I don't know if this will affect the ratings or not but one of the biggest torrent sites (Kickass) removed every recent episode a few days ago "by the request of copyright owner". I'm surprised it hasn't been reported by Torrentfreak or DS.

Dealing with UK viewing figures alone - the 'selfish parasites too stupid to realise they can use iPlayer' numbers aren't going to be that significant. I mean, come on, how utterly dumb does someone have to be to pirate something being given to them, in high quality, for free?

I actually had my figures slightly wrong for some reason. Last series' average time shift was 2.08m. This year's seems to be 1.92m so far (if something weird doesn't happen tomorrow with the shift for Before The Flood).

To be thorough, the average live figure has gone from 5.19m to 4.10m. The average final has dropped from 7.26m to 6.02m.

So it does look from this like the 'casual' viewer audience has taken the hit rather than this being down to viewer habit changes.

Again, it seems that the late broadcasts are definitely taking their toll. There was an immediate drop in viewer share as soon as the show began opting for post-8pm broadcasts, which began with The Caretaker. Since then the show has suffered a near permanent reduction in viewers, and by coincidence only three out of the last twelve episodes were broadcast before 8pm (Last Christmas, The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar). The Series 8 finale got a slight bump in viewers over those before it in the later slot, but that can somewhat be put down to the finale-status I expect.

Something is clearly going on with the Friday night repeats scrapped also.

Would the on the night ratings be improved if Doctor Who was 6:30-7:20?

It would just be a better suited slot overall - whether you're looking at the intended audience, the 'casual' audience or the competition.

I'm surprised that's not the order it's done in. A Strictly finish at 21:10 would be nae bother to most who watch it. It seems more of an approapriate slot for that sort of show anyway and with Doctor Who as the lead in it would work best for both. Not that SCD is in need of a ratings boost. Dancing, baking and other people watching TV- who would have ever dreamed these would be the cornerstones of a nations viewing habits in 2015?

It would certainly be so for those who are present in the studio audience, as they then have to stay for duration and collation of the voting, and the recording of the results programme (before exiting the studio, collecting their coats & phones, exiting the Elstree complex and making their way back to their cars or back home by public transport.

As has been pointed out many times, SCD can't finish later. They have to allow time for voting then filming the results show to ensure the audience get out on time - there's a curfew time they need to leave by due to local agreements. I believe it's around 10:30pm.

Merlin often used to go out at 20:20 ish especially in its last two series and that wasn't particularly dented (tbh it did better there than it used to in its earlier slot!)

I don't see why a 10:00-10:30 finish for a night out in London is particuarly late? The X Factor audience was often in the studio until after 10:00 back in the day wasn't it?

Ok so realistically the only option would be 6-7?

Logistics. Public transport considerations. Audience considerations. Local considerations.

Remember also that they allow 25 mins for the voting, then time to collate & verify votes etc, meaning that filming could not start until at least 9:45 once everyone is assembled & settled back down.

I blame the tube drivers. If they didn't keep striking then we could have 24 hour tubes by now, which would solve the public transport issue at least.

It might solve some of the public transport issues - there are probably other forms of public transport with separate issues.

The thing about Strictly is that a huge amount of it is padding. More or less the same show could be contained within a program 30 minutes shorter. But I doubt anything will change.

I love how people think others should accept drastic changes to their working schedules, conditions and pay without complaint or negotiation. Won't be long before we're all living in the Utopia of just doing what our Bullingdon Club upper class rulers impose, doffing our caps and thinking ourselves lucky.

Unless you were being flippant...in which case...

A huge amount? Hardly. Save for the horrendous comedy VT's (which always used to be solid training back in the early years anyway) and the now obligatory recaps, the show (and the audience) needs time to catch its breath, especially during the longer initial shows.

And as the couples get eliminated, so the show gets shorted (tonight's is 10 mins shorter than the last few weeks).

Anyway nearly 9 million seem to enjoy that show, padding or not. So who is anyone here to judge**?


** I watch, and enjoy DW, Strictly and Sherlock, so have no particular axe to grind.

Good for you. My wife and I both watch it, normally on delay, but seem to increasingly spend time forwarding through the padding.

IIRC Strictly is filmed at Elstree, not in London and part of the curfew is local agreement to avoid noise/disruption as people leave.

Strictly is bigger than Doctor Who on Saturday nights. That's Doctor Who's problem, Strictly takes priority in the Autumn.

Not a rating or anything, but #DoctorWho is still the fourth biggest trending thing in the UK right now, and actually hit the top two spots earlier in the night also. Not quite sure what's particularly fuelling this but it's the longest the show has been trending for nationwide since the 50th anniversary episode aired (that lasted into the following day, and was trending worldwide for much of 23/11/13). By comparison The Time of the Doctor was far lower down the trends, whilst Deep Breath and The Magician's Apprentice barely registered and weren't trending at all by midnight of their respective broadcasts.

The only other major successful trend the show has had in recent times is 'River Song' who has trended nationally twice this year - once when she was announced for a return, and at a random time earlier this year that wasn't reflected by any news.

Just bringing this up, as it's usually a sign of at least heightened mainstream interest (whether that is reflected in the overnights or the 7-day figures is yet to be seen). And long-running Twitter trends for television tends to be something that has gone down well enough for discussion. I suspect it's down to the draw from Maisie Williams - as great as I think she is in both Thrones and Who, I still don't get the mad fascination with her mind you Oddly enough the Odin-in-the-sky thing seems to be very popular too...with many likening it to either Monty Python or the Teletubbies sun

It may be that viewers have declined for many different reasons that cant be statistically quantified, but only considered cumulatively.
Viewers for Sherlock remain high,but its a show that remains high quality because spaced out,giving those who create it time to develop and recharge batteries. Dr Who hardly has time these days to develop its creativity.I think it would benefit from a year off to refresh itself. This series has become stale and derivative,depending on safe storylines and falling back onto Matt Smyth persona.Its a pity. it needs a break.

Or, like Sherlock, DW is produced every couple of years or so (in other words, the annual 12 +1 episode grindstone is broken). Although that in itself created problems in acquiring and retaining the stars' time between other projects

I agree that it would benefit from breaking the habit because Id rather have quality Who than grindstone Who