I thought it was quite funny.

(But I do use it quite often myself).

Oh come on. It's friggin' hilarious!

It's a joke about the comedy show WC1 in that you probably had a bunch of BBC producers in panic mode.

Tbf most of the rumours do say that the BBC is concerned about DW's ratings but that's a good thing - they're not being complacent and are seeing what can be done to improve things. Undoubtedly some sort of shake up is on the cards whether that involves changes in front of and behind the camera who knows?

It's only funny if you share the poster's opinion on current Doctor Who in general and the viewing figures specifically.

They should've got rid of St Steven 'can't write for toffee crappy butler weed' Moffat ages ago, like many of us wanted.

or not....Moffat in for series 10(6 eps and xmas special)..as is PC..only thing changing is companion.

Well, the first time it was rather funny, the third time a bit laboured! I don't take these things too seriously, but get your point. Don't think Mr Brunel is a big fan of the current era....or is that being unfair, IB?

But the excellent comedy show about the BBC is called W1A...

No doubt a concern they have about a lot of shows. Numbers are down across the board due to the changing viewing habits of the audience. The days of linear broadcast TV in general are numbered (though I believe it still has many years to go yet).

It doesn't mean that there's enough concern directed towards DW specifically to provoke the sort of change you wish for.

Whats a crappy butler weed, butt? I ask only for information!

thing that troubles me.
PC comes across as a very nice guy and clearly a fan of the show before he got the main gig. I hope he wont feel its all his fault because its clear from the last series Moffat and the others got so much wrong.

The Ratings for yesterdays repeat were bloody awful there's no point trying to blame a rugby match that only scored just over 2 million itself but if someone at the BBC tries to link this with PC = not a popular doctor that will be huge mistake
Last edited by oathy : 28-09-2015 at 16:11

what did they get wrong? 8 was a critical sucess, it got record ratings for BBC America and The UK ratings were great

it only went "wrong" if you dont like Moffat! lol

I don't know about switching off from Doctor Who, but this thread and indeed the wider forum is a huge turn-off at the moment.

Frightening isn't it....?

Im outta here too,

But do we actually know this for certain yet. Someone who works at the BBC said (admitting it was still rumour) that the latest talk is it will be moved to Q1 from 2017. Whether Moffat will still be in charge is up to discussion still. Tbh it really does seem like they've decided very little about next year and that will be in flux depending upon how well the show is doing.


Numbers are showing signs of dropping. The BBC is smart enough not to let one of its most important shows flag. It's not that overnights are down it's whether people then bother to catch up. The signs so far show that they didn't which isn't good for the show's momentum.


PC is a lovely man and I hope he doesn't end up being blamed for or a victim in all this.

agree totally Claire.
I still wonder if the big mistake in all this autumn being pretty crammed for both ITV and BBC if they messed up not moving it back to the spring. when really only BGT would be the only major show airing and the voice on BBC.

I player numbers will be fascinating and might answer a lot of questions depending on the numbers

I rather suspect that he will be though. In particular if it's the casual viewers that the show wants to win back then they will have little knowledge of and care little about who writes and produces the show. It will be Peter Capaldi who will be associated with any perceived problems in much the same way that Colin Baker was associated with many behind the scenes problems of his era.

Cobbled together hours before transmission, with tabloid quotes lobbed in later. Replacing a much healthier and successful repeat. And still got a fraction of the audience.

Who thought it up, Nicola Murray at DoSAC?


Mixed. I thought these first two episodes were a big improvement, but the series has been lacking since series 6, tedious with slow story arcs and loose threads, and is all over the place in many ways. One minute it's trying too hard to be clever and arty with the juxtaposition of Rory the nurse becoming a soldier whilst Strax the soldier becomes a nurse, but then violently veers back into children's television territory with notions such as the trees saving the world from a solar flair or Robin Hood shooting down an interstellar craft with a bow and arrow. For me, it doesn't know whether it's emotional or intellectual, and fails trying to be all things to all people.

Which is why it's lost its cultural relevance. Anyone who thinks it's currently a "cultural phenomenon" and that everyone's still going to work on Monday and talking about like people did 10 years ago is deluded.

I like the show but, I'm a fan. I can see why the wider audience no longer talk about it, buy the magazines or justify ANY spin-off shows. Even the number of repeats on BBC3 has been completely slashed to just one Friday night repeat with much lower ratings and a rare repeat of the last series if you're lucky. No Tennant or Smith repeats for years whilst old Top Gears with Clarkson are still merrily going out, and that was axed in an embarrassing scandal!


As I already said, we don't know how many of them were repeat viewers from the night before and how many of them were watching the rugby the night before instead.

Of course he'll remain in charge for as long as he wants to. Nobody else at the BBC has the experience or the connections that Moffat has. Mark Gatiss is the next best qualified but his own episodes haven't exactly set the ratings alight.

PC is living his dream, Thats the most imortant thing to him...and hes grateful for it,


Consolidateds include iplayer through tv but not online - 6.54m is not the finish - more to come. LOL

Toby Whithouse does. He's been a DW writer for a number of years and has experience creating and running his own successful and acclaimed genre show. Of course whether he WANTS the job is a different matter.

I fear Capaldi will be smeared with the taint of Moffat.

I noticed that the Digital Spy article came up with a figure of 7.33m when it included repeat broadcasts.

Now that is spin. I don't care though. I'll take any viewers where I can get them, even if I have to count the same people multiple times. I'm not proud

the flipside
Moffat being showrunner why did he allow Danny pink to be so badly written/acted and one dimensional. Tom and Martha had more chemistry in one episode the romance between him and Clara just wasn't there.

Also Having PC doctor cold and aloof is one thing, he forgot to add Charisma you had this new doctor taking over from a very young actor who came across like Grampa Simpson most of the time Angry at everyone and everything.

Why does he think its a good idea that Clara now appears to know more than the doctor on a whole host of issues? so much so she's now with UNIT and still being a teacher.....

Missy is amazing character she's actually more powerful than the doctor in term of screen presence again coming back to the writing.

Being such a unique show and the BBC Ratings shouldn't matter at all. But we all know with the current Government laying the law down and the BBC talking about tough difficult choices. It wont be cutting down the episodes of EastEnders its going to be shows like DW and finding a replacement for Merlin will take the hammering.