Fear Forecast
Fear Forecast was a feature on the Doctor Who website during series 1, 2, 3 and 4. Intended as an advisory for parents, the reactions of the four "Fear Forecasters" were described in detail, minute-to-minute, for each new episode. It was launched on 21 April 2005 and the first episode they previewed was TV: World War Three.[1]
The team of children rated each episode's "Fear Factor", usually from 1 to 5 (notable exceptions being Blink and The Impossible Planet). 2 was Quite Scary, 3 was Very Scary, 4 was Chilling, and 5 was Terrifying.
Typically a preview Forecast would be added during the mid-week website update (usually on Wednesdays). This version did not contain screenshots and had any spoilers redacted; then after each episode had transmitted the full Forecast would be revealed.
Series 1
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The highest Fear Factor score in series 1 was for The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, both episodes unanimously "Terrifying".
In addition to previewing the episodes, the Fear Forecasters also visited and reviewed the Doctor Who Exhibition at Brighton Pier.[2][3]
| Episode | Amy | Harry | Samuel | Adam | Fear Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rose | - | - | - | - | 2 (Quite Scary)[1] |
| 2 | The End of the World | - | - | - | - | 2 (Quite Scary)[1] |
| 3 | The Unquiet Dead | - | - | - | - | 3 (Very Scary)[1] |
| 4 | Aliens of London | - | - | - | - | 4 (Chilling)[1] |
| 5 | World War Three | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 6 | Dalek | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 7 | The Long Game | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 8 | Father's Day | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 (Quite Scary) |
| 9 | The Empty Child | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 10 | The Doctor Dances | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 11 | Boom Town | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 (Quite Scary) |
| 12 | Bad Wolf | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 13 | The Parting of the Ways | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
Series 2
Series 2 was the first to give an episode a Fear Factor rating higher than 5. The Impossible Planet was deemed "Beyond Fear", at 6/5. The Fear Forecasters retained their original images for this season.
"'I thought that the TARDIS translated all languages,' grumbles Samuel. 'That should include horses.' 'He has a point...' concedes Dad."
| Episode | Amy | Harry | Samuel | Adam | Fear Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | The Christmas Invasion | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 1 | New Earth | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 2 | Tooth and Claw | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 3 | School Reunion | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 4 | The Girl in the Fireplace | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 5 | Rise of the Cybermen | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 6 | The Age of Steel | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 7 | The Idiot's Lantern | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 8 | The Impossible Planet | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 (Beyond Fear) |
| 9 | The Satan Pit | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 10 | Love & Monsters | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 (Quite Scary) |
| 11 | Fear Her | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 12 | Army of Ghosts | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 13 | Doomsday† | - | - | - | - | unclassified |
† At the end of the forecast for the previous episode a note stated ... And that's the final Fear Forecast for this series. Next week's episode is so secret, not even the Fear Forecasters have seen it.[4]
Series 3
| Episode | Amy | Harry | Samuel | Adam | Fear Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | The Runaway Bride | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 1 | Smith and Jones | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 2 | The Shakespeare Code | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 3 | Gridlock | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 (Quite Scary) |
| 4 | Daleks in Manhattan | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 5 | Evolution of the Daleks | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 6 | The Lazarus Experiment | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 7 | 42 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 8 | Human Nature | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 9 | The Family of Blood | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 10 | Blink | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 (Off the scale!) |
| 11 | Utopia | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 12 | The Sound of Drums | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 13 | Last of the Time Lords | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
Series 4
| Episode | Amy | Harry | Samuel | Adam | Fear Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Voyage of the Damned | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 1 | Partners in Crime | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 2 | The Fires of Pompeii | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 3 | Planet of the Ood | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 4 | The Sontaran Stratagem | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 5 | The Poison Sky | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 6 | The Doctor's Daughter | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 7 | The Unicorn and the Wasp | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 8 | Silence in the Library | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 9 | Forest of the Dead | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 10 | Midnight | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Terrifying) |
| 11 | Turn Left | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 12 | The Stolen Earth | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 13 | Journey's End | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (Chilling) |
| 14 | The Next Doctor | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
| 15 | Planet of the Dead | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 (Very Scary) |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Meet the Fear Forecasters. bbc.co.uk (21 April 2005). Retrieved on 28 February 2019.
- ↑ Video: Brighton Exhibition. bbc.co.uk (16 May 2005). Retrieved on 17 January 2019.
- ↑ Brighton Exhibition. bbc.co.uk (16 May 2005). Retrieved on 11 May 2022.
- ↑ ARMY OF GHOSTS: Fear Factor 4 (Chilling). bbc.co.uk (5 July 2006). Retrieved on 5 May 2022.
