10 Most Terrifying NuWho Doctor Who Episodes

Night Terrors uses a common human fear by bringing creepy dolls to life. The Doctor, Amy and Rory help an anxious eight-year-old boy named George, who is terrified of the creatures that lurk in his cupboard. While the Doctor investigates, Amy and Rory find themselves stuck in a life-sized dollhouse trapped with creepy peg dolls.

Night Terrors focuses on childhood fears, in this case, the fear of the dark and the unknown plus pediophobia - a fear of dolls or humanoid figures. Although the episode may seem a bit confusing on the first watch, the terrifying human-sized peg dolls chasing Amy and Rory around the dollhouse, trying to turn them into one of them, is frightening enough for anyone to lock their dolls away for months.

It turns out George isn't actually who he seems. He is revealed to be a Tenza child, an empathic alien who took on the form of his parents, Alex and Claire's desired child through a perception filter, having the ability to lock away his fears in the wardrobe.

The episode's writer Mark Gatiss used his fear of dolls as inspiration for the episode, stating he's surprised the show had never had dolls as a monster before.