10 Most British Doctor Who Moments

In 1964 Doctor Who conducted its first major location shoot (for The Dalek Invasion of Earth), venturing onto the streets of London for the first time.

Ever since, iconic landmarks (particularly those in the UK capital) have been central to the show’s visual identity, adding scope to invasion stories and making everything seem that little bit more real.

More often than not this has involved transplanting iconic enemies into recognisable locations, thus bringing the horror home for viewers. We’ve had Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge, Yetis patrolling the tunnels of the London Underground, Slitheen in Downing Street, and Cybermen marching down the steps near St Paul’s Cathedral (twice).

Elsewhere iconic parts of the London’s skyline have been home to some of the Whoniverse’s most powerful alien entities, including WOTAN (the BT/Post Office Tower), the Nestene Consciousness (the London Eye) and the Great Intelligence (the Shard).

But it’s not just the bad guys. UNIT have had three headquarters in the city: one in the Tower of London, two in the financial district (including a glistening skyscraper which, in the Whoniverse, has become a landmark in its own right).

It’s also not just London. Further afield landmarks featured in the show include Stonehenge, Gloucester Cathedral, Cardiff Bay, Sheffield’s Park Hill Flats and Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock.

Sadly, Doctor Who is yet to feature any Scottish landmarks (although Scotland has featured in past stories, the show has never actually filmed there).