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Original poster

Dr Who too scary?

25 replies

roisin · 14/04/2005 14:10

for under 8s apparently 50 complaints to the BBC about last week's episode.

I've been watching the programmes with ds1 (7), and we've both enjoyed them (to my surprise). Not too scary at all (for either of us - I am a bit of a wuss!)

What do you think?

OP posts:
hoxtonchick · 14/04/2005 14:14

errr, we've been watching it with our 3 year old . don't think he necessarily understands it, but certainly isn't scared.

unicorn · 14/04/2005 14:15

Well last week was more scary than the first... but it was written one of the 'League of Gentlemen' writers I believe.

dd (nearly 6) enjoyed it, but we taped it and watched it all together on the Sunday (ie not before bed!) which I think helped reduce the fear.

BubblesDeVere · 14/04/2005 14:16

I personally would not let dd1 watch them, she is 5, but, i know how sensitive she is, and as soon as anyone sees the words 'Dr Who', its not going to be all sweetness and light so I think precaution should be taken before letting little ones watch it.

If a child like your ds enjoys watching them, then great, he obviously likes things like that, but some children of the same age, could take it badly.

That is why even now, before dd1 watches anything ie, dvd, we watch it before her.

Marina · 14/04/2005 14:23

Ds, aged nearly six, has enjoyed it all so far, but understands it is all pretend and that there are no such things as aliens/Timelords/ghosts etc. It's a "boy" thing for him and dad, I am usually upstairs encouraging the much more scary dd into her bath.
I think it's a close call and can well imagine quite a few under-sevens finding it scary. We are keeping a close eye on the synopsis for each episode.

Freckle · 14/04/2005 14:24

DS1 and DS3 (11 and 6 respectively) enjoyed it and so did DS2 (9). However, DS2 later complained that he couldn't sleep because he was scared. Mind you, these are children who will watch X-men and similar without a qualm, so it might just have been a bit of a ploy to get into bed with us .

serenity · 14/04/2005 14:26

I thought last weeks episode was quite scary, but DS1(7) didn't even though he's been saying the others were (but not too much to stop watching!) DS2 (4.5) loves it, but then they've grown up watching things like Buffy the vampire Slayer, so Dr Who isn't anything new iyswim.

marthamoo · 14/04/2005 14:30

Oh it makes me cross Can parents not take any responsibility for what their children watch? Ds1 is 8 and dh was really keen for him to see Dr Who (fond childhood memories!). So we recorded it first. Then we watched it, decided it was OK, and watched it with him the following evening. He saw the first two in that way, then the last one - with the zombies - we decided was a bit too scary for him so he hasn't watched it. There was a trailer at the end of the previous week's show for the zombie one which made both dh and I look at each other and say "oh..maybe he won't be watching next week."

We decide what our children watch - it's mostly common sense and knowing what your child can/can't cope with. I don't believe that those fifty parents who complained didn't have access to a video recorder - and they certainly had access to an off switch when it started to get scary.

ponygirl · 14/04/2005 14:48

Hear hear MM. I was getting quite cross about children needing to be "protected by the BBC". Sorry, that's the parents job! That said, ds1 (6) has watched all three and loves it - we've been with him. The other 2 (4 and 2) weren't really interested, so went to be during. But we watch it too, and if it's not appropriate we'll turn it off. Atm, ds1 can't wait for the daleks!

Lonelymum · 14/04/2005 14:51

Good idea Marthamoo. We have watched every episode so far: ds1 (8) and ds2 (7) are mad keen on it. I thought the last episode from the Victorian era was far too scary and wanted ds2 to go away, but it was impossible to get him out. Sure enough, as we were going to bed that night, he woke up from a Dr Who induced nightmare. I am dreading the next episode as dh does not really support my belief that it is too scary for the boys.

MamaMaiasaura · 14/04/2005 15:04

ds is 5 and loves dr who. I was a little worried about letting him watch it (esp the zombie one) but he seems to really really enjoy it. He is keen to watch it every week and knows it is on at 7 on a saturday night.

I would like to think i am responsible with what i let him watch and what is right for one isnt necessarily right for another.

