10 Greatest CGI Moments In Doctor Who History

2. Dr. Constantine's Transformation (The Empty Child)

Doctor Who The Empty Child
BBC Studios

Perhaps this entry should come with a trigger warning for the entire generation of kids who were traumatised by this scene. Myself included.

Despite being an early use of CGI within modern Doctor Who, the scene in which Dr Contantine’s face transforms into a gas mask remains as terrifying and affecting 20 years later. While some examples of CGI body horror in the show have perhaps aged a little poorly and become more humorous – Miss Evangelista’s disfigured face, for example – there is nothing remotely comical about this scene, even in 2025.

As with the Toymaker, the combination of a real actor and the use of CGI blurs the lines between what is real and what isn’t and, again, has the audience wondering how this was achieved. How did they make it seem like the mask was forcing its way out of Constantine’s mouth? How did his eyes morph like that? For 2005, BBC budget VFX, this is an impressive achievement.

It may not be the most extravagant or elaborate uses of CGI in Doctor Who’s history but it has remained one of the most talked about scenes of the revival era and that is all down to the impact of this computer-generated transformation, as well as the chilling writing and performance of the scene that surrounds it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me… I need to find my mummy.

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Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.