Is Dr Who child-friendly?

[Word Nerd]

The episode that creeped me out the most was Turn Left. The big bug on Donna's back gave me the heebie-jeebies.

[OneStepAtATime]

FWIW:  "The programme was originally intended to appeal to a family audience,^[16] as an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history. "  

 

This is really neither here nor there but Doctor Who was originally intended, back in the 60's, to be for the whole family (as it is today) and the thought was that the family could sit around and watch something rather cutting edge that would still be o.k. for kids since it would incorporate science and history.  Although the "education" aspect didn't remain as strong as originally envisioned, this is actually still supposed to be a family show, not just a kid's show. The show is quite popular with adults, including adults without children.  

[JustEm]

Part one of this show creeped me right the heck out! I still haven't watched part two! My kids have far surpassed me in the Dr. Who watching which was originally started as sonething the kids and I could do together since DH does the video games with them.

 

I started re-watching them because dh hadn't seen them and was interested so it was going to be something we did together.  Unfortunately, he would fall asleep during the first episode of the night (because he works a lot!) and I would be hooked for at least 1 more episode.  I'll happily re-watch it with him whenever though and he knows that

[Hypatia.]

My 9 year old loves it.  My 7 year old has a love-hate relationship with it.  Likes watching it, but then apparently wakes up in the middle of the night thinking of weeping angels.

[inmyopinion]

We love it and do not find much objectionable and we are fairly narrow minded :)  

[Kevin'sMom]

I watched another of the original ones, The Angels Take Manhattan, and found it pretty creepy, myself, although my 10-year-old liked. I think I would preview episodes for younger children.

[hellen]

My 9, 6, and 3 year old watch it. The 3 year sometimes gets bored and sometimes gets scared but not too badly. My 6 year old is very scared of weeping angels. I won't let her watch any episodes that I think might be too scary. We've made it through 6 seasons so far.

 

We went to Target and found small flashlights in the dollar section. The kids call them sonic screwdrivers. They all love Doctor Who.

 

I thought season 1 had the most sexual innuendo. My kids didn't get it.

[maize]

I really dislike creepy shows, and Dr. Who was too much for me. Unfortunate because I wanted to like it.

[Cindy in FL.]

From an article I read:

 

“Of course it’s a children’s show,†said Steven Moffat, when I asked him his thoughts on whether Doctor Who belongs to kids. “It’s about an alien time traveller who has adventures in a spaceship disguised as a police box. And just look at the character of the Doctor? He’s totally ridiculous.â€

 

Doctor Who may have been originally created as a kids’ show, but that doesn’t mean it’s childish. It’s intelligent, at times complex, well written and very funny. It deals with some pretty weighty issues, too – loss, loneliness and death.

 

The BBC has come under fire for being 'too dark' before, but if we ask any of our readers what they want, the answer is almost always ‘more monsters!’ Sure, it can be a little scary at times, but it’s supposed to be scary – and that’s precisely what children love about it. The scarier the better, as far as most of them are concerned. They face their fears and learn about their own limitations by peeking through their fingers or hiding behind the sofa, with the Doctor as their safety net. Their superhero.

 

As a children’s magazine, Doctor Who Adventures gets inundated with letters to the monsters in the show – they embrace them and take ownership of them. Our most popular letter is: “Dear Sontaran, why do you look like a potato?†Our readers love to be silly and are joyfully curious. Asking a scary monster a silly question is an important step in demonstrating their own bravery.

 

Doctor Who is a fantastical fairytale about morality – the pacifist figure of the Doctor teaches children that nothing beats using your brain. This man’s weapon of choice is a sonic screwdriver. And sometimes, a Jammie Dodger.

 

The narrative of the show speeds along at an incredibly energetic pace, whilst paying tribute to the joy of children’s limitless imaginations. This series, we’re expected to accept that Dame Diana Rigg has an alien parasite attached to her chest, that the Tardis is an infinite dimension with infinite possibilities and that the Doctor can ride a motorbike up the Shard. Anything is possible in the Doctor’s world.

 

And just because it’s a children’s show, that doesn’t mean it’s the same as Ben 10. It’s designed to be watched and enjoyed on many different levels – whether it’s eight-year-old Jake gawking at the Weeping Angels, 16 year-old Emma hiding a secret crush on a certain Time Lord, or Mum and Dad arguing over who the best Doctor is – we’re not being compromised, here. It’s a shared experience to watch it as a family and it’s extra special to watch it with a child.

 

With its amazing wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey adventures, Doctor Who talks directly to our inner child. As the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, said, ‘’There’s no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.â€

 

Natalie Barnes is editor of the recently relaunched Doctor Who Adventures magazine, on sale now

[Moxie]

Tell me I wasn't the only one who felt like her heart was being ripped out by that poor boy looking for his Mummy. I was nearly in tears. Poor dear.

