![\"It's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_257973673-288d.jpg\")
\n\t\tChildren of Earth traumatised Doctor Who fans back in 2009 (Provider: BBC)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tChildren of Earth traumatised Doctor Who fans back in 2009 (Provider: BBC)<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019re likely a big Doctor Who fan and who can blame you?<\/p>\n
The iconic British sci-fi show has been on the box for 61 years now, charming viewers across the world with its colourful characters, creative stories, and wonky special effects.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s showing no signs of slowing down, with the most recent series fronted by Ncuti Gatwa<\/a> having an episode described as the best in years<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet while it\u2019s nominally a family show, the series does have a reputation for being surprisingly scary when it wants to be, with recent spinoff The War Between The Land And The Sea<\/a> showing the variety of stories the series is capable of.<\/p>\n There are Doctor Who episodes where gas mask-wearing zombies swarm across London<\/a>, companions have been chopped into bits and turned into Cybermen, and who could forget the Weeping Angels?\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Doctor Who\t\t\t<\/p>\n Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro\u2019s TV Newsletter.<\/p>\n Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your show in the link we\u2019ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.<\/p>\n Still, as terrifying as these stories are, there\u2019s one tale that\u2019s so terrifying it left viewers \u2018traumatised\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t The story in question is called The Children of Earth, and it was told in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Children of Earth was Torchwood\u2019s third season, and it saw Captain Jack Harkness and his team defending the Earth against a new alien<\/a> threat called the 456.<\/p>\n The 456 weren\u2019t invading aliens like the Daleks or Cybermen, though; they were far more insidious.\u00a0<\/p>\n These strange creatures came to our planet not to conquer but because they wanted our most valuable resource. So what were they after?\u00a0<\/p>\n Our children, of course.<\/p>\n \t\t Specifically, they wanted 10% of the Earth\u2019s children or all life on Earth would be wiped out.\u00a0<\/p>\n What makes this premise so horrifying isn\u2019t just the fact that it involves children; it\u2019s the reason these strangers from another world want the kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n They don\u2019t need the children to survive; they want them because the chemicals in the children allow the 456 to get high.\u00a0<\/p>\n But surely the Doctor will arrive to save the day? Sorry, it\u2019s not that type of story.\u00a0<\/p>\n To say Children of Earth is darker than a goth\u2019s favourite pair of black jeans doesn\u2019t do it justice.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t It\u2019s a genuinely grim story that explores some really dark themes and ideas that I can\u2019t explain here without requiring a trigger warning or six \u2013 but they touch on governmental abuse of power, exploitation of children, and that old favourite of first-year philosophy students the world over, utilitarianism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t take my word for it, though, the fans agree with me. One reviewer on IMDB wrote that Children of Earth is \u2018one serious, intense bit of drama!\u2019<\/p>\n On Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> \u2013 where the series has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score \u2013 reviewers have written that this is \u2018easily the best Torchwood Season with great emotional scenes\u2019 while another added it\u2019s \u2019the best-written serial of a television show I have ever seen\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tScariest Doctor Who (and Torchwood stories)\t\t\t<\/p>\n The Empty Child\/The Doctor Dances \u2013 Gas mask wearing zombies? No thank you.<\/p>\n Midnight \u2013 The Doctor battles an unseen entitiy that steals his voice? Terrifying stuff. <\/p>\n The Impossible Planet\/The Satan Pit \u2013 Doctor Who does The Exorcist. <\/p>\n Countrycide \u2013 Torchwood battle a bunch of cannablistic villagers who aren\u2019t even aliens\u2026 they just like how the meat tastes. <\/p>\n Blink \u2013 You know it you love it. You\u2019ll be too scared to watch it<\/p>\n Children of the Earth \u2013 Need I say more\u2026 <\/p>\n Another user, meanwhile, claimed, \u2018Torchwood\u2019s Children of Earth should be rated H (Humans Only) for disturbing scenes that might give ideas to extraterrestrials. It\u2019s an enjoyable mini-series, filled with humour, good acting, and a brilliant plot. It\u2019s bloody excellent.\u2019<\/p>\n On Reddit<\/a>, Brimstone747 added: \u2018Children of Earth dropped my jaw like nothing else on television. I kept waiting for The Doctor to show up and save the day.\u2019<\/p>\n Jarita12 perhaps put it best however when they wrote: \u2018Bloody amazing but really hard to re-watch.\u2019<\/p>\n Torchwood Children of Earth is available to stream on BBC<\/a> iPlayer.<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"It's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AY_25946119-50c4-e1752156155615.jpg\")
\n\t\tTorchwood was created to be a more adult version of Doctor Who (Picture: BBC Wales)<\/p>\n![\"It's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_257973954-e687.jpg\")
\n\t\tThis serial terrified fans (Picture: BBC)<\/p>\n![\"It's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_257974066-7439.jpg\")
\n\t\tPeter Capaldi also appeared in it before he played The Doctor (Picture: BBC)<\/p>\n
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