10 Reasons Doctor Who Is Better When You're An Adult

10. Not Being Scared Senseless

Perhaps an obvious one, but not being terrified of the monsters and aliens wanting to destroy the planet may finally enable us to see the show in sequence, unrestricted by episodes deemed ‘too scary’.

Arguably the most terrifying episode of all, The Empty Child, may have deterred many young viewers from watching the show when it first aired in 2005. But why exactly was this episode so spine-chilling? Well, it seems Steven Moffat borrowed many techniques from classic horror films to ensure this episode was as haunting as possible.

Moffat largely intimidated viewers through the fear of the unknown, most notably by obscuring the child’s human features with a gas mask. Leaving viewers unable to read its emotions, or know what it was capable of.

This made what we were presented with – a lost child – something far more sinister. The feelings of being lost, alone and misunderstood failing to resonate with children who were more terrified of the faceless monster than the situation it was in. But as adults with younger family members, imagining a child subjected to such a fate is heart-breaking, making the episode far more impactful.