Became a fan in 1982 so was quite used to Who being on various days although obviously as a young kid it was a Saturday tea time fixture. As long as it's doing the business, can't see it moving. I wouldn't be that bothered really, except I think it would have a lot of fandom going into full on Private Fraser mode as it would be seen as the BBC losing faith in the show. And thinking about it, that would not be an unfair response.

So...that's a no then!

Not putting our show against The X Factor would be a good start.

AI score of 85.

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Considering how hugely popular the show is currently, a big change in show-running team is much more likely to cause a disaster, as you put it, than a revival. It's a gamble I see no need for them to make at this point.

I don't see that it makes much difference what show it's against as that only affects the Live ratings. These days most people can watch both before the week is out if they want to (I always manage). It shouldn't have that much of an affect on the final figures.

Not surprised... A good old fashioned no nonsense story, you can't go wrong with them.

That particular poster has been repeating the same mantra about Twelve since episode one. Despite the widespread acclaim for Twelve and Capaldi almost across the board they are convinced that because they are in the minority and just don't like this Doctor as much as others this equals 'poor characterisation'. They won't however expand on what this means beyond the fact they don't like a darker and more grouchy Doctor because 'it doesn't make sense'. One can only assume they've never watched an episode of Doctor Who pre 2005.

I agree with you to a certain extent. I also think the show feels a little less fresh and more tired than it did and there will come a point when that gamble needs to be taken rather than just letting it tread water.

As for that AI - good! Perhaps those in charge will finally understand the audience enjoy proper characterisation and it makes the show much more enjoyable when they don't continually brush past this depth as though it's uninteresting. People care about CHARACTERS not plots so it was about time they actually gave 12 a character we could like.

I think it's no coincidence that the episode 12 was most engaging and likeable and showed the most heart is the one people liked best.

I like 12. I am fascinated by his character. Unfortunately I'm not on the panel.

Exactly...

If it moves to Sunday it might end up being again the X Factor results programme

I think the whole season has concentrated a lot more on characterization, to be honest, but I think the BIB is the telling part. They are deliberately making him unlikeable and, presumably, moving him towards redemption as part of the arc. This is all very well but I don't enjoy him being unlikeable. This, I think, is the massive risk they're taking this season and may well be the reason for the (relatively) low AI in previous episodes. I certainly wouldn't characterize the approach as "treading water", it is a huge difference to previous seasons.

This episode was one of the first when the Doctor seemed to be a bit more like his old, caring, self (although 'seemed' is the operative word given his later conversation with Clara!).

Anyway, I am hopeful that, as the arc resolves, he will lose some of his hardness - just as the sixth Doctor did - and I can be fully behind him again. I still enjoy the episodes either way, but it does have a tendency to take the edge off my enjoyment.

Time will tell...

Once again, you're projecting your opinions onto the numbers. You're talking for the audience. It's not "we" anything.


Really? The one where he was most likeable? When he told Clara to lie to Maisie about saying he could save her, even if he was tricking Gus? Quell? Moorhouse?

Not the one, say, where he cried over a dinosaurs's death or talked about humanity was never small, or where he comforted a child and we saw him, too, as a child?

Into the Dalek, the episode where he is arguably the cruelest, has the second highest AI this series tied with Time Heist. Whether you like Twelve or think his characterization is irrelevant, because there is very clearly something else going on with how the audience percieves the show. It's not just "The audience, like me, hates the Doctor when he's like this! Look!" because the numbers say otherwise. If that were true, the aforementioned ItD wouldn't have had a higher AI, and Mummy wouldn't have had a higher overnight from KtM, where he was also arguably at his second most cruel.

Actually, I think you'll find that the episode in which 12 was most engaging and likeable and showed the most heart only got an AI of 83.

Personally I haven't given one iota of care about him at all until this ep. Perhaps likeable is the wrong word but he had more flesh to him. More character, more reasons, more shades of there is something good in there rather than being a constant arse. It's great to see the episode where he's finally given some hint of depth get the highest AI - it felt like a much more rounded episode overall.


