The 10 scariest monsters from Doctor Who’s classic and modern era
By Becky Kukla
3. The Clockwork Androids
As seen in: “The Girl in the Fireplace.”
Not given an actual name, the androids (or humanoids) from “The Girl in The Fireplace” remain one of the creepiest creatures to grace our screens. The episode takes place during 18th century France, and these creepy ornate aliens are following a young girl called Reinette. In an odd twist of time (especially for a show where time bending is basically the premise), the Doctor’s visits to Reinette happen only minutes apart for him, but years apart for her. Each time, he is faced with the puzzling issue of exactly who the creepy ticking androids are, and what exactly they want with Reinette.
Visually, the clockwork androids are pretty terrifying. They blend in with the 18th century French society by wearing clothes of that era accompanied by ornate masks, fit for a David Lynch costume party. There’s also their giveaway ticking noise, a feature which makes it possible to tell them apart from humans by their sound alone.
Their mission is also incredibly dark. Stranded due to their broken space ship, the clockwork androids aim to steal Reinette’s (or Madame de Pompadour, as she becomes known as) brain as they believe it to be the missing component that will allow their ship to run again. They wait, following her closely for her entire life, hiding in corners and under beds.
Their costume and design are among the creepiest of the Doctor Who monsters, plus their desire to remove brains and generally dismember people is exactly why you don’t want to have these guys hiding in your house… or your fireplace.