I do limit tv time and computer games as well (30 mins for computer game, either a dvd or 1 hour of tv in 24 hours.. Half the time tv doesnt even go on as he is out in the garden finding 'creatures', letting bunny out, being luke skywalker/cowboy/knight.. bless)

Amanda3266 · 14/04/2005 15:13

Did anybody see the "Dr Who confidential" thing on BBC3 afterwards. The make up artists were just so impressive. They turned a rather attractive middle aged lady into the scary looking zombie and then said "there - you can scare your grandchildren now" to which she replied "oh that's okay - I already do" Made me laugh. Absolutely awe inspired by the make up people - isn't there a thread about a dream job somewhere?

poppyknot · 14/04/2005 15:23

I remember having nightmares about a Partick Troughton Dr Who - Victoria had lost the Dr and Jamie and was going down a long dark passage. I can only have been about 4 when I saw it.

I think that I was more scared about being lost or abandoned than the actual monsters.

But the cliche about hiding behind the sofa, being scared and enjoying it seems to ring true.

Agree with marthamoo about knowing what will suit etc

muminlondon · 14/04/2005 15:52

my 2 year old dd caught the first 10 seconds and ever since keeps saying 'lady woke up! it's snowing. she had a hat on.' She got quite obsessed with it - though just a week before she saw a girl in the playground with her face painted green and that seemed to bother her just as much.

SoupDragon · 14/04/2005 16:00

I thought last week's episode was very scarey for little ones although DSs (6 and 3) didn't seem to care!

Enid · 14/04/2005 16:02

Dd1 watched the first one but we sky plussed the second and after seeing it we decided not to let her watch it...too scary for her. She's 5.

Enid · 14/04/2005 16:03

and dd2 (2.5) won't even have the Gruffalo book IN HER ROOM, let alone actually listen to the story, so I think Dr Who is totally out of her league

Original poster
roisin · 14/04/2005 16:18

I completely agree marthamoo. We allowed ds1 (almost 8) to watch it 'live', but accompanied by one of us with the proviso that we would always turn it off if unsuitable.

Ds2 (almost 6) is a sensitive little flower, so we would never have considered it for him anyway, but he's in bed by 6 anyway!

But I think it's unreasonable to expect that something must be suitable for all U8s just because it's on at 7pm. It's about using your judgement.

OP posts:
Polgara2 · 14/04/2005 16:27

Well its way too scary for my two delicate flowers who are 4 and 7 but quite agree its upto the parents to decide what their children can handle. I suppose an age recommendation from the BBC is no bad thing though, in general I mean, but then again its Dr Who fgs its not going to be like something off cbeebies!!

aloha · 14/04/2005 16:28

Ds, 3, was very troubled by the wheelie bin that came to life in episode one. Dh was watching so I whisked ds into bed. He had a nightmare that night. He is a bit of a sensitive flower though.

muminlondon · 14/04/2005 16:30

Poor little thing. I had nightmares about the plastic dolls on the back seat of the car that came to life in the old Doctor Who for years when I was a child. What is it about plastic? So clever though, I think the BBC have pulled a master stroke.

LeahE · 14/04/2005 16:33

Doctor Who is SUPPOSED to be scary, at least on and off. It was when they forgot that that it started going off the rails in the old days.

marthamoo · 14/04/2005 17:07

Aloha, my very hardy 3 year old fell about laughing at the wheelie bin (yes, we let him watch the first two episodes too). And when we went to my parents (they have wheelie bins) he and ds1 amused themselves by banging the lid on their bin and shouting "I'm the Wheelie Bin Monster...grrrrrrrr!" Ds1 at the same age would have been like your ds: petrified (was scared of his own shadow) - they are all so very different.

I remember watching Dr Who while wedged into the living room doorway - so I could quickly duck my head behind the door. Apparently the thing that most traumatised me as a child, though, was Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout.

lou33 · 14/04/2005 17:08

mine range from 13 to 4 and they all loved it

lou33 · 14/04/2005 17:08

but, as my friend sitting next to me has kindly pointed out, they do have v warped imaginations

marthamoo · 14/04/2005 18:51

Dh is looking at the BBC website with comments on this story - one poster has pointed out, "If the kids aren't watching, who's going to tell us when it's safe to look again?"

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