DS Forums

 
 

Dr Who Ratings Thread (Merged)


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old Yesterday, 15:40
Mulett
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Essex
Posts: 8,404
Looking at this bar chart, it appears Christmas specials have been in decline since Moffat took over, with a spike to see Capaldi's arrival, the return of Gallifrey (off the back of End of Time) and possibly curiosity over the regeneration limit. And the general hype surrounding the 50th anniversary episode.

Then people got to see Capaldi in action in series 8 and...

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2017/01...-official.html
Its worth mentioning that the viewing figures for Matt Smith's finale (Christmas Day 2013) might be slightly distorted, as an additional 2m viewers tuned in only for the final five minutes, to see the regeneration - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25518352
Mulett is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old Yesterday, 15:51
GDK
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Wigan
Posts: 4,877
None of which is relevant to my first paragraph. Doctor Who used to have a higher audience share and was top of the iPlayer for the months it was on air.
True enough. I do not pretend that Doctor Who is as popular now as it once was. I was setting that decline in context for a more complete understanding (not cherry picking). It's a combination of the two. Less TV is watched in general now than in 2005 and Doctor Who is also less popular than it was at its height.

It's still ranks highly, though not as high as it was, and still commands large audiences, relative to other popular programmes.

What is taken from the figures depends on who is doing the taking. The figures are not in dispute. Interpretations are.
GDK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 15:51
Isambard Brunel
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,087
It was only after looking at that bar graph it occurred to me that the last three Christmas specials have been about Santa, Buzz Lightyear and Superman.

I think the show needs to move away from such regular childish themes and bring back good old fashioned bad alien invasions repelled by the Doctor (and not Clara) with a healthy spoon of "soap opera" to help make the supporting characters more endearing.

And inbetween those Christmas specials we have to endure sword fights with spoons, moon eggs and fire-retardant magic forests, etc.

Apropos nothing at all, is Nardole going to turn out to be River in 'disguise'? And did they end Class with the villains they did so that they could axe it and then resolve loose threads within episode(s) of the main show itself?
Isambard Brunel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 15:59
GDK
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Wigan
Posts: 4,877
Magic trees and moon eggs notwithstanding, the typical Christmas special is usually sillier than the typical regular episode.

I just hope the next series will be more fun than series 9 was.
GDK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 16:05
Isambard Brunel
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,087
the typical Christmas special is usually sillier than the typical regular episode.
Yes but three Christmas specials in a row about child toy characters is the same-old-same-old. We need another Christmas Invasion or Christmas Carol. As well as a new executive producer and cast.
Isambard Brunel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 16:19
GDK
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Wigan
Posts: 4,877
Yes but three Christmas specials in a row about child toy characters is the same-old-same-old. We need another Christmas Invasion or Christmas Carol. As well as a new executive producer and cast.
You'll get your wish soon enough. I just hope the next series, SM's last of course, will build up to something bold and dramatic as his (and probably PC's too) finale and swansong. But yet still be less gloomy than series 9.
GDK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 16:49
Isambard Brunel
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,087
You'll get your wish soon enough. I just hope the next series, SM's last of course, will build up to something bold and dramatic as his (and probably PC's too) finale and swansong. But yet still be less gloomy than series 9.
2018 really isn't soon enough, especially after an opportune hiatus, perfect for leading into Chibnall's clean slate. I understand your sentiment, but I sincerely don't expect series 10 to be any departure from the last two. Capaldi's Doctor is well established now and I can't see Moffat changing his ways at this late stage. In fact, I expect the series to be full of snide put-downs of fandom and in-jokes, sticking two fingers up to all those reviews and Internet opinions he frequently tells us he completely ignores and never looks at or knows about (he stills feigns ignorance, referring to "Gallifrey Base"), etc...

That said, I'm still not sure about Chibnall. Like Moffat (about whom I also had reservations), I shall wait and see what he delivers, and not just in his first series.
Isambard Brunel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Yesterday, 19:56
davrosdodebird
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: The Whoonie Inn
Posts: 7,601
It was only after looking at that bar graph it occurred to me that the last three Christmas specials have been about Santa, Buzz Lightyear and Superman.
I'm sorry, but since when was an autonomous headless megalomaniacal robot "Buzz Lightyear? The episode was about River, her relationship and love for the Doctor as she saw it, an insight into how she copes with her life meeting a time traveller out of order and how that affects her, with a good dose of mad robot fun thrown in.

I think the show needs to move away from such regular childish themes and bring back good old fashioned bad alien invasions repelled by the Doctor (and not Clara) with a healthy spoon of "soap opera" to help make the supporting characters more endearing.

And inbetween those Christmas specials we have to endure sword fights with spoons, moon eggs and fire-retardant magic forests, etc.
In series 9 we got a good dose of the Doctor repelling invasions, and unless it had escaped your notice, the silliness you describe is confined solely to series 8. And a good dose of soap opera was in series 8 too, but people complained it was all "Clara Who" and that they hated Danny pink
Make up your minds!
davrosdodebird is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 06:01.