Repeat Ratings

Saturday, 1 May 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Friday's BBC Three repeat of The Time of Angels was watched by 0.32 million viewers according to overnight figures. Doctor Who Confidential got 0.22 million watching.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31

Amy's Choice - Press Details

Thursday, 29 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Amy's ChoiceThe BBC Press Office has released details for the seventh episode of the new series, Amy's Choice.

The Simon Nye story is scheduled for Saturday 15th May. It stars Audrey Ardington as Mrs Poggit, Toby Jones as the Dream Lord and Joan Linder as Mrs Hammill.
It's been five years since Amy Pond last travelled with the Doctor, and when he lands in her garden again, on the eve of the birth of her first child, she finds herself facing a heartbreaking choice – one that will change her life for ever.




FILTER: - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

Week 6 Schedule Update

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Vampires of VeniceDoctor Who moves to its earliest slot since the series returned, for The Vampires Of Venice with the programme, on 8th May, now confirmed for a start time of 6pm.

The earlier spot appears to be to accommodate a longer edition of Over The Rainbow. It is understood that the production team of the talent show were reluctant to be scheduled against Britain's Got Talent and wanted Doctor Who to be moved to an earlier slot.

Doctor Who will be up against You've Been Framed on ITV1, Dad's Army on BBC Two and Come Dine with Me on Channel 4.




FILTER: - UK - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

Victory of the Daleks - Final Ratings

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Victory of the DalekFinal figures for Victory of the Daleks published today by BARB show the story was watched by 7.82 million viewers.

The total is over 1.5 million higher than the initial overnight reported figure.

The programme was the fourth highest on BBC One and the eleventh highest on all British television for the week. An additional 0.381 million watched on BBC HD, however as this week's episode was not simulcast with the BBC One showing, the figures are not added onto the final total. Even if they were the programme would still be eleventh in the chart.

This is the first time the programme has dropped out of the top ten since the series four story, Silence in the Library, which was 27th. Since then the number of iplayer requests for the programme have dramatically increased.

The BBC Three Sunday repeat did not appear in the top ten for the week for that channel.





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31

The Hungry Earth

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The title of episode eight of the new series has been confirmed as The Hungry Earth.

The title is listed on the cover of the edition of Doctor Who Magazine due out this week and posted on the magazine's Facebook account.

A full series summary can be found on our 2010 series guide.

Update: Episode Nine will be titled Cold Blood.




FILTER: - Production - Series 5/31

Flesh and Stone - 360 Picture

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
A new 360 degree picture trailing Flesh and Stone has been released by the BBC. The second part of the Weeping Angels story can be seen in the UK on Saturday.




FILTER: - Series 5/31

Formal Apology

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has formally replied to the complaints received over the Nortongate incident.

The response goes further than the statement issued by a spokesman yesterday which just apologised for the timing of the caption. The formal response admits the caption was wrong and promises it will not happen again.

The BBC statement says
The Over the Rainbow trail in Doctor Who should not have played out on Saturday and we apologise to all Doctor Who fans whose enjoyment of the show was disrupted. We recognise the strength of feeling that has been expressed and are taking steps to ensure that this mistake will not happen again.

It is understood that the instruction to run the caption was made by BBC One management and was made without consulting the programme's producers or senior management at BBC Wales.




FILTER: - UK - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

Time of Angels - AI

Monday, 26 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Time of AngelsThe Time of Angels scored an Appreciation Index figure of 87, the highest of the series so far.

The AI or Appreciation Index or AI score is a measure of how much an audience enjoyed a programme. The score was the highest of the day on either of the two main channels.

Doctor Who Confidential had an AI figure of 84.

On BBC Three the Doctor Who repeat was watched by 0.55 million.

The BBC has updated its story on the controversial trail for Over the Rainbow which spoiled the cliff-hanger for many, reporting that, so far, 5,583 complaints have now been received.

The children's news programme Newsround is also asking for viewers feelings on the intrusion.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31

Australian ratings for The Beast Below

Monday, 26 April 2010 - Reported by Adam Kirk
The Beast Below has debuted in Australia to very respectable ratings. TV Tonight reports that the episode averaged 851,000 viewers in the five major capital cities, despite stiff competition from the commercial networks. Again it was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's top-rating program of the day, rating higher than its popular Sunday 7pm news (By comparison, the mini-series Burn Up only rated 367,000 viewers for the ABC in the following 8.30pm timeslot). The corresponding Confidential Cutdown also rated a respectable 536,000 viewers in the five major capitals.

Meanwhile in local media, Ruth Ritchie of the Sydney Morning Herald writes of The Eleventh Hour that 'a very, very young Doctor, with an almost childlike first take on his new body, is now an obvious choice to engage younger viewers. Smith already displayed an adorable alien quality in Party Animals. Our introduction to him through the eyes of Amelia Pond, a lonely little girl who hears voices through the cracks in her walls, is vintage Doctor Who. He unsuccessfully samples baked beans, bacon, yoghurt and most of the pantry in a display of adult food-spitting we've not seen since Tom Hanks in Big. After a feast of fish fingers dipped in custard, Smith's Doctor Who takes us on a wild and witty science-fiction ride.' The Sunshine Coast Daily also features an interview with Matt Smith where he indicates he might visit Australia next year. No incumbent Doctor has visited Australia since Peter Davison in 1983.





FILTER: - Ratings - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting - Australia

BBC apologises for advert intrusion

Sunday, 25 April 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Norton PromoAfter thousands of complaints about the trailer featuring an animated Graham Norton promoting Over The Rainbow during the closing moments of Doctor Who last night, the BBC have apologised for the occurrence.

In an article on the BBC News site:
The BBC often promotes programmes in this way but the corporation has acknowledged that in this case the scheduling was inappropriate.

A BBC spokesman said: "We apologise for the timing of Saturday night's trail."

The BBC received around 3000 complaints about the incident which affected viewers to BBC One in England.





FILTER: - UK - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting