I wonder if you ever pondered where nightmares like most Doctor Who stories are, come from?
My hunch is that they come from reality.
Take the story where humans, one by one, by touch, are turned into human-size grinning or weeping toys. And now that they are toys with no will of their own, the only will they have is to turn other humans into toys like themselves.
When I look around I see plenty of proof of this nightmare being real.