BBC celebrate Doctor Who ratings success

BARB have totted up, calculated and compiled the data for the new era of Doctor Who, and its good news for Aunty Beeb.

Doctor Who returned earlier this month, with a ratings cosmic boom.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see the audience responding to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor in such huge numbers. The brilliant Chris Chibnall’s new series is an epic adventure on every level, full of so much wit but a scary, edge of your seat adrenaline rush too. ” – Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content

With Barb’s new 4-screen measurements, which includes viewing through a TV screen as well as non-TV online devices, episode one of BBC One’s Doctor Who received a 4-screen consolidated figure of 10.9 million viewers. This makes it the highest ever series launch episode for the drama since the show returned in 2005. The return of the series, which originally ran from 1963 to 1989, and had a TV movie special in 1996, came back to BBC One with 10.8m viewers 12 years ago when Christopher Eccleston took on the role of The Doctor.

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Christopher Eccleston brought The Doctor back to television screens in 2005.

The consolidated volume, for the first episode of series eleven, also makes Doctor Who the number one drama launch of the year so far. The series opener has also proved a big hit with 16-34 year –lds, with 1.8million watching the first episode.

The episode, with Jodie Whittaker now in place as the space and time travelling timelord, received 2.0m requests through BBC iPlayer in the seven days following broadcast.

“On behalf of the entire Doctor Who team, a huge thank you to viewers for taking Jodie’s Doctor and her new friends into their hearts, in such huge numbers. It’s a thrill being deluged with pictures of families snuggled up together, kids (and adults) hiding behind sofas (they actually do that!), and seeing all the extraordinary creative artwork inspired by the show. The journey of the Thirteenth Doctor is only just beginning.” – Chris Chibnall, Showrunner

Doctor Who continues on BBC One this Sunday at 6.55pm. The first two episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.