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Metro
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The 7 most disturbing Doctor Who episodes of all time
For six decades now, Doctor Who has disturbed and delighted audiences around the world with terrifying tales of evil aliens and malicious monsters. From devious Daleks to sinister Cybermen, the Whoniverse is crawling (sometimes literally) with horrors beyond most people's imagining. Yet the question is, what are the most disturbing Doctor Who episodes? Well, there are plenty of chilling tales from the Tardis that have forced audiences to hide behind the sofa. There are stories like The Satan Pit, The Ark in Space, and who could forget Blink? Honestly, I could spend days curating this list, so to make things easier, I've done things a little differently I've limited myself to the revived era (starting in 2005) and chosen one story (some of these are two-parters) from each Doctor's run. That means there's one entry for every Doctor from the Ninth to the Fifteenth, so you get as comprehensive a list as possible. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. So what are you waiting for? Here are the seven most disturbing Doctor Who episodes! The first truly scary episode of the revival era, this two-part story sees the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) track a mysterious ship through time to London during The Blitz. While there, however, the pair learn there are things far more dangerous than German bombs awaiting them as a strange gas mask-wearing child prowls the ruins of the city, desperately searching for his mummy. There's a long history of body horror in the Whoniverse, but this was the first episode to marry those old ideas with modern effects. This leads to arguably the most chilling scene in all of Christopher Eccleston's run, where Doctor Constantine (Richard Wilson) painfully vomits up a gas mask as he loses his mind and body to the Empty Child's strange curse. Combine that with a genuinely creepy atmosphere, a razor-sharp script from Steven Moffat and some superb acting, and you've a recipe for a truly sinister story. Is it any wonder these two episodes won a 2006 Hugo Award? Only the Tenth Doctor (or any of the Doctor's incarnations, actually) could go on the sci-fi equivalent of a coach trip and end up in a life-or-death situation. Yes, it might sound ridiculous, but this terrifying tale sees the Last of the Time Lords go on a solo adventure where he comes face to face with an impossible creature that slowly turns a coach-load of tourists against the Doctor (David Tennant). People may be surprised to see I've listed Midnight here and not Blink, but honestly, I think this is the scarier story. Why? Well, Midnight is a story where the Doctor's most powerful weapons, his wit, words and wonderful brain are all turned against him. As the mysterious creature grows in power, it takes more and more of him, leaving him an empty husk. It's only through sheer dumb luck that he manages to save the day, and it's a story that demonstrates in a universe full of Daleks, Cybermen, and Weeping Angels, there's no creature more dangerous than a frightened human. An underrated gem, The Girl Who Waited begins with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) landing on the resort world of Apalapucia. What should be a relaxing break becomes a nightmare, though, when Amy is trapped in a faster time stream and the Doctor and Rory are forced to watch Amy grow older and older with no way to help her. What makes The Girl Who Waited such a disturbing episode isn't its villain or the monster. It's that it uses time travel to tell a really effective story about Amy's fears and anxieties while exploring a moral dilemma that even the Doctor can't talk his way out of. Indeed, the final moments of the episode, where our hero betrays and kills Amy (although not the one we know… it's all a bit timey wimey), is one of the darkest moments in the series' history. When the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Master (Michelle Gomez) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) investigate a distress call in deep space, they discover a ship trapped in the event horizon of a black hole. That might sound dangerous enough, but things take an even darker turn when the crew gun down Bill, and she's taken away by mysterious patients who claim they heal Bill… more than that, they can make her better than new, whether she likes it or not. I'll be honest, I never found the new Cybermen that scary. They looked too much like robots, so it was easy to think of them as cybernetic automata. This two-parter, however, exposes the sheer horror of Cyber conversion by letting you see the human under the steel, a powerful and terrifying reminder that Cybermen are people who have had their humanity ripped away from them. This, coupled with the revelation that the Cybermen are and always have been the Mondasians (and potentially humanity's) ultimate destiny, is