Has the BBC let Doctor Who Down With Series 9?

Guest contributor Kane Andriunas looks into the ratings, later time slots and lack of advertising this year.

It’s been two weeks since Doctor Who returned to our TV screens and although it might have done very well in American ratings, here in the UK, it hasn’t. With last week’s episode attracting just 3.7 million viewers overnight, I want to explore why this could be and ponder whether the BBC are to blame.

When Doctor Who returned in 2005, its opening episode premiered with an impressive 10.81 million viewers. It was a brand new era for Doctor Who, a new Doctor, a new companion and a whole load of new adventures. Series two continued with impressive figures, with series three doing the same. In 2008, the Christmas Special was watched by an outstanding 13.31 million viewers and the high ratings continued right through ’till David Tennant’s departure in 2010.

Ratings spiked up and down throughout Matt Smith’s reign as the time travelling hero. When Peter Capaldi took over, his first series had a healthy amount of viewers when taking into account catch-up, but there was a bit of a decline. Now with Series 9 and two weeks of endless news reports from various different newspapers and sites about the “falling Doctor Who ratings”, I’ve concluded that the BBC is to blame.

Take a look below at the consolidated rating figures for the opening episode when Doctor Who aired around Easter time:

• Rose – 10.81 million
• New Earth – 8.62 million
• Smith & Jones – 8.71 million
• Partners in Crime – 9.14 million
• Planet of the Dead – 9.54 million
• The Eleventh Hour – 10.08 million
• The Impossible Astronaut – 8.86 million
• The Bells of Saint John – 8.44 million

As you can see, with every opening episode of Doctor Who that aired around Easter time the ratings always maintained between 8 and 11 million viewers. However, since Doctor Who moved to an Autumn slot, it now has much greater competition. Autumn viewing sees the return of hugely popular live show like The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and, this year, the Rugby World Cup.

Below are some facts, brought up because of the past two weeks:

• Doctor Who’s Series 9 opener received an audience of only 4.6 million people. Even with the consolidated figure of 6.54 million it’s still the lowest opener to date.
• Last week’s episode, the conclusion to the opening story, was only watched by 3.7 million people overnight. The worst since 1989 when the original series was cancelled.

With these other shows interfering with Doctor Who, no wonder the ratings are dropping! Not everyone can tune into everything and these types of shows are far more likely to be viewed live. Personally, I think the BBC have no one but themselves to blame. Trying to compete with these rating juggernauts can only result in lower figures for Doctor Who. Moving the show to autumn was a big mistake.

Also, the BBC are not sticking to the ‘family’ viewing label with Doctor Who now airing later each week. This weekend’s episode and the next will see Doctor Who finish past 9pm (the TV watershed indicating viewing suitable for adults). This is very late for the younger fans who love to watch the Doctor but have to stay in a bedtime routine, meaning a potential for even less live viewers.

Another reason could be the lack of advertising. It seems very little aired on BBC One, especially each day during prime time viewing. I remember tuning in throughout of the whole of September excited to see the Doctor Who trailer before EastEnders, which many people watch, and I recall a Doctor Who trailer only ever being shown three times. It seemed the BBC were more interested to promote Strictly Come Dancing with that trailer being aired every day.

In conclusion, I think the BBC have let Doctor Who down. I believe they need to re-think their schedule and the way they advertise such a highly popular show. But what do you think? Are the BBC to blame? Let me know in the comments!