving the Sixth Doctor during an encounter with the Rani, and Isaac Newton discovering mavity after an encounter with the TARDIS.

Considering that Doctor Who's original remit was primarily to educate, adventures like these have always been at the heart of the show.

Not that they're as good as documentaries or anything, but there are undoubtedly kids out there who've learned a thing or two about history by experiencing the Doctor's trips to the past!