such a horrifying reveal that it gives me chills just thinking about it. The Power of the Doctor is the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) final story and sees The Daleks, The Cybermen and Rasputin (yes, really) team up to defeat the Doctor once and for all. Okay, I thought long and hard about which of Jodie's episodes to include, and it really came down to two episodes: this and Village of the Angels. Ultimately, though, I decided that there' something far more disturbing about this story for one specific reason. You see, so often the Doctor's enemies just want the Time Lord dead… or as dead as an immortal alien can be. Here, though, the plan is to change the Doctor permanently by forcing her to regenerate into The Master, effectively trapping them in their own body for all eternity. That's such a horrifying thought to have – not to mention the subtext of a man taking a woman's body without her permission – that I thought it had to be included on this list even if it's not as 'scary' as the other stories I chose to include here. After Donna (Catherine Tate) spills coffee on the Tardis controls, she and the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant… again) are flung to the edge of the universe, where they encounter an abandoned ship. As the duo explore the mysterious vessel, however, they quickly learn the ship might not be as abandoned as they thought. Wild Blue Yonder is a deliberately weird episode that makes brilliant use of the uncanny to unsettle viewers and leave them reaching for a sofa cushion to hide behind. Arguably, though, what makes this episode so effective is that we learn almost nothing about the 'Not-Things' that haunt the ship, with even the normally borderline omniscient Doctor baffled by where they came from and what they wanted. After all, what's scarier than the unknown? When the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) accidentally steps inside a fairy circle, he mysteriously disappears, leaving his companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) all alone. Well, not quite all alone. More Trending Everywhere Ruby goes, she's followed by a strange woman who's always 73 yards away and seems to terrify anyone who talks to her. The Fifteenth Doctor's era leaned into the supernatural and mystical more than other seasons of New Who. It's fitting then that its scariest episode is effectively an old-fashioned ghost story that relies more on an unsettling atmosphere and haunting visuals than big, bombastic scares to frighten you. Doctor Who is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Major stars and Hollywood icons who've appeared in Casualty from Tom Hiddleston to Kate Winslet MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series MORE: Ncuti Gatwa reveals real reason why he was replaced at Eurovision 2025
South Wales Argus
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston filming in Newport
Everyone's favourite northern timelord Christopher Eccleston rocked up in the city centre for a cheeky bit of filming however, he wasn't fighting the Daleks or stopping Cybermen taking over John Frost Square! No instead, Salford born Eccleston was sighted on Corn Street for the filming of 'About a Bell.' Doctor who star Christopher Eccleston with Newport local Mark Vrettos (Image: Mark Vrettos) About a Bell is an independent film about Sami, a Syrian refugee, and Bryony, a young librarian, who embark on a highly personal quest to preserve a bell from a demolished church. Th brains behind the operation Welsh production company Hello Deer have been in the city for around three weeks. Eccleston was sighted by Newport local Mark Vrettos who then only moments later bumped into some key Welsh politicians. Speaking about Eccleston Mark said: 'He couldn't have been any nicer and was very enthusiastic about working in Newport again.' Mark then revealed who was just around the corner… He told the Argus: 'I hopped off the bus and there was another filming job with Elenid Morgan and Ken Skates!' First Minister, Eluned Morgan with Ken Skates at Newport bus station (Image: Mark Vrettos) The politicians were in the city for a launch event at Newport Bus Station. Under new legislation young people aged 16 to 21 will be able to ride on buses across Wales for just £1 from September. Speaking at the event First Minister, Eluned Morgan will said: 'Cutting the cost of travel for young people and providing better transport for all is one of our top priorities. We are delivering our promises to young people across Wales. 'This investment will make a real difference to communities all over Wales, but especially in rural areas.' Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates added: 'I am delighted to be launching a scheme that offers affordable bus travel for young people to help them access education, training, employment, and leisure, as well as supporting our efforts to encourage more people to use public transport, reduce carbon emissions and tackle poverty.'
