Doctor Who started at 7:30pm, correct? It finished at 8:15pm. The X Factor entered at 8:00pm. So basically, these ratings (to be) are equivocal. It's not much of a DW v XF is it?

But anyway, Doctor Who wins this surely.

I have everything crossed!

Of course it does - a plot-line of a time-travelling phone box and daleks is far more realistic than the deluded imaginings of most of the XF audtioners.

The target to beat in order to perform above Series 7 is 5.5 million... However if it does go below, then hopefully the good word of mouth should lead to an above average timeshift.

5.2 million - 24.7% share.

( X Factor - 9.3 million, 42.3% )

Ouch.

Here's part of the problem, it's lead in is failing it; Tumble: 2.74m (16.7%)

Ugh, the 15 minute clash damaged DW just like it did against BGT last year. Why the hell do the BBC keep insisting on that?!

EDIT: The Chase got 4.08 million against it so even that decent competition!

We'll need the breakdown to determine that. But X Factor is UP on the last few years.

5.2 million is okay. But it's undeniable now we haven't seen a new Doctor boost, it's just performing a bit below series 7a at this point.

5.19m?

Ugh! Why did they ever think starting it in August with a crap lead in was a good idea?

I did express some worry a few weeks ago when it was apparent that there would be a clash with XF. I thought then that the overnights would suffer, and suffer they have.

The BBC should not be sacrificing one of its main programmes in this way, even if the timeshifts will still be big.

Seems interest is going down this series with the new leading man.

It was still the most watched show on the channel - Doctor Who isn't in trouble before anybody claims it

Not sure I agree, the show has been pretty resilient with overlaps before, and i don't think figures have previously indicated damage done by the overlap. The broken down figures will tell us more though.

In context though, the ratings are actually only a couple of hundred thousand less than episode 2 of series 7a (dinosaurs on a spaceship.)

Before you state that with any certainty, please wait for the timeshift/iPlayer figures to come in.

they started series 7a at pretty much the same time (1st september). It's one week different.

and as for crap lead ins, again par for the course, who can forget don't scare the hare....

Deep Breath was the FOURTH most watched series opener at last count. Overnights are not the final figures The BBC have embraced timeshift. Why shouldn't we be able to watch TV when we want to in 2014?

Confirmed that Doctor Who was the most watched programme on the channel and the second most watched programme of the day - by 1 million viewers. Is this a bad thing? Nope - but I'm sure the Internet will spin it, so.

We're a sci-fi show with a strong global audience. We're some way off trouble.

Second most watched show of the day. Never expected it to beat x factor. Once timeshift and iplayer are taken into account I will say 7 million. No panic.

19:30 ….. 5.1 (25.9%) ….. 4.6 (23.4%) ….. 0.5 ( 2.8%) ….. 0.5 ( 2.5%) ….. 0.5 ( 2.5%)
19:45 ….. 5.2 (25.1%) ….. 5.3 (25.6%) ….. 1.0 ( 4.9%) ….. 0.6 ( 3.1%) ….. 0.5 ( 2.3%)
20:00 ….. 5.2 (23.3%) ….. 7.9 (35.0%) ….. 1.6 ( 6.9%) ….. 0.7 ( 3.0%) ….. 0.4 ( 1.6%)
20:15 ….. 2.8 (13.1%) ….. 9.3 (43.3%) ….. 1.0 ( 4.9%) ….. 0.6 ( 2.9%) ….. 0.5 ( 2.2%)

Looking at the breakdown, it was actually held down by The Chase, before buckling near the end of the episode. Interesting that the Final Chase segment of the Chase actually scored more than the episode!

I hope you didn't copy and paste that from another forum

It seems however that the clash didn't affect it at all. The viewing figures were steady throughout - 5.1-5.2m. No drop at all when X-Factor started.


I'm trying desperately hard to do so

The rating is 'meh' - it's not awful, it's not great. The share is a bit low though. DW normally gets 28-29%.

No. Course not. What do you take me for? *shifty eyes* It's the internet, nothing is safe. :P

The second highest rated programme on BBC One was Casualty with 3.9 million.

I agree, the share is a bit low, the chase benefited from leading in to the X factor. Like I said, it's an okay rating, but I would have been happier with around 5.5 million.

Next weeks ratings will be key, see if it stabilises around this point.