Doctor Who has a reputation of being both a family show, and the type of show that makes some viewers want to dive behind the sofa in fear (a popular British phrase that actually originated by describing how younger fans would hide during the scarier moments, but would want to watch the show regardless of how frightened it made them). Here are some episodes that ought to give you a good fright, or a good case of the creeps at the very least.
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The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances – Series 1, Episodes 9 and 10
Doctor/Companions: Ninth Doctor (Christopher Ecclestone)/Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), and introducing fan-favourite Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman)
Backstory: This episode is near the end of the first series, but there isn’t really a huge amount of backstory required – just a basic familiarity with the Doctor and Rose. A few people I know actually used this two-parter as a way to get others into the show.
Synopsis: I am pretty sure there is some sort of obligation placed on the writers to have at least one episode per series set during World War II (bonus points if it’s also set in London). Anyway, the Doctor and Rose find themselves in the middle of the Blitz of World War II. While Rose tries to help a young boy asking for his mummy, she winds up separated from the Doctor and rescued by a former Time Agent, Captain Jack Harkness. Meanwhile, the Doctor learns that the child wandering around searching for his mummy is an “empty” child, and can cause other people to become empty like him, just by touching them.
Why It’s Scary: The empty child in question wears a very creepy gas mask, wandering around saying only, “are you my mummy?”, and can make any living thing “empty” like him – need I say more?
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Blink – Series 3, Episode 10
Doctor/Companion: Technically, the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)/Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), but this is considered a Doctor-lite episode, focusing mostly on one-off characters Sally Sparrow (Casey Mulligan) and Larry Nightingale (Finlay Robertson)
Backstory: None. This is another episode that some people use to get others interested in the show. Whether or not using a Doctor-lite episode is a good way to do that is up for debate, but, fact of the matter remains, it is a compelling episode that requires basically no backstory to enjoy.
Synopsis: The Doctor and Martha wind up stuck in the 1960s without the TARDIS and need Sally Sparrow to help them get, well, unstuck. As though communicating across decades isn’t enough of a challenge, Sally finds herself up against the Weeping Angels, terrifying creatures who are harmless when observed, but who will send their victims back in time by a touch in the blink of an eye.
Why It’s Scary: Everything from the score to the lighting to the Angels themselves is downright unsettling. Something about “the only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely” is creepy, and this episode conveys that brilliantly.
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Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead – Series 4, Episodes 8 and 9
Doctor/Companion/Introducing: Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)/Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)/River Song (Alex Kingston)
Backstory: Almost none. As with the other two, these are two pretty good stand alone episodes (well, in as much as a two-parter can be “stand alone”, but I think you get the idea).
Synopsis: The Doctor receives a message on his psychic paper, and takes Donna to my happy place the biggest library in the universe – it has physical books and spans an entire planet. They are met with silence in the library; and with the assistance of a team of archeologists, discover why. The library is infested with the Vashta Nerada – terrifying creatures that hide themselves as shadows and devour flesh in mere moments.
Why It’s Scary: Creatures that can kill in an instant, but live in the shadows? A good reason to be scared of the dark? Being told to doubt your own reality? I don’t see how one could not be at least a bit on edge after a viewing of these episodes.
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Midnight – Series 4, Episode 10
Doctor/Companion: Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)/Technically, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), but this episode is considered to be a Companion-lite episode, focusing instead on the Doctor and his interactions with other one-off characters
Backstory: Not too much. The Doctor and Donna have just left the library. This must have been a scary few weeks for Doctor Who fans watching as it aired.
Synopsis: The Doctor and Donna are on the beautiful, but lethal, resort planet of Midnight. The surface of the planet is deadly due to radiation from its star. Visitors cannot walk freely about, but must remain in protective vehicles and buildings at all times. The Doctor takes a shuttle tour to visit a sapphire waterfall, but something tries to break into the shuttle on its way. The passengers become afraid, and that’s where the episode starts to become especially unnerving.
Why It’s Scary: Because the real monsters are the other humans.
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Night Terrors – Series 6, Episode 9
Doctor/Companions: Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)/Amy Pond (Karen Gillen), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill)
Backstory: Not too much. This episode was originally planned to air earlier on in the series, and doesn’t refer to the prior story arc at all, which was something a few critics felt was flawed at the time. It does help make this episode an easy re-watch now though.
Synopsis: The Doctor receives a message on his psychic paper (will he never learn?) from a frightened child, so he, Amy and Rory go and investigate. There they discover a little boy named George, who copes with his numerous fears by pretending to lock them in the cupboard.
Why It’s Scary: Creepy dolls, check. Scared, slightly creepy child, check. Knowledge that reality may not be trusted, check.
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Listen – Series 8, Episode 4
Doctor/Companion: Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi)/Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman)
Backstory: Aside from some interesting trivia relating to certain lines, there isn’t a whole lot of backstory that is required. The Twelfth Doctor has recently regenerated, and has spent the past few episodes trying to figure out what sort of person he is.
Synopsis: Clara tries to go on a first date with Danny, a fellow teacher at her school. Meanwhile, the Doctor is on a quest to try and find out the reason why seemingly everybody has had the exact same nightmare – a hand grabbing your foot from underneath the bed.
Why It’s Scary: The Doctor speculates that there may be a creature who has mastered the art of perfect hiding, who may always be there but we may never see it. The way the episode addresses this, or doesn’t address this, is unsettling, creepy and an amazingly entertaining.
Thoughts? Did I miss any?