It's been 16 years since the most 'disturbing' Doctor Who story ever
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'.
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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.
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