What can I say? This is Britain not America. Different tastes. Doctor Who wouldn't be the first show to be more popular abroad than in its home country. Happened with Neighbours and Baywatch

The Magician's Apprentice

Live: 3.326m
Live + VOSDAL: 4.645m
+ Day 1: 5.737m
+ Day 2: 6.028m
+ Day 3: 6.151m

Thank you again Yog101.

I think I am worryingly addicted to this thread

Thanks Yog.

6.6m might be touch and go.

Me too. It's a real nailbiter isn't it?

And another big thanks to Yog for the stats.

Yeah, it's ever so slightly down on the averages from last year. At this rate it might JUST creep past 6.6m for final.

Unless it gets a massive spike over the next 4 days it won't reach 7m.

Oh absolutely not. Something very odd would have to happen!

Of course we don't know how many people have migrated to i-player as their catch-up method of choice. It would be useful to know the year on year trend for iplayer views, I don't know if that information is available.

The BARB TV player report. Bookmark this page.

http://www.barb.co.uk/tv-player-report/centre?_s=4

I player numbers I think will be very surprising by early Sunday morning it was number 2.
a hell of a lot of people must have watched via the player to be that fast. Seeing as Fridays EE was top spot

Mmm, will be nice to have some numbers. Another half a million for GBBO on the current platforms.

Here's a thought. Timeshift will take a hit this week due to a big Coronation Street/Bake Off clash, so people will rush to catch up there.

Plus now a Sunday repeat has hurriedly been added from this weekend, that could hit timeshifting.

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/ds...itchs-familiar

I can't work out if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Any views?

Well it wasn't in the schedules when listings came out, now it is. I'll let others judge that but I have drawn my own conclusions.

Interesting... So maybe the BBC are thinking that there is going to be a problem with the live Rugby clashes and are hedging their bets. Maybe they're interested to see how well Doctor Who rates on a Sunday evening? as it was suggested as an idea back when Doctor Who first came back in 2005. Personally I wouldn't be opposed to a move to Sundays.

How do the repeat viewing figures get factored into things? Are they counted as part of the time shifting figures?

Doctor Who has always had a repeat showing during the week as I recall, either the following day, or later on in the week (Friday?) on BBC Three.

As there are many two-parters, it's also logical to air two together as a complete story.

Hmmm, but I also remember a time (here and elsewhere) where the 'americans' and 'fangirls' and 'NuWho' were almost swearwords.

And yet here we are, Series 9 out-doing Season 8, which was in itself the most viewed opener since 2005.

In America or Britain?

If they wanted to try Doctor Who on a Sunday evening chances are it would be there rather than early afternoon to test it. Also how do you publicise a last minute Sunday repeat? Locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Oddly enough, there doesn't appear to be a repeat scheduled for the following Sunday.

So either they have forgotten it, they are waiting for ep. 4 to air and will air a double the following week, or there is something else going on.

The reason for the repeat seems simple enough. Past series openers have been on days with little or no effective opposition, which allows for the attraction of healthy casual viewer numbers.

This year the launch has been opposite the rugby world cup and TXF, with part two against a major rugby match. Thus a loss of that added viewership. The unusual BBC One combined repeat is a sensible effort to undo some of that damage. It won't change the headline figures (as repeats are rated separately), but it will satisfy the BBC that they've maximised the viewership.

Wasn't The Waters of Mars on a Sunday evening?

This is all true but it is very last minute. They knew Doctor Who would face rugby so why have a repeat that wasn't in final schedules sent to listings magazines?

It was. Went out at 7pm to avoid The X Factor on both days and got over 9m.