10 Doctor Who Episodes That Were Banned Or Censored

Sometimes, real-world horrors can impact the fictional world of Doctor Who in strange ways.

In 2014, Islamic State beheaded journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in response to US airstrikes on Iraq. These horrific acts were millions of miles away from Sherwood Forest, but they still impacted Mark Gatiss’ breezy Robin Hood adventure.

In Robot of Sherwood, the Twelfth Doctor and Clara discover alien robots involved in the myths and legends of Robin Hood. As originally written and recorded, the Sheriff of Nottingham was beheaded during a sword fight, which would've revealed that he too was a robot.

This was written and filmed many months before the deaths of Foley and Sotloff, but Robot of Sherwood’s airdate made it impossible not to draw uncomfortable comparisons.

The episode aired on 6 September, four days after Sotloff had been beheaded. Out of respect for the victims and their families, the decision was rightly made to cut the Sheriff of Nottingham's beheading scene.

Fortunately this didn't have too great an impact on the episode, though it did make the Sheriff's claim that he was "half man, half engine" more confusing than it would otherwise have been.