Fear Forecast: Empty Child

Factor 5: Terrifying, say our children's panel.

bbc.co.uk's Fear Forecasters tally the terror in episode nine - The Empty Child:

NOTE FOR PARENTS: This is the scariest episode of Doctor Who yet... but it's also quite, quite brilliant. Harry, Samuel and Adam all enjoyed being so frightened, but Amy was too scared to sleep alone after it. No one had nightmares. Both sets of parents have suggested that, if you're concerned, tape the episode, and watch it with children during the daytime, or, at least, a long time before bed.

(1) Adam is impressed within seconds: "What a tense beginning." The pre-credits end, and then the title caption appears. "The Empty Child" muses Samuel, "does that mean he's hungry?" He nibbles pensively on his thumb.

Amy jumps at the explosion on the console in the pre-title sequence.

Harry asks what a mauve alert is.

(2) Hearing the Tardis noise Harry gets excited - "Here comes the TARDIS". He then wonders, "Where's the purple thingy?"

(2) Samuel and Adam enjoy the psychic paper's reappearance. Samuel smiles when the Doctor says to Rose "Are you sure about that t-shirt?"

(3) Harry thinks the child crying "Mummy" is worrying. "That's quite scary". Amy starts happily chanting "Mummy" but stops as soon as she sees the child in the gas mask. Amy frowns.

(3) Samuel and Adam tense up as the first plaintive sound of "Mummy?" is heard.

(4) Adam suddenly realises: "It's a war!" Samuel smells a rat when the Doctor enters the club: "That singer's rubbish! She must be a trap."

(5) As Rose climbs up the rope Harry and Samuel shout at the screen "Don't! Don't do it!".

Amy climbs behind mummy's shoulders as it keeps calling 'Mummy'.

(5) When the sirens start Harry explains to Amy that it means the bombs are coming. Amy doesn't like the sound of this.

(6) As Rose is swept away on the barrage balloon Amy whispers "Is this scary?". Harry thinks it's scary but he's smiling and excited.

(7) The air raid's in full swing. Samuel retreats to sit on mum's lap, and chews at his nails.

(7) The phone ringing on the Tardis - Harry is a little anxious. Amy thinks it's funny that the child asks if the Doctor is his mummy. "That's not his mummy, silly."

Adam and Samuel both amused by the Doctor's comment about the "don't wander off thing". Adam is amazed by the TARDIS: "There's a phone in there!"

"Are you my mummy?" asks the voice. "Freaky!" declares Adam. Samuel's reply is muffled because he's still chewing his nails.

(9) Adam: "Poor Rose... she's still up there!" His worry turns to fascination when he sees how Captain Jack has spotted the dangling girl: "Ooh.. is that an ELECTRIC pair of binoculars?"

Captain Jack remarks on the excellent bottom which Amy scowls at, "That was silly". Harry thinks it's funny and repeats the line.

(11) Harry panics as Rose falls. Samuel and Adam are astonished. Amy doesn't seem too bothered and starts chanting 'Mummy' again.

(12) Harry has a big smile on his face as she is saved. Amy scowls at Captain Jack holding Rose.

Adam and Samuel cheer as Rose zips down the slide! Big grin from Samuel when Rose is swept up in Captain Jack's arms. But when she faints, Samuel snorts with derision.

(14) Harry smiles again as the Doctor arrives for dinner.

For the point-of-view shot, Samuel knows what's going on, and starts to mimic: "Mummy? Mummy?" Adam has been really engrossed, and sitting still for so long that his foot has got pins and needles. And then the feast appears on screen, so Adam leans forward to have a really good look--it looks even more appetising than his orange.

Samuel's mind is on food. "Cake... that's the best thing to nick in the war."

(16) Amy starts to get anxious when she hears the child calling . She starts tugging on her top lip and puts her thumb in her mouth as the child is seen at the window. "This is very scary, Mummy". She snuggles up closer to mum. Harry is wide eyed and silent.

The spooky child in the gas mask looms. Samuel goes rigid, and when the camera tilts he has a little whimper. "Who is he?" At this point, Adam has to get up to relieve his foot, gets in the way of the TV, and causes howls of protest from Samuel.

On the screen, all the electrics go mad. "I'm scared," says the boy on TV. Samuel replies: "And I'm scared of him!"