[hellen]

Tell me I wasn't the only one who felt like her heart was being ripped out by that poor boy looking for his Mummy. I was nearly in tears. Poor dear.

That one didn't get me but I was sobbing at the end of the Vincent Van Gogh episode.

[BarbecueMom]

That one didn't get me but I was sobbing at the end of the Vincent Van Gogh episode.

I am not an emotional person, but I can't even think about this episode without crying. It's one I think everyone should see, even if you don't watch Doctor Who. It deals with depression and suicide, but it handles those subjects well, although those themes would go right over most young kids' heads. Plus you have the humor and campy monsters and quotable quotes and Van Gogh's beautiful art. It's exactly what Who should be: adventure, history, and a deeper message.

[AMJ]

The old Dr. Who series is pretty safe watching for kids (if I understand correctly it was originally a kids' show that whole families liked, so it was developed further). The current Dr. Who, though, is not something I let my kids watch. DD9 had nightmares after one episode she watched with her teenage cousin, which is when I started paying closer attention to the show. (Cousin is a usually responsible teen who remembered wrongly when choosing a "not scary" episode for younger cousin to watch. They didn't even finish it -- stopped watching when elder cousin realized her mistake, but not before DD9 saw some stuff that freaked her.)

 

I like some of the modern show, but not all of it. I recommend pre-watching episodes yourself if you have concerns about what your kids should watch.

[AMJ]

Things I have heard out of my then 4 yo's mouth: "Moommyyyyyyyy. . . Are you my mommy?"

"Don't blink"

The first is the episode that freaked out DD9 (she didn't even see all of the first episode of this 2-parter, though I watched both parts through and told her about the happy ending, which helped ease her mind). I've seen both mentioned above, and have told my kids they would be happier waiting a few years before seeing these episodes.

 

Perhaps it has something to do with a child's imagination, and their ability to control said imagination. I've had issues with runaway imagination when I was younger (still do, sometimes), and I suspect my kids also have this difficulty. We tend to be a little cautious on viewing material because of this, and watch certain things with them or delay introduction until a later age if we deem it wise. It's not like there aren't enough other shows for them to watch, especially with their Dad's periodic discoveries of some really good Japanese animation.

[AMJ]

Oh my. That would freak me right out, knowing the context--at least of the first one. I don't think I've seen the episode with the second, though if it's anywhere near as creepy as the first, I'm not sure I could handle hearing my child say it.

 

The second quote is from the Angels episode, if I recall correctly. I found that one to be even creepier than the other.

[Miss Peregrine]

The first is the episode that freaked out DD9 (she didn't even see all of the first episode of this 2-parter, though I watched both parts through and told her about the happy ending, which helped ease her mind). I've seen both mentioned above, and have told my kids they would be happier waiting a few years before seeing these episodes.

 

Perhaps it has something to do with a child's imagination, and their ability to control said imagination. I've had issues with runaway imagination when I was younger (still do, sometimes), and I suspect my kids also have this difficulty. We tend to be a little cautious on viewing material because of this, and watch certain things with them or delay introduction until a later age if we deem it wise. It's not like there aren't enough other shows for them to watch, especially with their Dad's periodic discoveries of some really good Japanese animation.

I am usually pretty cautious, too. Older siblings babysitting have different ideas about "appropriate." :lol:

[Luanne]

It is things like this that make me say people don't want their children to be children.  Why push them into adulthood when they should still be young and innocent?  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.

[Mergath]

I've held off on a few episodes that are at the creepier end of the show's spectrum, but my dd started watching it when she was four, and I'd say she's seen three-quarters of the episodes.  She's crazy about the Doctor.  Almost as crazy about him as her mom. ;)

[Mergath]

It is things like this that make me say people don't want their children to be children.  Why push them into adulthood when they should still be young and innocent?  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.

 

Seriously?  If there's anything more wonderfully childish and innocent than Doctor Who, I have yet to find it.

[maize]

Seriously?  If there's anything more wonderfully childish and innocent than Doctor Who, I have yet to find it.

 

Um, there's a fair amount of creepiness, death, and destruction...not quite what I call "wonderfully childish and innocent". I don't object to people deciding it is fine for their kids, but that show would give me nightmares. 

[Seasider]

Um, there's a fair amount of creepiness, death, and destruction...not quite what I call "wonderfully childish and innocent". I don't object to people deciding it is fine for their kids, but that show would give me nightmares.

I agree. Everyone keeps bringing up the gas mask kid and creepy angels, but the one sticking with me is the giant fire breathing demon chained in the pit on some asteroid. Stuff of bad dreams, yeh.

 

As with most things, when to start following the Doctor is something each parent must judge knowing the sensitivity level of their own child.

