10 Times Doctor Who Got Way Too Dark For A Family Drama

8. The Daleks' Companion Massacre

Arguably, when Doctor Who went dark in its early years, it was a more serious concern. In the 1960s children were much less savvy about the tricks of television in an era before documentaries and special features on DVDs. The lack of the internet also meant spoilers were unknown. Now we have announcements of when companions and Doctors decide to leave but this wasn't the case in the 1960s. Season Three of the Classic Series was a time of change and experimentation and, like all experiments, things sometimes went too far. Audiences in 1965 were treated to a 12 part Dalek epic but one that contained a surprising amount of death. Not only does poor Katarina get sucked out an airlock, having only just joined the Doctor and Steven, but then supporting hero Bret Vyon is killed by his own sister Sara Kingdom. However, the shocks are far from over. Sara Kingdom changes sides and becomes what seems to be the new companion, until she's horrifically aged to death in the final episode of the story. And you thought the Hinchcliffe era was dark!