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November 17th, 2014 34 comments

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Peter Capaldi’s Debut Triumphs Across the World

Peter Capaldi’s debut series of Doctor Who triumphs in UK and across the world

Series 8 saw Peter Capaldi take up the iconic role of The Doctor, with an average consolidated audience of 7.4m viewers every week in the UK.

This an increase of 39% on the overnight figures reported the day after broadcast. This includes the 9.2m average audience that watched Deep Breath, Peter Capaldi’s debut episode, which is the highest figure for a non-special episode (Christmas/50th anniversary) since the opening episode of series 5 (Matt Smith’s debut) in 2010. These figures show how Doctor Who has consistently achieved big audiences across the last three series – series 7a/7b combined had an average consolidated audience of 7.4m, series 6a/6b attracted 7.5m and series 5 was viewed by 7.3m.

There has been over 18.9m requests to watch Doctor Who series 8 on BBC iPlayer – an average of 1.6m requests for each of the 12 episodes.

In the US, consolidated figures for the first 10 episodes have seen Series 8 experience a 23% uplift in total audience in Live+7 on Series 7. The series 8 premiere was the show’s highest-rated series premiere ever on BBC America, and is the first BBC Worldwide series ever to simultaneously hold the #1 slot in the Main TV Season Charts across all major Electronic Sell-through platforms in the US within 48 hours of episode 1’s release on August 24th 2014. In Canada, on the Space channel, the first 10 episodes of Series 8 have seen a 22% uplift in consolidated audience size on Series 7.

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer said: “We never take it for granted, but the miracle has happened again – the nation has taken a brand new Doctor to its heart.”

Danny Cohen, Director of BBC Television added: “It’s been an outstanding debut series for Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who and I’m very grateful to Peter, Steven Moffat and everyone involved.”

Doctor Who Extra, which offers viewers a behind the scenes look at making one of the nation’s best loved dramas has had 1.3m BBC iPlayer requests and reached 2.4m people on BBC Red Button to date.


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34 comments

  • Dr Hears a Who

    November 25th, 2014 - 12:28am

    The moment you realise the new Dr(Capaldi) met the old Dr(Tenant) back in Pompeii!!

    Reply
  • yognot

    November 21st, 2014 - 4:45pm

    Just a quick reminder to any of you who don’t know. At 5.15pm on Sunday, the 51st anniversary of Doctor Who begins. Happy 51st everyone!

    Reply
  • Dalekparadigm2

    November 18th, 2014 - 4:23pm

    Great series loved it! Capaldi’s my favorite ever!

    Reply
    • yognot

      November 18th, 2014 - 6:31pm

      I agree he’s one of the best and I hope he’ll return in a future episode after he’s regenerated into another body. Or two.

    • No. 1 Whovian

      November 19th, 2014 - 7:57pm

      No, I disagree he’s even worse than Colin Baker and Paul McGann.

    • yognot

      November 19th, 2014 - 9:10pm

      How so?

    • yognot

      November 19th, 2014 - 9:15pm

      I don’t want to start a war or anything or any hate comments, I just want to know why some people don’t like the new the Doctor

  • the astronaut of death

    November 18th, 2014 - 3:45pm

    well I thought it was a great series!

    Reply
    • yognot

      November 19th, 2014 - 9:12pm

      To quote Eccleston: “Fantastic!!!!!!!”

  • The Marb

    November 18th, 2014 - 1:52pm

    A mixed bag of a series. Loved Capaldi, admired the increased meat on bones for Claras character, Michelle Gomez was a million times better than John Simm, The Boneless and people under the blanket episodes were ace….BUT overall the standard has been a little patchy and performances have exceeded the writing and story lines.

    I am still excited for series 9 but hope they improve the overall quality a little.

    For me best series since revival was Series 5, Smiths first. Full of energy, great scripts, performances, not overloaded with companions, very very funny and one of the best finales. That is the benchmark they have to aim for IMO.

    Reply
    • When The Doctor Was Me

      November 18th, 2014 - 1:58pm

      Could not agree more! For me Series 5 is by far the most consistent, well bridged together series since the rivial!

    • Anonymous

      November 30th, 2014 - 8:00pm

      Not quite as keen as you on Capaldi, but in general I agree with The Marb. Particularly about series 5!!

  • When The Doctor Was Me

    November 17th, 2014 - 11:48pm

    Hate to be that person, but for me Series 8 has been the weakest series so far. Heres my overall thoughts!
    1. The Writing. Bar one maybe two episodes, i feel the writing has been weak and failed to capture a ‘Dark Tone’! Also out of 12 episodes 6 were robot themed! 3 of which were the opening 3 episodes (Deep Breath, Into The Dalek, Robot of Sherwood, The Caretaker, Dark Water,Death in Heaven) wheres the variety in villains gone! Give us new exciting alien races! Not just robots and cyborgs! One final note on the writing is i felt a lot of the episodes would have suited 11 more so, and were most likely planned for Matts Doctor.
    2. Clara. I loved her character but i feel that given this is Capaldi’s debut series he should have been the driving force! Not Clara and Danny!
    3. Less Fantasy and more Historic episodes. I feel that since Vincent and the Doctor there has not been an episode revolving around a historic character, yes we have Lets kill Hitler but that was more about River! I love those episodes and feel that this series has lacked in going back in time!
    4. A broken promise. Before the series started and Capaldi was first announced from the off we were promised a darker doctor. I feel that this has failed to be shown. Yes he had his moments! Its a shame because Capaldi is fantastic, but the stories have failed to show how good he can be! I was expecting him do act on things without caring the outcome! Or saying things he shouldn’t! And doing things that would make me question do i really know this man! None of none was conveyed on screen!
    Overall i was very underwhelmed! The facts don’t lie and the series has had a fantastic response! But i am one of the few to disagree. And as for this years X-Mas special! Don’t get me started!