[*Lulu*]

I agree. Everyone keeps bringing up the gas mask kid and creepy angels, but the one sticking with me is the giant fire breathing demon chained in the pit on some asteroid. Stuff of bad dreams, yeh.

 

As with most things, when to start following the Doctor is something each parent must judge knowing the sensitivity level of their own child.

I agree that that one is VERY creepy.

 

But I have read heavier stuff in the Lang Fairy series.

 

Even in the darkest episodes, Dr. Who is infused with childlike wonder and with a sort of innocence.

[Slartibartfast]

 

 

 

It is a kid show IMO. There is no swearing, no nudity, no drunk women slapping each other. It is extremely difficult to find fun shows that I will let my kids watch. To me it is great campy fun. My five year old *loves* the show. He has several screwdrivers and Doctor Who themed toys.

 

What gives one person nightmares won't phase another. My daughter had nightmares about chickens when she was little. At the same time she was having chicken nightmares her FAVORITE movie in the world was Nightmare Before Christmas. She also did not like people wandering around in animal costumes. She hated Chick Fil A cow MORE than someone dressed in a scary costume. I don't have pictures of her with the Easter Bunny because the Easter Bunny freaked her out.

 

She still loves Jack Skellington, she still hates the Easter Bunny.

 

Saying I am not letting my kids be kids is just because I let them watch it is not fair to my kids. They like it. They can decide for themselves.

[Word Nerd]

Everyone keeps bringing up the gas mask kid and creepy angels, but the one sticking with me is the giant fire breathing demon chained in the pit on some asteroid. Stuff of bad dreams, yeh.

 

 

As I said earlier, that's one of the episodes I haven't let my DD watch.

[*Lulu*]

It is a kid show IMO. There is no swearing, no nudity, no drunk women slapping each other. It is extremely difficult to find fun shows that I will let my kids watch. To me it is great campy fun. My five year old *loves* the show. He has several screwdrivers and Doctor Who themed toys.

 

What gives one person nightmares won't phase another. My daughter had nightmares about chickens when she was little. At the same time she was having chicken nightmares her FAVORITE movie in the world was Nightmare Before Christmas. She also did not like people wandering around in animal costumes. She hated Chick Fil A cow MORE than someone dressed in a scary costume. I don't have pictures of her with the Easter Bunny because the Easter Bunny freaked her out. She still loves Jack Skellington, she still hates the Easter Bunny.

 

Saying I am not letting my kids be kids is just because I let them watch it is not respectful to my kids. They like it. They can decide for themselves.

My gosh, yes!

 

In the wee hours of the morning I was awakened by Sister. She had a nightmare about silk worms after watching a Brain Pop video yesterday. You never know what will stick in a kid's mind only to freak them out at 3am.

 

(FTR- the only time she had Dr. Who related nightmares was when her brothers took to waiting for her outside the bathroom with his face covered weeping angel style. Brothers!)

[Slartibartfast]

 

My gosh, yes!

 

In the wee hours of the morning I was awoken by Sister. She had a nightmare about silk worms after watching a Brain Pop video yesterday. You never know what will stick in a kid's mind only to freak them out at 3am.

 

(FTR- the only time she had Dr. Who related nightmares was when her older brother took to waiting for her outside the bathroom with his face covered weeping angel style. Brothers!)

I have pictures of her with people dressed as ZOMBIES but no Easter Bunny! Easter Bunny is creepy! :huh:

 

That is too funny about her brothers. :lol:

 

[*Lulu*]

The best was after we watched the River Song episode where the angel image comes off the screen.

 

"That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel" ...

 

The kids would draw pictures of weeping angels and slide them under each other's bedroom doors.

 

DH and I would be enjoying a quiet conversation after they were supposed to be in bed only to have all hell break loose at the other end of the house because of an angel sketched on a scrap of paper.

[Samiam]

The best was after we watched the River Song episode where the angel image comes off the screen.

 

"That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel" ...

 

The kids would draw pictures of weeping angels and slide them under each other's bedroom doors.

 

DH and I would be enjoying a quiet conversation after they were supposed to be in bed only to have all hell break loose at the other end of the house because of an angel sketched on a scrap of paper.

I'm sorry, this made me laugh out loud. Totally something me and my siblings would do to each other back in the day.

 

Thxs for all the advice. We've watched the first 5 episodes in the last few days, and I think they will be fine for my boys. They aren't usually bothered by the things people have mentioned here, as they do like to watch shows like BigFoot hunters, and other "monster hunting" type shows. Now, I personally am not getting this show. I am pretty sure these alien creatures were stolen from the cast of Power Rangers back in the day.

[JustEm]

I'm sorry, this made me laugh out loud. Totally something me and my siblings would do to each other back in the day.

 

Thxs for all the advice. We've watched the first 5 episodes in the last few days, and I think they will be fine for my boys. They aren't usually bothered by the things people have mentioned here, as they do like to watch shows like BigFoot hunters, and other "monster hunting" type shows. Now, I personally am not getting this show. I am pretty sure these alien creatures were stolen from the cast of Power Rangers back in the day.

