Time of the Doctor scored 2.47 million - the highest ever audience in the history of the channel!

I know, but I thought the comments about Moffat growing the viewership of the show in the US was about viewing figures increasing since 2011 rather than a one-off.

The range of ratings in the normal series has increased by about 300k since Series 6, which isn't bad at all for a niche channel - and with two specials only a month within each other scoring 2.4 million+, that is quite impressive! It's by far BBCA's most popular show/flagship show.

End of Time: 1.0 million

Series 6 Ratings:

Ep. 6-1 — 1.268 million
Ep. 6-2 — 1.001 million
Ep. 6-3 — 0.760 million
Ep. 6-4 — 0.719 million
Ep. 6-5 — 0.604 million
Ep. 6-6 — 0.581 million
Ep. 6-8 — 0.961 million
Ep. 6-12 — 0.512 million
Ep. 6-13 — 0.787 million

Series 7 Ratings:

7-1 - 1.555 million
7-2 - 1.149 million
7-3 - 0.958 million
7-4 - 1.000 million
7-5 - 0.994 million
7-6 - 1.434 million

7-7 - 1.496 million,
7-9 - 0.920 million
7-10 - 1.033 million
7-11 - 1.124 million
7-12- 0.848 million
7-13 - 0.909 million
7-14 - 1.269 million
Day - 2.4 million
Time - 2.47 million

Interest has generally increased in the US. Quite notable as Tennant's final episode rated 1 million, whereas Smith's got 2.47 million.

I was under the impression the RTD seasons were getting 1.5m on Sci-Fi.

Can't we just have one thread of interesting speculation and opinions that doesn't turn into a conversation about ratings please?

Only Voyage of the Damned achieved that number, (1.48m) before it was dropped from the channel as a whole after Series 4. (Journey's End scored 1.22 million to compare)

Also, Syfy is/was a more popular/less niche channel than BBC America, and DW was often outrated by Battlestar Galactica and the various Stargates back then.

But Shoppy's right.

Not surprised about BSG, but Stargate (I thought) was quite dull compared with Who.

Toby Whithouse for me. Not only has he had experience of 'showrunning' before, I just think he 'gets' Doctor Who and the Doctor in particular.

I've enjoyed all of his stories. 'School Reunion' had one of my favourite Tennant performances, particularly the swimming pool scene with Anthony Head.'The God Complex' was one of my favourite Series 6 episodes, 'Vampires..' was great fun and really nailed the Eleventh Doctor quite early in his run, and think '...Mercy' is interesting and underrated.

So...if we're considering people who've written for the programme, I'd be very pleased if it's him.

I just had a glance back at the first page and it seems the three main candidates would be...

Toby Whithouse - so far the preferred choice
Chris Chibnall - divides opinion but also a favourite to get the job
Mark Gatiss - opinion is divided on whether he'd be the right choice

...and also mentioned were...

Neil Cross - has potential but not proven
Paul Cornell - still a possibility
Tom MacRae - some day but not yet?

...and I don't reckon Howard Overman would be out of the running either.



Personally I'd like to see Whithouse as showrunner and contributions from Neil Cross,Tom MacRae,Stephen Thompson, Matthew Graham, Neil Gaiman and Rob Shearman
(one can but dream)

Whenever Howard Overman paints himself into a corner regarding time travel in Misfits, he just goes back in time and erases everything so it never happened deus ex machina style!

Imagine if he did that with Doctor Who!

Mark Gatiss this year alone gave us The Crimson Horror, An Adventure in Space and Time, his incredible MR James adaptation and documentary and Sherlock episode one. He knows the program inside out. He is a fan. He is also a genre fan. A horror expert. If anyone could take the show to something similar to the classic Baker years it is Gatiss. I think hes been unlucky with some of the Who scripts he has written. He is clearly talented. No one else has anything approaching his credentials. If Moffat does leave in the next two years it will be Gatiss job. Almost certain. And good. I am afraid Whithouse just doesn't quite have it.,.yet. Though he would be my second choice.

Gaiman would never do it anyway but if he did those thinking Moffat is too niche and not appealing to the masses would get a big shock if Gaiman took over. He would probably turn it into a true cult show and ghettoise it. It would be splendid in some ways but would probably result in hiatus.

I accept that of all the potential candidates Gatiss probably has the most in depth knowledge of the show and has contributed more to the series so far but I've preferred Whithouse' stories and when I think of a whole series I think he could give us an arc that doesn't divide opinion as much as Moffat's have and that's probably what's needed next (though I love Moffats arcs myself)


I offer Being Human as evidence to the contrary


Nah I don't think Gaiman would do it, and I'm not sure I'd want him steering it, but I would like to see him get a Xmas Special to write

Definitely keep Gaiman writing for the show. I just mean thinking of keeping a degree of popular appeal for the show I suspect he would take it even more cult than Moffat would ever dream of.