Metro
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
It's been 16 years since the most 'disturbing' Doctor Who story ever
If you're reading this, you're likely a big Doctor Who fan and who can blame you? The iconic British sci-fi show has been on the box for 61 years now, charming viewers across the world with its colourful characters, creative stories, and wonky special effects (and it's showing no signs of slowing down, with the recent series fronted by Ncuti Gatwa having an episode described as the best in years). Yet while Doctor Who is nominally a family show, the series does have a reputation for being surprisingly scary when it wants to be. There are episodes where gas mask-wearing zombies swarm across London, companions have been chopped into bits and turned into Cybermen, and who could forget the Weeping Angels? Still, as terrifying as these Doctor Who stories are, there's one tale that's so terrifying it left viewers 'traumatised'. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. The story in question is called The Children of Earth, and it was told in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. The Children of Earth was Torchwood's third season, and it saw Captain Jack Harkness and his team defending the Earth against a new alien threat called the 456. The 456 weren't invading aliens like the Daleks or Cybermen, though; they were far more insidious. These strange creatures came to our planet not to conquer but because they wanted our most valuable resource. So what were they after? Our children, of course. Specifically, they wanted 10% of the Earth's children or all life on Earth would be wiped out. What makes this premise so horrifying isn't just the fact that it involves children; it's the reason these strangers from another world want the kids. They don't need the children to survive; they want them because the chemicals in the children allow the 456 to get high. But surely the Doctor will arrive to save the day? Sorry, it's not that type of story. To say Children of Earth is darker than a goth's favourite pair of black jeans doesn't do it justice. It's a genuinely grim story that explores some really dark themes and ideas that I can't explain here without requiring a trigger warning or six – but they touch on governmental abuse of power, exploitation of children, and that old favourite of first-year philosophy students the world over, utilitarianism. Don't take my word for it, though, the fans agree with me. One reviewer on IMDB wrote that Children of Earth is 'one serious, intense bit of drama!' On Rotten Tomatoes – where the series has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score – reviewers have written that this is 'easily the best Torchwood Season with great emotional scenes' while another added it's 'the best-written serial of a television show I have ever seen'. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances – Gas mask wearing zombies? No thank you. – Gas mask wearing zombies? No thank you. Midnight – The Doctor battles an unseen entitiy that steals his voice? Terrifying stuff. – The Doctor battles an unseen entitiy that steals his voice? Terrifying stuff. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit – Doctor Who does The Exorcist. – Doctor Who does The Exorcist. Countrycide – Torchwood battle a bunch of cannablistic villagers who aren't even aliens… they just like how the meat tastes. – Torchwood battle a bunch of cannablistic villagers who aren't even aliens… they just like how the meat tastes. Blink – You know it you love it. You'll be too scared to watch it – You know it you love it. You'll be too scared to watch it Children of the Earth – Need I say more… Another user, meanwhile, claimed, 'Torchwood's Children of Earth should be rated H (Humans Only) for disturbing scenes that might give ideas to extraterrestrials. It's an enjoyable mini-series, filled with humour, good acting, and a brilliant plot. It's bloody excellent.' More Trending On Reddit, Brimstone747 added: 'Children of Earth dropped my jaw like nothing else on television. I kept waiting for The Doctor to show up and save the day.' Jarita12 perhaps put it best however when they wrote: 'Bloody amazing but really hard to re-watch.' Torchwood Children of Earth is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: 'I lost my daughter in the London 7/7 bombings, this is her story' MORE: BBC quietly adds second season of TV series fans hailed 'bizarrely dark' MORE: Gary Lineker claims BBC should 'hold their heads in shame' for shelving Gaza documentary
Metro
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Doctor Who fans are convinced the show is dying – but they're wrong
