Doctor Who: The "childrens show" that should never be watched by children!

So, I was having a discussion with a friend of mine. She suggested that Doctor Who was a kids show..she wasn't slamming it, she watches it also, but said that ultimately its categorized as a kids show.

Now, Doctor Who is (in current form, I don't know of the 80s version) not a horror, however the concepts often portrayed are perhaps the most horrific nightmare inducing scenarios, not to mention genocide is commonplace.

So, here are the top 10 reasons you should never let your little darlings anywhere near viewing distance of the show...disregard the bright colors, and the occasional wibbley wobbley timey wimey space stuff and look at what is being presented.
Of course, if you enjoy the idea of your kid being a quivering shell of a person tucked in the corner of their room with unblinking terrified eyes endlessly monitoring their room, then this is a top 10 as to why to let them watch


10) General death and murder: Be it River letting the one eyed woman get tortured to death, to a untold amount of normal people being eaten, transformed, or otherwise extinguished in many creative ways, murder and mass killing just as a general theme is commonplace. There are soo many examples of this that I am overwhelmed so will just leave this one blank...basically, flip on almost any episode and its typically about people dying..usually in some horrific way.

9) Jamie, The Empty Child (from the episode, The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances)

Chula nanogenes , who had never previously encountered humans infected a dying human boy named Jamie caught in the London Blitz, and created an "Empty Child" with a gas mask for a face. All of the victims grew faces like gas masks and developed the same wounds as the original child.. Lovely.

8) Mirror girl:
(pic not of film, but gives you a idea)

During a rather disturbing episode, the doctor exacted revenge on one of three aliens (that looked as humans). one was a little girl that he trapped for eternity behind a mirror...every mirror. So, whenever you think you seen someone out of the corner of your eye when looking in a mirror..anything slightly off, or the feeling of someone watching you from the other side..its not just mild paranoia..its her. Its always her! Watching you..waiting...eternally...you..your spouse..your parents, your children..watching in anger..rage..

7) Telepathic snow:

So, the snow itself was neutral..just sort of linked with someone and formed into what they desired..unfortunately it linked to a anti-social angry and lonely kid. it developed as a split personality of sorts and turned into deadly snowmen with a desire to destroy the entire world and coat it in a ice age. One of these forms was ice that took on the form of a woman whom died in a small pond..her personality and all due to considerable time with the corpse.
So ya...evil snowmen popping up and murdering random people, evil ice people that take the form of someone whom died in that little body of water..good stuff...call the kids.

6) the living (and angry) sun:

So, in the future, we mine stars...cool concept, right? well, try to. Come to find out, stars, suns, are living, and quite angry, beings that don't take kindly to being mined. The sun sends forth some sort of energy essence that possesses your friends, then they look at you and the energy radiates out of their mouth and eyes, burning you..eventually destroying everyone nearby whom dares annoy it..through the faces and bodies of your friends.

5) The Girl Who Waited (for a very..very long time)

So, this episode had a number of disturbing elements in it, Death, polyamory, and non-existence. Long story short, the companion character accidently gets trapped in a room where time goes faster. she lives 25 years in a matter of a hour or so..now, its not a lovely living..the issue is the automated robots are trying to help her by giving her some innoculations for a plague..unfortunately it is alien innoculations that will kill her. So, she has to avoid them...for decades...the landscape is beautiful, but she is ultimately living in a perpetual robot zombie apocalypse of sorts.
The most disturbing part of this was the ending though. a lie, and a wipe out of an entire persons existance (and friend). Imagine the last couple decades were suddenly wiped out by someone you trusted. It would be a death of sorts.

4)The Silence

Perhaps the most terrifying (in my opinion) creation. Aliens that have been on earth since the dawning of man. They are everywhere..there is one right behind you. You see them and they are just as frightening as you can imagine, but the second you look away, you completely forget what you just seen. They can, when looking at them, implant hypnotic suggestions. They have directed all humanity since the dawning of history..every picture, video, or anything else of them is everywhere, yet unless we are looking directly at it, we completely forget it.
Is there one sitting right next to you? You would never know..but if you suddenly have a weird desire to do something, be it dig a hole, go fight someone, vote for a particular person, etc..it may not be your choice but rather them telling you to do what your doing.