    Reply
    • The Moffat Paradox

      November 18th, 2014 - 11:47am

      Exciting new aliens.What were the Boneless?Darker.What was Listen if wasn’t tapping into more deep seated psychological fears?We even got a better use of the Daleks.I did say overall and I thought there were 1 or 2 relative duds such as Robot Of Sherwood and In The Forest Of The Night as weIll.I consider series 8 to be a good starting point for series 9,10 and 11 to with Peter Capaldi to GET BETTER YET!The BBC could spend it’s whole drama budget on Doctor Who and within the constraints of what is financially,technically and creatively possible in the time available STILL not satisfy them.I would hate to be those persons.

    • When The Doctor Was Me

      November 18th, 2014 - 12:37pm

      Its all a matter of opinion! Im entitled to mine just as much a you are to yours! There is no wrong or right answer! Yes we had the Boneless, which is one of the two episodes i really enjoyed! And in all honesty i was never a fan of Listen. And that episode barely focused on a darker doctor, yes a darker theme, but not a darker doctor, or atleast not as i expected.
      As i said all a matter of opinion and unfortunately mine is not as positive as others, but all in all its Doctor Who, and it will always remain my main source of entertainment.

    • yognot

      November 18th, 2014 - 2:11pm

      I’m sorry to say this but….. Did you just call the Daleks and Cybermen ‘robots’? They are not robots they’re living things in cybernetic armor. Just want that to be known because it’s the most common misconception that the Daleks and Cybermen are robots. Which they aren’t. Though I do agree. I think there were too many robot centered episodes. However personally find this to be the best series so far and cannot wait for series 9.

    • When The Doctor Was Me

      November 18th, 2014 - 2:59pm

      Apologies my mistake! Wrong word to use! What i mean by it is this whole use of enemies that are mainly seen a ‘technology’ based!

    • yognot

      November 18th, 2014 - 6:27pm

      It’s okay I just hear it from people all the time and it infuriates me. Though I think one of the purposes of “Into the Dalek” was to emphasize that they actually have independent thought. And they’re organic… You know actually I think the Mark 3 travel machine is basically a car.

    • yognot

      November 18th, 2014 - 6:29pm

      Though I really liked the designs for the robot knights and especially the one for the Skovox Blitzer. In the trailer all you see is its head and I thought it was a small humanoid thing that would be in “Listen”.

    • The Moffat Paradox

      November 19th, 2014 - 1:47am

      Will qualify my original statement by about series 8 by adding that if we are talking about Dalek stories then besides Into The Dalek that I rated the ones from the Eccleston and Tennant eras were better IMHO than Smiths.Though I actually liked the Paradigm Daleks.

    • yognot

      November 19th, 2014 - 2:06pm

      Oh good I’m not the only one who likes their new designs. 😀

    • Lisa

      November 28th, 2014 - 1:20pm

      Thanks, totaly agree, I lost my interest in this series 8, not funny as before and the new doctor, seriously he is a good actor, but i don’t feel him as a doctor.

  • The Moffat Paradox

    November 17th, 2014 - 11:07pm

    Dosen’t altogether suprise me.As far as I am concerned Series 8 has been overall the BEST since the series revial yet,I have been tuning in with more of a sense of excitement again and Peter Capaldi,THE DOCTOR ,will just GET BETTER!!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      November 18th, 2014 - 12:05am

      Yep….the show goes from strength to strength.

  • Anonymous

    November 17th, 2014 - 9:36pm

    That should keep the Moffat bashers quiet…which will make a pleasant change.

    Reply
    • yognot

      November 18th, 2014 - 2:12pm

      That’s good because I can’t go anywhere on a Doctor Who website without hearing complaints about Moffat.

  • the doctor

    November 17th, 2014 - 6:31pm

    nice regen! 🙂

    Reply
  • The doctor

    November 17th, 2014 - 5:46pm

    You’ve redecorated! Dont like it.

    Reply
    • MrHaloWho

      November 17th, 2014 - 8:02pm

      Why not? I think it feels… cleaner.

    • T4RD1S

      November 17th, 2014 - 8:22pm

      I love it!

    • Anonymous

      November 17th, 2014 - 9:35pm

      I think that was a joke pulled from the show. ..

    • Anonymous

      November 17th, 2014 - 10:04pm

      He could’ve said:
      “You’ve redecorated. I like it” or something.

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      November 18th, 2014 - 9:49pm

      It will take a while to get used to.

  • DOCTOR WHO ONE

    November 17th, 2014 - 4:46pm

    Excellent news . . . . and also, I see this website is undergoing a regeneration.

    NICE 😀

    Reply

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