Some of the aliens are certainly goofy/cheap looking. As the budget increases few the seasons you see better looking aliens.

[Mergath]

Um, there's a fair amount of creepiness, death, and destruction...not quite what I call "wonderfully childish and innocent". I don't object to people deciding it is fine for their kids, but that show would give me nightmares. 

 

Yes, bad things happen in the show.  That's life.  But the Doctor is himself like a big, goofy child.  No matter how many bad things happen, he continues on believing in the inherent goodness of the universe and still looking to see every last part of it.  

 

Plus, as has been pointed out already, he's a time-traveling, screwdriver-wielding alien in a police box that's bigger on the inside and has a swimming pool and a library.  What part of that screams "grown up show" to you?

[Mergath]

Some of the aliens are certainly goofy/cheap looking. As the budget increases few the seasons you see better looking aliens.

 

A part of me wishes the BBC would go back and touch up a few of the special effects in the first NewWho season so it'll quit scaring off the newbies.

[Garga]

I was pretty scared of the Are you my mummy episode, until it got to the end.  Oh, I loved the ending.  Not scary at all.  It was a great happy ending.  And now when I re-watch the episode it doesn't scare me at all, because I know why he's asking for his mummy.  Actually, I found it very touching and now when he asks, "Are you my mummy?" I don't feel that dread.  Instead I want someone to say, "Yes, you sweetie!  I'm your mummy and will love you!"  

 

But I get sappy like that.

 

And really, the weeping angels don't "hurt" anyone. They just throw you around in time.  Well, I guess in that later episode they did hurt people, if I'm remembering correctly.  But originally, they just used up your time energy and you had to go back in time and relive it over again.  But I suppose their pointy teeth are a bit much...

[*Lulu*]

I was pretty scared of the Are you my mummy episode, until it got to the end. Oh, I loved the ending. Not scary at all. It was a great happy ending. And now when I re-watch the episode it doesn't scare me at all, because I know why he's asking for his mummy. Actually, I found it very touching and now when he asks, "Are you my mummy?" I don't feel that dread. Instead I want someone to say, "Yes, you sweetie! I'm your mummy and will love you!"

 

But I get sappy like that.

 

And really, the weeping angels don't "hurt" anyone. They just throw you around in time. Well, I guess in that later episode they did hurt people, if I'm remembering correctly. But originally, they just used up your time energy and you had to go back in time and relive it over again. But I suppose their pointy teeth are a bit much...

Well they do kill you...

 

and scare the crap out of you first...

 

and possibly send you back to a time before maxi pads with wings and double-stuff Oreos.

 

Buuuuuut, in all fairness, letting someone "live to death" is not the most vile of assassinations ever conceived. So there is that.

[Slartibartfast]

Well they do kill you...

 

and scare the crap out of you first...

 

and possibly send you back to a time before maxi pads with wings and double-stuff Oreos.

 

Buuuuuut, in all fairness, letting someone "live to death" is not the most vile of assassinations ever conceived. So there is that.

 

Sending me back to a time without hair products would be pretty high on my list of "vile deeds."

[*Lulu*]

Sending me back to a time without hair products would be pretty high on my list of "vile deeds."

Or when fashion dictated corsets, pantaloons, multiple petticoats, or bathing "costumesâ€.

[JustEm]

for my family, extended and immediate, Dr who has allowed kids to hold on to their imagination and sense of adventure longer. it just one of those creative shows that seem to inspire some kids to play creatively and think out of the box. At least that is my experience

[Word Nerd]

DD8 still wants an Adipose.

[Slartibartfast]

DD8 still wants an Adipose.

 

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amigurumi-fat-baby

[Garga]

Well they do kill you...

 

and scare the crap out of you first...

 

and possibly send you back to a time before maxi pads with wings and double-stuff Oreos.

 

Buuuuuut, in all fairness, letting someone "live to death" is not the most vile of assassinations ever conceived. So there is that.

 

 

Sending me back to a time without hair products would be pretty high on my list of "vile deeds."

 

 

Or when fashion dictated corsets, pantaloons, multiple petticoats, or bathing "costumesâ€.

 

Ok, nevermind my original post.  You're right--it's a fate worse than death!!!  :)

[Cammie]

We watch Dr. Who as a family and we LOVE it!!  Yes some episodes have been scary...but that is part of the fun - like Halloween!  My FAVORITE are the episodes that have the alien woman Sherlock Holmes and her lady sidekick - I could watch a whole series just with them!!

[Cammie]

And my 13 year old DD has a crush on Captain Jack so there is a LOT that goes over kids heads!  (I have a little crush on River Song myself...its either that or I want to BE River Song!))