The lowest ever viewing figures, an identity crisis for the show and a confusing Billie Piper-based cliffhanger – whoever takes on the BBC fantasy drama has quite the job on their hands …
There are two important points in this article, which I feel often get overlooked in the rush of fan theorising and hot takes:
Gatwa’s run as the Time Lord, though, has seen viewing figures dip to the lowest in the show’s history – although the current streaming landscape makes it difficult to make like-for-like comparisons with previous eras. The highest figures ever obtained by Doctor Who, after all, were in the 1970s, when there were only three channels in the UK and when ITV was on strike.
and
Part of the problem remains that the BBC is unclear as to what it wants the show to be. It is a valuable franchise and a British cultural touchstone, but it lacks the global reach of Star Wars or Marvel, despite having to compete against them for attention. At the same time, the BBC still thinks it can use it on Saturday linear TV to unite a family audience that probably no longer exists. Putting the show out to tender suggests they are looking for somebody else to square those circles.
From an armchair analyst’s point of view, you just can’t make 1:1 comparisons between traditional, “appointment TV” broadcast viewing stats and on-demand, “long tail” streaming audiences. They’re not even apples and oranges.
But of course, that’s what doomers tend to pull out of their bag: “Look how poorly new episodes have done on date of broadcast in 2026, compared to that time there literally was nothing else on, and you didn’t know when you could watch it again”. Fortunately, you can just tune out those people.
It’s more worrying that the BBC still, 20+ years into the streaming era, don’t seem to have understood that “linear TV”, as well as the ritual of communal watching, are pretty much in the past. And they appear to decide the future of shows like Doctor Who on that outdated basis.
Yup. The tv landscape has changed in ways that no one can really understand.
I say it a lot, but from my perspective, RTD came back and made pretty much the same show he did the first time around, and got a vastly different outcome.
It’s more worrying that the BBC still, 20+ years into the streaming era, don’t seem to have understood that “linear TV”, as well as the ritual of communal watching, are pretty much in the past.
I wonder how much of that is wishful thinking on their part, and how much of it is structural, leaving them no choice. Any time I see a story about the state of the Beeb, it sounds pretty dire.
And even more, the TV landscape is still changing. Streaming is not a Klondike for companies or viewers anymore. I have no idea what’s going to materialise further down the road, but the stage is definitely being set for a change. That’s why it’s so bad for BBC shows like Who that the broadcaster is stuck in a '90s understanding of viewerships.
As for RTD… I’m sure he was hired to work the same magic as he did in 2005, and I think he tried. But he’s twenty years older now, and at a completely different place in his life and career. It was almost inevitable that this return would have a “How are you doing, fellow kids” feeling both on screen and in his press/social updates. And AFAICT his understanding of modern viewing habits is as poor as the BBC leadership’s.
I would have much preferred if he’d stuck to the 60th anniversary specials and then taken a step back to coach his replacement from an executive or advisory position. But that’s just wistful thinking, and rear view mirror rationalisation.
And AFAICT his understanding of modern viewing habits is as poor as the BBC leadership’s.
Honestly, I don’t think he cares much. And to the extent that he does care, I think it’s pretty solidly on the side of “Doctor Who is for kids,” and so he’s unafraid to get very silly with it.
I would have much preferred if he’d stuck to the 60th anniversary specials and then taken a step back to coach his replacement from an executive or advisory position.
Yeah…I had extremely mixed feelings about him coming back, and the outcome was really worse than I imagined. But he still managed to produce a few top-tier episodes in all that mess.
Yep. The show is a bloody mess right now, but my hope is somebody will turn out a fresh take within the next couple of years. There has to be somebody who can build from here and focus on making fun/scary/weird time travel stories without being bogged down by the history of it all.
It’s more worrying that the BBC still, 20+ years into the streaming era, don’t seem to have understood that “linear TV”, as well as the ritual of communal watching, are pretty much in the past.
They possibly understand the landscape better than you think. BBC Three, Auntie’s channel targeted at 16-34s, closed its linear channel in 2016 as conventional wisdom was that youth audiences were shifting online-only. BBC Three became an exclusive commissioning strand on iPlayer.
