UK ratings for all episodes of Series 14 of Doctor Who are now available and, whilst they are by no means a disaster, they don’t represent an unqualified success.
Let’s start with the figures for each episode:
- Space Babies: 2.60m (overnight); 3.71m (+7 (TV Only); 4.01m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- The Devil’s Chord: 2.40m (overnight); 3.67m (+7 (TV Only); 3.91m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- Boom: 2.04m (overnight); 3.38m (+7 (TV Only); 3.58m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- 73 Yards: 2.62m (overnight); 3.77m (+7 (TV Only); 4.06m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- Dot and Bubble: 2.12m (overnight); 3.10m (+7 (TV Only); 3.38m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- Rogue: 2.11m (overnight); 3.18m (+7 (TV Only); 3.52m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- The Legend of Ruby Sunday: 2.02m (overnight); 3.05m (+7 (TV Only); 3.50m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
- Empire of Death: 2.25m (overnight); 3.27m (+7 (TV Only); 3.69m (+7 (TV+4-screen)
Overnight figures includes those who watched the episode live or recorded it and watched it the same day. +7 ratings include those who recorded and watched within a week. +4 screen ratings also takes into account viewers on tablets, PCs, and smartphones.
It’s notable that the figures represent a considerable drop since both Ncuti Gatwa’s debut episode at Christmas 2023 (corresponding figures of 4.73m; 7.26m; and 7.49m respectively) and the David Tennant trio of specials in the autumn prior to that, which averaged overnight figures of almost 5m and over 7m for +7 (TV+4-screen).
As we’ve covered previously, Russell T Davies has admitted that, whilst he was pleased with the number of younger viewers watching, Series 14 ratings were lower than he’d have liked, although a BBC statement defended the figures. It’s also notable that, in his generally positive ratings analysis in Doctor Who Magazine #606, Tom Spilsbury acknowledged that “these figures are lower than those we’ve seen for Doctor Who in recent times”.
It’s fair to say that some drop off from the 2023 specials was to be expected. David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning in a burst of publicity for the programme’s 60th anniversary was always going to be a particularly winning combination, and the debut of a new Doctor has traditionally triggered a rise in viewership as casual viewers who are curious to see the new lead in action tune in.
But even allowing for these factors, and the fact that the series was shown in May and June when audiences are lower, there will surely be disappointment at the BBC that the recent run of episodes saw a substantial drop in viewers from Jodie Whittaker’s last full series (2021’s Flux), which drew an average 7-day figure of around 5m.
It’s interesting to note that the much-debated (and in some quarters unwelcome) move to a midnight online debut for each week’s episode prior to transmission doesn’t appear to have made a big difference, with the highest of these pre-transmission figures being just 0.30m for penultimate episode, The Legend of Ruby Sunday.
It’s only fair to acknowledge the argument that, in the modern era of streaming and downloads, overnight and 7-day ratings don’t carry the significance they used to. Ratings across the board for ongoing series are down, and Doctor Who is not alone in experiencing a drop. In terms of chart position, all episodes bar one (Dot and Bubble) made the top 20 programmes for the week in 7 day numbers, though Space Babies was the only story to make the top 10.
Crucially, all of this doesn’t tell us anything about how the series has performed internationally as Disney doesn’t make viewing figures available. A less than optimistic picture was given (from mostly unattributed sources) in a widely shared Deadline article.
