night doctor night ninth episode sixth series british science fiction television series doctor broadcast bbc september written directed episode alien time traveller doctor companions decide house year old boy named george terrified especially bedroom doctor discusses george father amy trapped doll house terrifying life size dolls night inspired fear dolls ones episode designed scary crude looking episode moved half series second necessitated changes fit series story arc filmed production taking place september council estate bristol park doll house interior scenes filmed episode watched million viewers received generally positive mixed reviews critics critical fitted overarching story came heavy story arc episode plot synopsis doctor decides house psychic paper receives message george frightened year old child asking help getting rid monsters bedroom arrival council estate present day earth doctor amy split try locate child doctor taking guise social services worker finds right flat meets george father alex mother claire working night shift alex photo album doctor learns george frightened life fearing sounds people flat helped cope habits including placing fears wardrobe amy taking lift suddenly find appears eighteenth century house shortly discover wooden props residents estate appear house caught life sized dolls laugh sing like children transform residents dolls amy witness transformation try flee amy caught doll joining chasing doctor wardrobe contains evil george fears opens find contents simply clothes toys including doll house doctor suddenly recalls alex photo album claire appear pregnant weeks leading george supposed birth causing alex remember fact claire unable children doctor asserts george child alien took form alex claire desired child perception filter ability literally lock away fears wardrobe george begins panic revelation doctor alex pulled wardrobe joining dolls descend doctor calls george face fears george able open wardrobe appears dolls turn advance doctor realises george frightened alex claire plan send away having mistakenly interpreted conversation earlier night alex rushes dolls embrace george son soon find estate restored normal claire returns morning find george longer scared alex doctor breakfast thanked doctor companions set adventure end nursery rhyme doctor death heard screen tardis displays details doctor death date time die location death continuity doctor refers snow white seven keys little emperor new clothes childhood nursery stories referencing stage play seven keys emperor series recurring monsters repeats tea written episode victory production episode writer told radio_times scared dolls surprised doctor especially interested dolls said stuff proper previously worked guest actor bbc serial purposely inserted line maybe later script bit notice reference episode originally given title little boys achieve greater variety stories half series night moved second block episodes having filmed episode showing half season necessitated minor changes episode including removal recurring sequence featuring appearance original scene dropped new written sense point series scene consisted nursery rhyme lead writer wanted doctor death asked write nursery rhyme described wonderful variations rhyme heard closing time series finale wedding river song episode filmed september mainly filmed council estate bath somerset scenes filmed bristol estate chosen crisp architecture country house chosen staircase checked stripped building replaced child like furniture placed look played designs dolls trying achieve desired balance normal doll crude actors portraying dolls choreographed stiff legs swing arms scene alex doctor kitchen open close talking script improvised set invited guest star episode drawn story family element young son like george scene carpet filmed actor hydraulic platform lowered green coloured liquid broadcast reception night broadcast united_kingdom bbc september episode achieved overnight figure million viewers making fourth watched programme day final consolidated figures showed picked million viewers bringing total million viewers received appreciation index considered excellent critical reception reception episode generally positive mixed guardian commented episode improvement previous episodes dead idiot victory complimented overall creepy episode retro doctor comparison let kill hitler saw plot similar child episodes written martin later rated tenth best episode series finale included list daily_telegraph praised dolls stealing concept doll house ign rated episode praising script moved drama horror straight heart creepy dolls house set villains memorable scary look suggest sound design effective said main story sidelined amy left little impact relation doctor george alex sfx gave night half stars saying great things going hasn got little extra turned classic especially unexpected praised shots doll house apartment buildings sound dolls acting idea george alien created reality online noted night reminiscent second series episode fear said episode fared little bit better didn rely george scared little boy praised performance quickly funniest companions new doctor commented amy transformation doll kind story doubt reversed overall episode given rating writing zap2it called night worst episode series far mess episode utterly gave overall grade criticised idea follow story arc heavy episode standalone felt served speed bump forward momentum started good man goes war continued let kill hitler thought biggest flaw george sidelined favour alex missed opportunity story little boys overcoming fear fighting monsters praise dialogue delivered smith episode originally planned half series reviewers mentioned strange amy comment happened previously happened child noted nursery rhyme doctor death included thought count
Night Terrors (Doctor Who)