Since the beginning of science fiction, there have been time-travel stories. And with time-travel stories comes the opportunity for contemporary characters to meet human beings from history, at a time when those people didn’t consider themselves historical figures. From Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, coming face-to-face with history is part of what makes the sci-fi subgenre of time travel so appealing. But there’s a delicate balance with this kind of storytelling. And, despite a very long history with time-travel stories, the longest-running sci-fi show ever, Doctor Who, didn’t really perfect the formula around a historical drama until 15 years ago.
In 2010, with the episode “Vincent and the Doctor,” Doctor Who delivered a platonic ideal of how to do a sci-fi story about a famous historical figure. Fifteen years later, both within Who and relative to the broader genre of TV science fiction, this episode has few equals. Here’s why.
