Safe Arbor (Cultivating "In the Forest of the Night")

What do trees, the end of human civilization, and the psychological trauma of losing a family member all have in common? They're all ostensibly what In the Forest of the Night is about — one of the more epic-in-scale episodes of Peter Capaldi's first series as the Doctor. It's not well remembered, a pretty clear case study of a story's reach exceeding its grasp. But it does grasp something, and with some compelling ideas and the series regulars giving it their all, it may be time to re-examine its place in Who canon. Let's venture back into the forest, and maybe this time we'll close our eyes if we encounter any CGI wolves.

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Story Essentials

• Series 8

• Story number: 254, per the The Pull To Open Codex

• Production 1DW 08.10

• Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce

• Showrunner: Steven Moffat

• Aired 25 October 2014

Pull To Open: In the Forest of the Night

• Season 3

• Episode 3

Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor

Outro music: Chronos by Alexander Nakarada