(18) As the Doctor goes to the door Harry shouts out "Don't open the door!"

The door is opened - and the boy has gone. Samuel grabs his mum's hands. "I'm really, really scared!" he declares. So scared, that he has chewed his biro flat.

(22) Harry has a very serious expression on his face as Rose and Jack come out of the spaceship.

(23) Samuel's eyes boggle - it's an invisible spaceship! (25) Nancy tells the Doctor that he should "talk to the Doctor first". Samuel does his own sinister music: "Durn-durn-durrrrrnn!" Samuel and Adam laugh uproariously when Captain Jack makes Big Ben light up and chime.

(26) Rose and Jack dance. Samuel much amused: "They're dancing in the middle of a war! And he's a criminal mastermind!" Adam has other ideas: "Maybe he's the Doctor?"

(27) Amy tries to snuggle into mum's fleece while mum is still wearing it. As the Doctor and Nancy talk by the hospital she becomes confused at the mention of another Doctor. "But he's the Doctor isn't he mummy?"

(27) Samuel is trying to work out the plot possibilities. "Has there ever been another Doctor in this era?" Dad studies him curiously: "What kind of 8-year-old uses the word 'era'?" he asks Samuel's mum.

(29) Harry is biting the back of his hand at this point.Throughout the "Who did you lose?" and "mouse before a lion" speech between Nancy and the Doctor, Adam and Samuel fidget distractedly. Samuel takes his chewed biro and draws stick figures who are saying "mummy?" But a minute later...

(30) ... it's the empty child's point-of-view shot again. Adam and Samuel visibly stiffen with worry. Samuel grips his mum's hand very hard. He's decided to stay sat on her lap for the rest of the programme. Amy tries to snuggle even closer to mum.

(30) As the Doctor walks along the dark ward of the hospital Harry sits up straight waiting for something horrible to happen. "This is starting to get really scary". Amy thinks so too.

In the eery hospital. Adam: "There's SOMETHING in this hospital." Samuel: "The spooky music is really scaring." Dad: "It's not music from that era." Mum: "Shut up."

(32) Dr Constantine appears, racked with coughs. Adam is fascinated. By coincidence, Mum and Dad also have coughs this week, so Samuel finds this unexpectedly hilarious.

(32) As Dr Constantine explains to the Doctor Harry nervously twists some hair around his fingers, biting his lip. Amy hides behind mum peeking over her shoulder.

(34) Harry looks very worried. "Oh, this is getting too scary" as the people all sit up.

(34) Samuel visibly jumps in alarm, and rears back against his mum. The dead have woken up! "He's got the scar as well!" yells Samuel, pointing

(35) As Constantine says 'Mummy' Harry looks very worried inded. "Oh No! This is really really scary". Amy buries her head into mum's shoulder but keeps peaking round. As Dr Constantine transforms Harry decides to examine his fingers really carefully for a minute or so. Amy buries her head again, longer this time. Samuel is horrified: "Woooah!"

(37) As the action moves back to the house Harry and Amy sit together open mouthed. Deciding she is the safer option Amy lies on her tummy next to mummy and covers herself with a big cushion.

(37) Rose's "Doctor Who?" line makes Samuel and Adam laugh. The "Mr Spock" line makes Mum and Dad laugh, but puzzles Adam and Samuel.

(38) Harry is worried again. Amy scurries back onto mum's lap.

(38) But a moment later, it's all tense again. Nancy is being stalked by the boy: "Mummy?" says the boy. Adam looks uncertainly at his dad: "Daddy?" he asks.

(39) As the gas mask woman sits up both children visibly jump. Harry edges closer to mum and cuddles her arm as the gas masks advance.

(41) The credits, and there's no trailer! Samuel and Adam can hardly speak. And then the "Next Time" caption appears after the credits, and Adam and Samuel watch proceedings intensely. As the episode ends, Samuel asks his mum: "Can we watch the next episode in the daytime? When it's light? Adam has been taking lessons from his grandma about avoiding nightmares: "This is so scary - people shouldn't eat cheese before watching it."

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The Fear Factors

1: Mildly Scary
2: Quite Scary
3: Very Scary
4: Chilling
5: Terrifying

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Holly age 9
I did not like that series one bit i had nightmares for a month i hate the bit where Jamie comes in the room when the docter and Rose and Captian Jack are in the room

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