Doctor Who has survived an awful lot. We've seen the Doctor fall off a giant telescope, absorb a lethal amount of radiation (twice), and even bump their head on the Tardis console, yet they still walked away to tell the tale. True, they might not have had the same face after these incidents, but that's pretty run of the mill for Time Lords. It's strange, then, that for the first time since 2005 and Doctor Who's triumphant return that it feels like the beloved sci-fi series is in peril. Low viewing figures, mixed critical reception, and growing fan antipathy have dogged the show over the last few series, and there's a fear amongst fans that the Doctor might be done for. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Yet, do you know who else has believed the Doctor was defeated over the years? The Daleks… and the Cybermen… and The Master. In fact, countless villains over the years have considered the Doctor to be beaten, only to be proven wrong, and recent news has me optimistic that the Last of the Time Lords can do the impossible once again. On June 12, the BBC announced that they're working on a new CBBC spin-off featuring the Doctor. According to the BBC press release, this new animated show – which is aimed at the pre-school audience — will see the Gallifreyan gadabout 'solving mysteries and problems alongside their companions and other friends'. Now I know what you're thinking. Why am I excited about the news of a show aimed at people who've only just learned object permanence? Well, there's a simple answer to that, I think this demonstrates that the Beeb still have faith in Who as a brand. After all, why would they be willing to invest in the wider franchise if they weren't sure if the series still had legs (and arms, hands, ooh, fingers, lots of fingers. Ears, yes, eyes too)? I must admit, in my darkest moments, I have entertained the terror that the Beeb might shelve Who, but this recent announcement has me convinced we're going to hear news on the main series return soon. Of course, there are already rumours online about where the series might be heading. There are unverified reports online that Disney is done with Doctor Who and that they won't be helping produce another season. On paper, that sounds like a massive blow, but before you start wailing into your Tom Baker scarf, there is some good news. Supposedly, the BBC is close to finding a new partner for the beleaguered series, which will allow them to continue Doctor Who in some form or another. What form will the show take next? Who knows? To paraphrase the Doctor, regeneration is a lottery; you never know what you're going to get, and so is renewal in the TV world. What I do know is that whoever takes it over is unlikely to have pockets as deep as Disney – unless it's Apple TV Plus, they're Scrooge McDuck rich – which means Who's going to have to make some adjustments. And you know what? I think that's great. The BBC may have grand ambitions for Doctor Who to be a big-budget affair like the MCU or other modern sci-fi series, but that's not what audiences watch the show for. They watch it because they love the characters, the stories, and the incredible creativity of the writers. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The House of Mouse's cash might have allowed the Doctor to go on bigger adventures than ever before through impressive special effects, incredible sets, and stunning CGI, but it also robbed the show of some of its underdog spirit. Now, the stereotype of every Doctor Who monster being made of a pedal bin with bubble wrap glued to it is a bit outdated, as is the belief that it's filmed exclusively in Welsh quarries. Yet it is true that the series' limited budget forced the show's writers and producers to get creative, which gave Doctor Who a certain charm all of its own. Monsters felt more real because they were just people in goofy costumes, not CGI behemoths. Alien worlds felt tangible because they weren't green screens, they were… well, to be honest, they were Welsh quarries, but they used other places in Wales too! More than that, I think the limited budgets pushed writers and producers to think their way out of problems, rather than throwing cash at them. There are plenty of examples from across the show's history, but the best example I can think of involves the iconic Tardis. Have you ever wondered why the Tardis is a blue police phone box? No, it's not because the chameleon circuit is broken. It's because the BBC didn't want to pay for a new prop every week. More Trending That's right, one of the most important pieces of iconography in British pop culture was born because some backroom accountant wanted to save a couple of quid. Glibness aside, I do think a big problem in recent years has been an overreliance on spectacle over character and plot (most notably in the last two season finales). With that in mind, I'm hopeful that whoever takes on Who will make Russell T Davies and his writers realise expensive CGI isn't a substitute for a coherent story. So what I'm saying to my fellow fans is that the Doctor might have been injured in recent months, and change may be coming, but the future of this wonderful show seems brighter than a regenerating Time Lord. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. View More » MORE: Sabrina Carpenter knew you'd hate her kinky album cover – that's the point MORE: Period tracking apps might sell our data – but women are trapped MORE: Race Across the World's Sioned shouldn't be sneered at for her tears
