Trivia / Doctor Who S32 E9 "Night Terrors"

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• Author Phobia:
  • Mark Gatiss was very scared of dolls. He would call the Peg Dolls used as "the stuff of proper nightmares".
  • Similarly, Mrs. Rossiter being eaten by the garbage bags came from Gatiss' fear of finding rats in the trash.
• Out of Order: This episode was originally supposed to be the fourth episode of the series but was pushed back and switched with "The Curse of the Black Spot". This had the unfortunate side effect of leaving the plot developments from the previous episode unaddressed and the removal of a recurring sequence featuring the appearance of Madame Kovarian.
• Throw It In!: In the scene in which Alex and the Doctor are in the kitchen they open and close the fridge as they are talking. This was not in the script, but improvised by Matt Smith and Daniel Mays on set.
• What Could Have Been: The story was originally set in a hotel hosting a psychiatric conference, where the patients' phobias would be made manifest. However, this was very similar to "The God Complex". Steven Moffat suggested setting it in an apartment complex.
• Working Title: House Call and What Are Little Boys Made Of?
• Write Who You Know: The landlord, Purcell, was inspired by a gym teacher who had terrorised Mark Gatiss in his youth.

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