Tardis:ParentPage
Not just kids
Doctor Who is a family programme. It's not kids' television. People of all ages watch it. That means some stories are for kids — but some aren't. (We're lookin' at you,Torchwood.)
You should be aware that DWU characters have had every kind ofsex imaginable. And they regularly die violent deaths — sometimes while chewin'tobacco, drinkin'whiskey and/or droppin' someacid, man. As a parent, you should remember thatDoctor Who is atime travel show. That means it regularly depicts things wenow frown on, because theyused to be commonplace. In the same wayMad Men features offices thick with cigarette fog, you should expect that the Doctor will sometimes relishbrandy with a17th centurypirate — or even go window shopping for abong ata head shop in1967San Francisco. Also, because it's over 50 years old,Doctor Who is a bit of aTARDIS itself: some of its attitudes and conventions areof the time a particular episode was made.
Furthermore, we host videos which showcase DWU actors in candid interviews or in other roles they've had in their careers. Such videos give valuable information about those actors — but they may include strong language. If an actor or crew member as worked onDoctor Who, theirentire career is fair game here — not just the kid-friendly bits.
The only thingwe can promise parents is that we will ruthlessly root out any pornography, violent imagery, or racial hatred that has absolutelynothing to do withDWU stories or the people involved in making them. Our motto is that if it ain't on the show, it ain't on this site. If you ever see any objectionable material on this site has no connection toDoctor Who or its related showswhatsoever, please contact one of ouradministrators immediately.
Breakdown by medium
It's tempting to believe that themain part ofDoctor Who is the television series, and anything in other media is just "that bit on the side". In fact, theDoctor Who franchise broadly consists offive main television programmes and then a variety of prose, comic, and audio formats that support these television shows. Stories in non-televised media far, far outnumber those on television — even though the franchise's parent programme started broadcast in 1963. If your kids get hooked onDoctor Who or one of the other shows in the franchise, they'll probably want to at least pick up a comic book or an audio. So it's important to be aware of concerns across all media.
The following guide serves to give a fairly complete overview of the DWU in all its forms. We don't claim it's exhaustive, or that it will be fit for your particular parenting style. Obviously, we can't mentionevery detail of a franchise with as much material as this one. But we believe this is areasonable effort at pointing out areas of possible parental concern.
Television
Torchwood
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Doctor Who
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The Sarah Jane Adventures
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Memorable moment
Another memorable moment
Audio
There's lots of different audio out there, but none of it throws up any serious red flags to parents. Little of what has been made byBig Finish Productions orAudioGo under theDoctor Who banner contains swearing or overt sexuality or gory sound effects.
Because it's audio, however, every listener has their own idea of what exactly is going on in a particular story. It's difficult therefore to absolutely guarantee that your kid won't have issues with certain audios.
However, even that rule has been stretched, with some stories likeJubilee involving quite disturbing themes and imagery, albeit in a science-fiction context. Additionally, most spin-offs are not beholden to it; theTorchwood series, for example, shares the dark themes and adult language of its televised counterpart.
Comics
In the long history ofDoctor Who comic stories, almost none have been formally rated by any comics authority. Of course, few, if any, are at all troubling for parents.Doctor Who comics are typically mild, with almost no hint of sexuality and little in the way of gory depictions of violence. Language inDoctor Who comics is very mild.
That said, modernDoctor Who comics are split into two basicreading levels, if notcontent levels. If you're looking for comics that are easier for your younger child to read, you probably want to give theDoctor Who Adventures comic stories or (if in the mood for things of an older vintage)TV Comics a try.Doctor Who Magazine,IDW,Titan Comics orCutaway Comics stories are written to more of a teenage/young adult standard but generally do not contain any particuarly objectionable content.
Films
TwoDoctor Who theatrical feature films were made in the mid-1960s, both based on earlier televisionserials. These films pre-date modern film ratings systems, but they would likely be classed as having "mild fantasy violence" today.
The direct-to-video DWU spin-off movies produced by the likes ofReeltime Pictures andBBV Productions usually attempt to strike a comparable tone to the TV stories which inspired them. However, by virtue of being a library of independent productions rather than a continuous franchise, exceptions do exist. Most famously, the filmZygon: When Being You Just Isn't Enough prominently features frontal nudity as well as sexual acts.
Games
Of the variousDWU video games, none have received anything greater than an ESRB "E for everyone" rating. Some games, however, weren't written in the21st century and so weren't rated at all. But they were made in the1980s and1990s, so their graphics weren't sophisticated enough to offend anyone. (Except embarrassed game designers.)
Many21st century video games, particularly those inThe Adventure Games range, actually have a strong educational element to them. Almost everyDoctor Who game ever made is either in the strategy or adventure genre. At a minimum they reward players for problem solving. Some, such asThe Gunpowder Plot andAmy's History Hunt, go further and actually teach kids some genuine history. Others, likeCyber Assault, are justDoctor Who versions of classic strategy games likeRisk.
Prose
Novels
Doctor Who novels range the gamut from books for young readers to books for adults. Like comics,Doctor Who books are written to various reading standards.Target novelisations andNew Series Adventures are typically for younger readers.Quick Reads can also be enjoyed by kids who are under 12, but they're actually written for adults with literacy issues.These books donot contain any significant areas for parental concern.
The tricky books for parents are those written from about1992 to2004 — that is, the period of time whenDoctor Who was off the air. In particular theVirgin New Adventures line was interested in "pushing the envelope". Although there is no formal book rating "system" out there,parents are advised to read these novels first before allowing children under the age of 15 read them. The same applies toTorchwood novels.These books contain everything from significant swearing to illegal drug use to frank sexuality.
Similarly, among the spin-offs,The Adventures of K9 and others were written with a primarily child audience in mind, while much of theFaction Paradox contains more mature themes and language.Iris Wildthyme media are broadly light-hearted, but may contain humour that some would deem inappropriate.
Short stories
Short stories are also written for different audiences. Those inDoctor Who annuals are definitely written with kids in mind, and parents are unlikely to find objectionable content there, other than overly simplistic plots.
Those stories written for theShort Trips andDecalog series are intended for older readers. It would be laborious in the extreme, however, to point out which of the individual stories offer which specific parental concerns. If you're worried about the short stories your child is reading, we recommend that you at least skim them for yourself.
Interviews, clips from other shows
We host some videos that are interviews with actors about their larger careers. We also occasionally put up clips from other shows, if they help illustrate what an actor's body of work was like, or, rarely, if they amplify an in-universe article. These videos are meant to amplify our readers' understanding about the production personnel involved, but obviously some interviews can stray into areas that are more adult.