Viewership however plummeted, and showcase linear broadcasts appeared late-night on BBC One from 2019, which increased viewership. In 2022 BBC Three returned as a linear channel.
Well, if you’re buying your DVDs new, the BBC home media branch surely appreciate your patronage. Part of that money will probably find its way back to the broadcasting and production companies?
But of course, DVDs don’t count toward those vaunted viewer ratings, and that’s another thing that skews those numbers.
There are two important points in this article, which I feel often get overlooked in the rush of fan theorising and hot takes:
and
From an armchair analyst’s point of view, you just can’t make 1:1 comparisons between traditional, “appointment TV” broadcast viewing stats and on-demand, “long tail” streaming audiences. They’re not even apples and oranges.
But of course, that’s what doomers tend to pull out of their bag: “Look how poorly new episodes have done on date of broadcast in 2026, compared to that time there literally was nothing else on, and you didn’t know when you could watch it again”. Fortunately, you can just tune out those people.
It’s more worrying that the BBC still, 20+ years into the streaming era, don’t seem to have understood that “linear TV”, as well as the ritual of communal watching, are pretty much in the past. And they appear to decide the future of shows like Doctor Who on that outdated basis.
Yup. The tv landscape has changed in ways that no one can really understand.
I say it a lot, but from my perspective, RTD came back and made pretty much the same show he did the first time around, and got a vastly different outcome.
I wonder how much of that is wishful thinking on their part, and how much of it is structural, leaving them no choice. Any time I see a story about the state of the Beeb, it sounds pretty dire.
And even more, the TV landscape is still changing. Streaming is not a Klondike for companies or viewers anymore. I have no idea what’s going to materialise further down the road, but the stage is definitely being set for a change. That’s why it’s so bad for BBC shows like Who that the broadcaster is stuck in a '90s understanding of viewerships.
As for RTD… I’m sure he was hired to work the same magic as he did in 2005, and I think he tried. But he’s twenty years older now, and at a completely different place in his life and career. It was almost inevitable that this return would have a “How are you doing, fellow kids” feeling both on screen and in his press/social updates. And AFAICT his understanding of modern viewing habits is as poor as the BBC leadership’s.
I would have much preferred if he’d stuck to the 60th anniversary specials and then taken a step back to coach his replacement from an executive or advisory position. But that’s just wistful thinking, and rear view mirror rationalisation.
Honestly, I don’t think he cares much. And to the extent that he does care, I think it’s pretty solidly on the side of “Doctor Who is for kids,” and so he’s unafraid to get very silly with it.
Yeah…I had extremely mixed feelings about him coming back, and the outcome was really worse than I imagined. But he still managed to produce a few top-tier episodes in all that mess.
Onward and upward. I hope.
Yep. The show is a bloody mess right now, but my hope is somebody will turn out a fresh take within the next couple of years. There has to be somebody who can build from here and focus on making fun/scary/weird time travel stories without being bogged down by the history of it all.
They possibly understand the landscape better than you think. BBC Three, Auntie’s channel targeted at 16-34s, closed its linear channel in 2016 as conventional wisdom was that youth audiences were shifting online-only. BBC Three became an exclusive commissioning strand on iPlayer.
Viewership however plummeted, and showcase linear broadcasts appeared late-night on BBC One from 2019, which increased viewership. In 2022 BBC Three returned as a linear channel.
Very interesting, and I’m happy to be corrected. I’m wondering what other factors there could be to that segment opting out of an iPlayer offering?
Why vinyl? Part of it is technological contrarianism, part of it is the convenience of sticking a channel on and not having to decide what to watch.
Fair. I can definitely sympathise with the vinyl comparison.
Great points.
My family watches as a group all the time, and Doctor Who features prominently.
But my DVD purchases probably aren’t being accounted for in their stats.
Also, Disney almost certainly lied to the BBC about streaming popularity, to save on license fees or something.
Well, if you’re buying your DVDs new, the BBC home media branch surely appreciate your patronage. Part of that money will probably find its way back to the broadcasting and production companies?
But of course, DVDs don’t count toward those vaunted viewer ratings, and that’s another thing that skews those numbers.