I agree with this on the whole but I do think the characterisation of 12 has been very weak. Mostly because he's an idea ('wouldn't a rude, snarky, mean Doctor be cool?!') rather than a real character. He hasn't really been given any depth at all and combine that with his lack of care and I find it incredibly difficult to care about him. He's just the plot device taking them from A to B rather than someone you want to know. I do think character is one of Moffat's biggest weaknesses (he often brushes past important character stuff for the sake of shiny plot) and it's nice to see a writer on the show who is actually showing signs of being good at that.

I think the show is very samey in that it's the same old writing issues with a different grumpy face on top. 12s unlikeable nature is definitely a bit of a problem for some and I think is putting off a chunk of the audience. Unlike some others I definitely think he needs to be redeemed and made a better man. He's a bit lacking right now.

Its like I'm watching a different show to some people. I see a brilliantly complex multi layered and engaging performance that is a mile away from the pathetic clowning that they ended up forcing Eleven to engage in.

Maybe some people just prefer obvious and simplistic. Theyre already well catered for in most other TV shows. Thank god for Capaldi I say.

And yes. Some people need to stop speaking on behalf of 'the audience'.

I am finding Capaldi fascinating, and think Murder...was his best performance to date (We know the Jelly Babies were his idea; T Baker voice? Oh, I would've thought so...) but as a big fan of Matt Smith's Doctor, I don't really recognise "pathetic clowning" personally. Right up until the end of TTOTD I thought Eleven was so much more than that.

Andy Parish and his lovely lists


Why did Rise of the Cybermen get such a high figure, only to lose almost 2m halfway through the story?

ETA: Oh, the FA Cup Final. Ah, inflation.

There we go. The bottom 5 are personal favourites. Am SO not in touch.

Quality, not quantity.

*shoves X Factor under the rug*

Funny how an average ratings dip over 9 years is an extremely predictable circumstance - but of course we all want Who to be an exception. We'll have to settle for the smallest dip.

*shakes fist*

Doctor Who has always been vulnerable to factors outside of its control.

6.47m - The Crimson Horror - temporary outbreak of summer
6.44m - The Lodger - hot spell
6.32m - The Impossible Planet - heatwave
6.27m - Silence in the Library - opposite Britain's Got Talent (which rated 13.8m)
6.08m - The Satan Pit - heatwave and school holiday

LIVE + VOSDAL: 5.082m
+ Day 1: 6.217m
+ Day 2: 6.509m

Had a look at the timeadjustment for this ep, but it looks like it'll be very minimal change of around -5k.

28 Day consolidation:
Deep Breath: 9.529m (7 day consolidated: 9.169m)
Into the Dalek: 7.672m (7 day consolidated: 7.286m)
Robot of Sherwood: 7.707 (7 Day consolidated: 7.277m)
Listen: 7.426m (7 Day consolidated: 7.011m)

I'm not sure that the ratings for a programme would relate to how good it was. After all, most people would have to make the decision not to watch it before they know what it will be like!

If anything, it would be the quality of the preceding episode that would most influence the decision to watch the next one!

Have a look at this.

BARB data for 'live' audience figures and total timeshifts for the first six episodes of this series of Doctor Who

DEEP BREATH
Live: 5.151m
Total timeshift: 4.018m
Consolidated: 9.169m

INTO THE DALEK
Live: 3.762m
Total timeshift: 3.523m
Consolidated: 7.286m

ROBOT OF SHERWOOD
Live: 3.645m
Total timeshift: 3.632m
Consolidated: 7.277m

LISTEN
Live: 3.669m
Total timeshift: 3.342m
Consolidated: 7.011m

TIME HEIST
Live: 3.583m
Total timeshift: 3.409m
Consolidated: 6.993m

THE CARETAKER
Live: 3.801m
Total timeshift: 3.019m
Consolidated: 6.820m

Agree with that with one caveat - ratings do take account of the number of people watching at the start and end of a show - presuming that some people will switch off or change channels part way through (not only cos they dislike the show)

Oh yeah, very true. I was only kidding. Good example of that which springs to mind is Earthshock. Think I'm right in saying that after the, um, shocking last episode, the ratings for Time-Flight episode 1 were huge. For some inexplicable reason they dropped by episode 4 by a couple of million.

Doesn't 7.4 look so much better than 7. Pesky numbers.

All's well in Doctor Who land. As we would expect.