3) Genocide:
No pictures because its too frequent. be it humanity, or some other alien race, good, bad, and ugly all have been given air time. Nothing like the near extinction of an entire race of people to discuss with your youngins.

2) Vashta Nerada (shadows are scary)

So, ok...a shadow creature...the creature is a shadow..and it gets in you..it eats you, and the last thought and words spoken are repeated endlessly as it zombie walks towards you..either existing in the body it just ate, or as just a shadow.
Don't let a shadow touch you...it will kill you, and use the last memory and words you uttered to lure your family and friends close.

1) Weeping Angels

Well, any Who fan knew this one was coming.
Just your typical statues...pretty crying angels..
that is, until you look away from them, or blink...then they come alive and will eventually attack you...draining your life energy (think of it as a age sucker). They feed off the energy of time from people and can trap you quite easily (just a touch). Don't take a picture, video, or even draw/paint them as they have evolved into coming alive through those mediums also.
But they are easily defeated..just don't stop looking at them..or blink...ever.
(was that statue always in that position?)

___

So, that's just some of my views on how this is certainly not a kids show. From someone just passing by, they may see some zany colorful characters, funny fast chatting, steampunk time travel, etc...but best to put your kids in front of spongebob than this if they are the type that considers the content after the show is over.

I highly recommend this show though for older folks whom want some of the most interesting mind bending (and often terrifying) concepts on television. The writers are genius...trick is though to look past the fun fluff and see exactly what these episodes are showing.

reply to post by SaturnFX


Dr. Who is made by the Brits.
Who have a different point of view from Americans.

Whoever Dr. Who a kids show?
since when?

Dora the Explorer that's a kids show.

Even my two oldest were creeped out by the weeping angels, and they grew up with a Mom and Dad that liked playing with movie and stage effects.

Dr. Who isn't for little kids. My teenage daughter has no problem with it.

And we've got all the Dr. Who gear here .... sonic screwdrivers ... Van Gogh Tardis poster ... A Tardis (about a foot tall) ... T shirts and socks ... We LUV Dr. Who!

Originally posted by ObjectZero
Even my two oldest were creeped out by the weeping angels,

OMG!! The Weeping Angels! The first time they showed up it was the best Dr. Who ever!
I don't know who invented those .. but man ... talk about CREEPY!
And they are the ultimate bad guys ....

Originally posted by grey580
reply to post by SaturnFX

 

Dr. Who is made by the Brits.
Who have a different point of view from Americans.

Whoever Dr. Who a kids show?
since when?

Dora the Explorer that's a kids show.

I agree
But Common Sense Media gives it a rating of 8+ (as in age 8)
Also, many people have said it is a kids show

Broadcaster Stephen Fry last night hit out at the "infantilism" of British TV and said that heavily promoted shows like Doctor Who, while being good programmes, were the equivalent of chicken nuggets.

He also spoke of the "absurdity" of some compliance rules, and said "fear" is everywhere in the television industry in this country.

Fry, who hosts QI, said that the programmes were "like a chicken nugget. Every now and again we all like it … But if you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong.

Clearly this guy hasn't gotten past the pretty colors and such of the show and explored what is being presented.

my brit friends are the ones suggesting to me it is a kids show..and even point out its timeslot being 7:15 (the kids timeslot)

Personally, I think Who needs to just dirty it up a bit more and drop any argument for it being a kids show (perhaps a steamy romance with Oswind). far more 18-108 year olds watch it.

The point you make is a fair one, but I think it's worth adding that Dr Who was always scary for children. The Doctors arch enemy The Daleks have been terrorfying children since they first appeared way back in the sixties. There was also series of episodes which featured giant intelligent spiders enslaving humans, and is probably one of the reasons for so many people being arachnophobes.