Metro
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The latest Doctor Who rumours give me hope the series won't die
Doctor Who has survived an awful lot. We've seen the Doctor fall off a giant telescope, absorb a lethal amount of radiation (twice), and even bump their head on the Tardis console, yet they still walked away to tell the tale. True, they might not have had the same face after these incidents, but that's pretty run of the mill for Time Lords. It's strange, then, that for the first time since 2005 and Doctor Who's triumphant return that it feels like the beloved sci-fi series is in peril. Low viewing figures, mixed critical reception, and growing fan antipathy have dogged the show over the last few series, and there's a fear amongst fans that the Doctor might be done for. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Yet, do you know who else has believed the Doctor was defeated over the years? The Daleks… and the Cybermen… and The Master. In fact, countless villains over the years have considered the Doctor to be beaten, only to be proven wrong, and new rumours have me optimistic that the Last of the Time Lords can do the impossible once again. We'll start with the bad news. There are unverified reports online that Disney is done with Doctor Who and that they won't be helping produce another season. On paper, that sounds like a massive blow, but before you start wailing into your Tom Baker scarf, there is some good news. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Supposedly, the BBC is close to finding a new partner for the beleaguered series, which will allow them to continue Doctor Who in some form or another. What form will the show take next? Who knows? To paraphrase the Doctor, regeneration is a lottery; you never know what you're going to get, and so is renewal in the TV world. What I do know is that whoever takes it over is unlikely to have pockets as deep as Disney – unless it's Apple TV Plus, they're Scrooge McDuck rich – which means Who's going to have to make some adjustments. And you know what? I think that's great. The BBC may have grand ambitions for Doctor Who to be a big-budget affair like the MCU or other modern sci-fi series, but that's not what audiences watch the show for. They watch it because they love the characters, the stories, and the incredible creativity of the writers. The House of Mouse's cash might have allowed the Doctor to go on bigger adventures than ever before through impressive special effects, incredible sets, and stunning CGI, but it also robbed the show of some of its underdog spirit. Now, the stereotype of every Doctor Who monster being made of a pedal bin with bubble wrap glued to it is a bit outdated, as is the belief that it's filmed exclusively in Welsh quarries. Yet it is true that the series' limited budget forced the show's writers and producers to get creative, which gave Doctor Who a certain charm all of its own. Monsters felt more real because they were just people in goofy costumes, not CGI behemoths. Alien worlds felt tangible because they weren't green screens, they were… well, to be honest, they were Welsh quarries, but they used other places in Wales too! More than that, I think the limited budgets pushed writers and producers to think their way out of problems, rather than throwing cash at them. There are plenty of examples from across the show's history but the best example I can think of involves the iconic Tardis. Have you ever wondered why the Tardis is a blue police phone box? No, it's not because the chameleon circuit is broken. It's because the BBC didn't want to pay for a new prop every week. More Trending That's right, one of the most important pieces of iconography in British pop culture was born because some backroom accountant wanted to save a couple of quid. Glibness aside, I do think a big problem in recent years has been an overreliance on spectacle over character and plot (most notably in the last two season finales). With that in mind then I'm hopeful that whoever takes on Who will make Russell T Davies and his writers realise expensive CGI isn't a substitute for a coherent story. View More » So, what I'm saying is that Disney dropping Doctor Who may wound the show. It may even force Doctor Who to change its face once again, but change can be for the better. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I won't risk my safety by seeing Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025 MORE: I've applied for 38 jobs and got nowhere – I blame ageism MORE: Tom Felton was asked about JK Rowling and immediately showed his privilege
