(Photo: BBC America) 

Doctor Who is sometimes characterized as a horror TV show for a family audience, which means that while it’s not a good idea to traumatize younger viewers all the time, the chances of getting a wholesome snuggle with one of the spiky, metallic, growly or slimy monsters from the show are slim to nothing.

But that’s not to say there haven’t been alien races with smooshy faces, soft fur or fluffy coats. And while we wouldn’t like to suggest that you could judge the cuddliness of a book by the cuteness of its cover – looking at you, Pting – that doesn’t mean you can’t at least offer a little “aww” whenever their friendly faces pop up onscreen. 

1: The Adipose (“Partners in Crime”)

To anyone struggling to see the inherent cuddliness of creatures made of subcutaneous body fat, it’s worth considering the following question: what do you think is the soft squidginess that you snuggle up to on the people you love? The Adipose aren’t just delightful little creatures with snuffly little voices, big baby eyes and winning smiles, they’re entirely made of the stuff of actual reassuring human contact. The stuff we all try so desperately hard to get rid of. Just something to consider the next time you’re telling yourself off in a mirror.

2: The Sensorites (“The Sensorites”)

Watching this tense exchange unfold, it’s immediately apparent that the Sensorites are not scary, at all. They may have unusual features – no noses, for starters – but their beards, soft voices, bald heads and turtleneck sweaters make them come across as reasonable grandfathers, rather than terrifying alien invaders. And look, as soon as the Doctor (who knows a thing or two about being an unreasonable grandfather) raises his voice, they have to cover their ears. C’mon, that’s adorable!

3: The Pting (“The Tsuranga Conundrum”)

Don’t cuddle a Pting. It will eat you or everything you own. The Pting’s charms are better appreciated from a distance, preferably not while you’re on the spaceship it is trying to consume. That said, it has all the key ingredients of an adorable animal: big eyes, tiny, squat frame, snuffly gruntiness. Ptings are the Shih Tzu of alien races, albeit one that prefers devouring live-saving electrical devices to running off into the garden to chew on your best shoes.

4: The Yeti (“The Abominable Snowmen”)

Unlike the smaller creatures in this list, the Yeti are huge fluffy monsters that are definitely, perhaps too capable of giving out great big hugs. And while the beaky, bulb-eye monstrosities of “The Web of Fear” are perhaps a little too creepy to fully submit to, the original no-face Yetis are just six feet of pillow-soft snuggliness. All you have to do is take out the power globe, containing the instructions of the Great Intelligence, and replace it with some kind of mindful guided meditation YouTube clip, and you’ll be in hug heaven.

5: Hyph3n (“Orphan 55”)

Although we do know she’s an official customer host at the Tranquility Spa, it’s not entirely clear whether Hyph3n is a human, a human/squirrel hybrid, a human/bear/squirrel hybrid, or just someone wearing the Tranquility Spa’s equivalent of a Mickey Mouse costume. She offers no definitive guidance on the topic, beyond ensuring we spell her name with the 3, which feels more like your gran giving you her laptop password than an actual badge of identity. Still, whether it’s for corporate or personal reasons, she’s definitely cuddly.

6: The Menoptera (“The Web Planet”)

This one might just be a matter of comparison. The Menoptera are the mothlike enemies of the Zarbi, who are sort of walking ants with wasp attitude. Put anything against a grumpy hornet and it’ll look loveable, but there’s something genuinely sweet about the Menoptera. It’s the softness of the voices, their furry, stripy pyjamas, and the melancholy written into their faces as they continue to resist the evil influence of their insect overlords.

7: The Tharils (“Warrior’s Gate”)

See that fella running backwards and forwards in what looks like a significant way? That’s Biroc, one of an enslaved race of leonine humanoids in harem pants called Tharils. They’re a time-sensitive race who live in E-Space and have the power to time-shift back and forth (hence all the funny running). Needless to say, they’re not the bad guys, and in fact Biroc is so engaging and sweet a fellow that Romana – the Fourth Doctor’s Time Lord companion – even leaves the TARDIS forever to travel with him instead. And it’s a toss-up as to who is more is the cuddlier between Biroc and the Doctor himself.

8: The Lupari (“Flux”)

Karvanista is a very good boy. He’s one of a race – OK, a pack – of doglike humanoid creatures with faces as expressive as Paddington bear. He is also quite impatient, cranky even, and with good reason. His former best friend can’t remember who he is, he’s been bio-locked to a smart-alec Liverpudlian called Dan and oh yes, most of his race has been wiped out. Looks like someone needs a cuddle, don’t they? Or at the very least, a big bag of the Lupari equivalent of Scooby Snacks. 

While cuddly, probably not huggable. Do these monsters add to your Doctor Who experience!?