I would say what has changed is the technology now exists to make the aliens/monsters seem much more real, and convincing. As to wether it is comparatively more scary for children, I suspect we will only be able to fully answer that question some years from now.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
OMG!! The Weeping Angels! The first time they showed up it was the best Dr. Who ever!
I don't know who invented those .. but man ... talk about CREEPY!
And they are the ultimate bad guys ....

Ya I wanted to do a full size build of one and put it out for Halloween in the front yard. But I got voted down by everyone in the house even my wife, who is normally all for me scaring people on Halloween.

Originally posted by hotel1
The point you make is a fair one, but I think it's worth adding that Dr Who was always scary for children. The Doctors arch enemy The Daleks have been terrorfying children since they first appeared way back in the sixties. There was also series of episodes which featured giant intelligent spiders enslaving humans, and is probably one of the reasons for so many people being arachnophobes.

You make a good point.
I never watched (intentionally) the old episodes, however, my dad did when I was a kid (about 8 or so), and I don't remember watching it much..but there was something horrifying about it. For years, hearing the theme sound was like hearing the sounds of hell to me for some reason.stuff nightmares were made of, but not sure why. I think I was latching on to some concepts they were doing in the older shows without knowing it (playing in front of the tv and such).

So I think your right.

I began watching Dr Who in the 1960's from episode 1. My favourite baddies where "The Autons" from the 1970's. Watch this clip and enjoy:-

www.youtube.com...

Great well written post SaturnFX,

Well, i'm going to let my age away here a little, but when i was a young lad way back in the 70s i never missed a single Dr Who proramme throughout the week and followed all of the doctors from John Pertwee up to the following day. (There were two doctors before as if i recall correctly the show started in 1963).

I was always one of those kids fascinated by Sci-Fi, Horror films etc... so non of those Dr Who episodes ever bothered me, and i can tell you that even in the 70s, 80s and 90s the episodes were always a little twisted with hints of scary aliens, monsters, statues etc...

People in the UK have grown up with Dr Who and know what to expect and accept, so i don't think this would be to shocking to most kids from a certain age.

Although, depending on cultural differences this may change from one country to another i guess?

HOWEVER, being a parent myself but now with teenagers, i am certain that i would not allow my children if they were under the age where they could not understand that all of this is fictional to watch Dr Who. (i sneakily watched it at age 7 and it gave me great thrills though!!!)

I think it is up to the parents to take the right decision as to if or if not their kids watch Dr Who as only they know how their kids would react.

To be quite honest, the Tellytubbies scare me sh*tless!

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Doctor Who is utterly delightful.

All this nonsense about keeping anyone from watching it is the completely rubbish providence of overly protective helicopter parents.

Every child is different, each their own personality. Certainly if you TEACH them to be scared of silly pictures on a screen, you're setting them up for a life of fear for imaginary fantasy.
If you teach your children to fear anything, it should be to fear reality.
Fantasy is safe, and well worth the watch where it can teach safe lessons.

Every child is different. My little niece was a horror show fanatic from the age of 6, absolutely thrilling at every any and even the most extreme of scary, thrilling, bloody gore-drenched stomach churning cinema.
She's also one of the most well adjusted, sociable and wonderful people too. Nothing spooky gothic strange about the girl at all. If anything, she fits anywhere with any crowd seamlessly without discrimination or judgement.

Teach your children to fear imaginary pictures on a screen if you want, but, it's reality they should worry about where anything on the telly is just light, pixels and imagination.

reply to post by grey580

Who said Dr. Who was a kids' show?
Well, historically it was.
I speak as a kid who watched the very first episode (showing my age).
It just evolved over the decades into something that would entertain adults as well, and the newer version has shot off in different directions.
But even in the early days, being frightened was part of the appeal (as with roller-coasters).
The standard joke was that children were watching it "standing behind the sofa", ie ready to duck down out of sight.
Behind the settee, if they were northerners.
Americans, er.. "behind the couch", I think

Originally posted by Rodinus
HOWEVER, being a parent myself but now with teenagers, i am certain that i would not allow my children if they were under the age where they could not understand that all of this is fictional to watch Dr Who. (i sneakily watched it at age 7 and it gave me great thrills though!!!)