Gaiman is a fantastic writer and novelist, but yes he would go very cult. Also his background is more in fantasy writing then Sci-fi, and I think that he would take the show in an even more fairy tale direction then Moffet

Watching an episode like 'Vampires of Venice' I have extremely strong doubts as to how much Whithouse understands the show. The Doctor and his assistant making flippant jokes and generally behaving obnoxiously when a man is showing grief about his murdered daughter? No. Wrong tone at the wrong time. Okay, it's one episode. All his other episodes show a similar lack of understanding of the tone of the show: the Doctor showing grief by smashing things in a violent rage in The God Complex: totally wrong characterization. 'A Town Called Mercy' is fake drama of the worst kind, showing flippant characterization changes and a totally insubstantial redemption theme invalidated by unlikely changes of heart and facillitated by the Doctor's magic wand.

I'm comfortable in saying that anyone who respects Whithouse as a writer gets no respect for taste or discernment from me.

Crickey. That's me told then.

Did someone post a link today somewhere where Gaiman days he's upset with the pay and also that the BBC cut his two part Nightmare in Silver into one episode, or did I just Dream all that?

Since I loved Luther, I'd like Neil Cross to get the chance to try a few more episodes or stories (multi-episodes) . Hmm in the classic era writers wrote entire stories didnt they not just one off episodes, for example Nation would come up with multiple episodes for each Dalek storyline right? Would be good to see some stories or arcs from the other contenders, but i suppose the seasons are too short nowadays?

What an interesting thread to read through. I think TomTit what you may have highlighted is that there isn’t one writer who has had universal acclaim from the fans, in the way that Moffat did under RTD.

But If you look at what Moffat did before Doctor Who he was mainly in comedy/ sitcom with Joking Apart and Coupling ( which I thought were dark comedies and not actually that great. There was something quite bitter in them for me) so who really knew that he could write Doctor Who ? I know he did the short’Curse of Fatal death but I haven’t seen it.

I don’t necessarily think there isn’t a writer capable out there of being the showrunner but they will put their own mark on the series which will inevitably divide the fans into likers or not. It depends: how mainsteam is Doctor Who is going to be ?

Mainstream choices would be Chibnall and Cross.

I actually liked the episodes Chibnall did for Torchwood Season 2. Fragments is one of my favourite episodes. He does seem to be able to write a good backstory for characters and get to the emotional heart of them . The Silurian story was quite enjoyable for me too with the characterisation for the mum, dad and the boy.The scientists were a bit cliché but He isn’t a bad writer at all if you look at Broadchurch and could bring a new demographic of fans with him.

Neil Cross- Personally he’s my top choice as he writes drama really well. I loved Luther and The Fixer. "The Rings of Akhaten" and "Hide” were great stories in different ways . I loved the experimental nature of ‘Rings’ and 'Hide' had some quite layered emotions within it

If Doctor Who is going to go down the cult route than Gatiss and Whithouse are good choices I think.


Gatiss is a lover of literature, mainly gothic which could bring a darker edge to the series. I’ve really liked the Unquiet Dead, Cold War and Crimson which play to his strengths but can he bring a whole series together? I think knows the modern audience but is also a huge fan. I think he could really appeal to a mainstream audience and he has co-written the witty Sherlock so why not.

Toby Whithouse is an interesting writer. I liked School Reunion and the God Complex . He has obviously had cult success with Being Human and can write an interesting arc but would that appeal to the main stream audience which is what Doctor Who is aimed at. I like him a lot but is he a natural successor to Moffat ? Very Possibly.



I don’t know his work at all but he seems ‘very sci’ with The Doctor’s Wife and Nightmare in silver. His characters seem very quirky and are a bit gruesome in a fantasy kind of way. I agree keep writing for it but he's too 'niche' for a Saturday night.

A good writer doesn't necessarily make a good showrunner and mediocre writer doesn't necessarily make a bad showrunner. I think Moffat is better off as a writer- great imagination but quite poor organisational skills, which often comes across in his episodes. Great ideas, but messily executed.

Not exactly answering the op but i didn't want to start a new thread :

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/5-whoni...-era-57638.htm

Me! I'll do it!

Here's the pitch for my series arc: what if the Doctor set up a dry-cleaning business?

I think that the likly option is Mark Gatiss as he co-tuns the BBC's other biggest drama, however I would like to see the voice of the Daleks 'Nicholas Briggs' be given the chance. He has done some fantastic work on Big Finish to the point that the new Who team have obviously borrowed for the series since its return.

Mark Gatiss. Yes, some of his episodes have been poor, but he is SUCH a huge fan, and a very credible writer and producer. I also think that he'd be better for the casual viewers than Moffat.

As his name has been mentioned as writing for series 8...how about Phil Ford? Seemed to make a good head writer on series 2 of SJA and has a broad TV background.