Oh hell, I am of the opinion that this should be required viewing for teens. It has complex ideas, creative solutions, the ultimate moral of the story teaches peace and teamwork.
more discussing the 8 year old that would latch on to a baddy and the concepts of that horror.

as a kid, I was a horror fanatic, but its easy to defeat most monsters..typically they are just something you can kill and be done with. but you can't kill a shadow..a statue..etc. its the concepts of the baddies that make thinking children scared...can't kill a concept. Same with why many fear terrorists..because there is no actual nationality of terrorists..it is a mindset..a thought..a shadow you cannot get rid of, or something that is and isn't there all around you..unknown and malevolent, and nobody can say your crazy..because they just don't see what you know is there...


Great show.

Originally posted by Druscilla
Teach your children to fear imaginary pictures on a screen if you want, but, it's reality they should worry about where anything on the telly is just light, pixels and imagination.

Ahh, but imagination is far worse than anything that is. Imagination is where the demons lurk.

reply to post by SaturnFX

On the subject of what Doctor Who teaches, there is something which has been turning up in story after story for dceade after decade- the theme of "giving up your life to save the others".
(Even if, sometimes, it was just a good way of writing out one of the characters).

reply to post by SaturnFX


I'm an American and i watch this show and while most of the things you said make sense and would have probably made me lose weeks of sleep when i was a kid, I must disagree with you....kind of. A lot of the time, in the show, there are monsters (or what people call monsters) attacking people. At first they seem like a diabolical foe, when actually they're just confused, scared beings from another planet and the Doctor tries to help them, once realizing this. I think that's a good message; sometimes even the scariest monsters are just, themselves, scared. Another good message is everyone gets a chance. Before the Doctor kills any threat to the earth, or wherever, he gives them a choice; if you continue you will die, or leave peacefully and live. No matter what they have already done, he gives them one last choice. Another thing is he never uses guns (against beings), just his sonic screwdriver and his brain. If only everyone on earth had these same ideals....

Originally posted by Bigfoot12714
reply to post by SaturnFX

 

I'm an American and i watch this show and while most of the things you said make sense and would have probably made me lose weeks of sleep when i was a kid, I must disagree with you....kind of. A lot of the time, in the show, there are monsters (or what people call monsters) attacking people. At first they seem like a diabolical foe, when actually they're just confused, scared beings from another planet and the Doctor tries to help them, once realizing this. I think that's a good message; sometimes even the scariest monsters are just, themselves, scared. Another good message is everyone gets a chance. Before the Doctor kills any threat to the earth, or wherever, he gives them a choice; if you continue you will die, or leave peacefully and live. No matter what they have already done, he gives them one last choice. Another thing is he never uses guns, just his sonic screwdriver and his brain. If only everyone on earth had these same ideals....

Was thinking of the space whale...but not sure which one was more distressing for a kid to consider..the idea that life has to exist by torturing the last of a species, or...torturing the last of a species for gain..many bad moments from that episode..if you shut it off within the last 5 minutes of the show and didn't notice the solution, it would have had quite a dark overtone to it.

Originally posted by DISRAELI
reply to post by SaturnFX

 

On the subject of what Doctor Who teaches, there is something which has been turning up in story after story for dceade after decade- the theme of "giving up your life to save the others".
(Even if, sometimes, it was just a good way of writing out one of the characters).

edit on 14-3-2013 by DISRAELI because: (no reason given)

Or if your Rory, you die repeatedly doing that.
Bit like Kenny, that one.

reply to post by SaturnFX


It's funny you say that, when i watched that episode I walked away from the TV at the last five minutes thinking just that. Luckily I came back to my TV to see everyone happy, so I rewound it.