Several reports have come in about the ratings for the Children in Need broadcast, and specifically about the Doctor Who portion of the evening.

ViewingFigures, traditionally first with the overnight ratings, show anywhere from 8.6 to 9.6 million viewers in the time slot of 9:00pm to 9:20pm, broken down every five minutes: 9.6m, 9.34m, 9.07m, 8.66m for each five-minute period starting with 9:00-9:05pm; as well as audience shares of 45.1%, 44.0%, 42.8% and 41.0% respectively. It is important to note that the transmission of the special during that time was staggered, i.e. it did not take place simultaneously everywhere in the UK, insofar as that in several locations (including at least Scotland and Wales) local programming delayed its start by several minutes. However, the 9:15-9:20pm drop of nearly half a million viewers is very likely indicative that many people were tuned into the broadcast specifically for the Doctor Who content and left as soon as it was over.

The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), which usually publishes final ratings several weeks after the fact, apparently now has its own version of overnight ratings, shared with broadcasters. According to BARB, the overnights suggest that 10.7 million viewers were tuned into BBC1 for the broadcast from 9:00-9:15pm (with a 45.1% audience share). BARB has traditionally included time-shifted and/or video-taped viewers in their final ratings data; it could very well be similar now for its overnight broadcasts.

According to Media Guardian, the telethon "attracted a big audience on Friday night, with a peak of more than 11 million viewers. The 26th annual Children in Need was watched by 9 million viewers and attracted a 39% audience share between 7pm and 10pm, according to unofficial overnights. Peak ratings for the show came between 9.45pm and 10pm, with 11.1 million viewers and a 48% audience share, when Rod Stewart was performing. The ratings were slightly higher than for last year's Children in Need, which attracted 8.4 million viewers and a 37% audience share. However, in 2003, the charity evening drew 10.3 million viewers and a 42% audience share to BBC1 in late November. BBC1's 10 O'Clock News also got its annual boost from Children in Need, watched by 9.5 million viewers and attracting a 44% audience share. After the news, the charity marathon continued, with 5.6 million viewers and a 48% audience share between 10.35pm and 1am."

We should have final ratings for the quarter hour when they are released later by BARB.

The BBC Children in Need mini-website has now posted the "Children in Need" special starring David Tennant and Billie Piper. It's available in both Windows Media Player and Real Player formats. Check it out!

Surprisingly, there was no on-screen title for this mini-episode. Also, it appears that, contrary to previously-published BBC reports, K9 wasn't part of the festivities after all!

Christopher Eccleston has done voice-overs for the Children In Need broadcast this evening, including "Craig's Story", about a 12 year-old disgnosed HIV positive at the age of six (host Terry Wogan name-checked him afterward) and later Eccleston's narration provided the viewers of the number to call. Incidentally, Wogan introduced tonight's event noting that Doctor Who would be the "highlight" of the evening.

David Tennant apparently filmed several inserts for regional BBC broadcasters; for example, Tennant appeared outside the TARDIS in a leather jacket for BBC Scotland saying, "Hello, my name's David Tennant, please call 08457 33 22 33 and help Children In Need make a difference in Scotland." In fact, there are several appeal messages from Tennant and Billie Piper after the online clip, including two for Scotland.

Below is a selection of screen grabs from the three-minute special (thanks to Matt Evenden).

David Tennant and Billie Piper were in Cardiff as expected on this cold November evening at the Civic Centre to switch on the city's Christmas lights. Fireworks also marked the occasion, which began at 5:45pm with festivities hosted by Mel and Jase from Red Dragon FM's Breakfast Show, with dancers and a Christmas band and a song from Cardiff singing legend Frank Hennessy, then Tennant and Piper joining BBC Wales' Derek Brockway and Sara Edwards on stage for a few minutes. Before they arrived, the TARDIS materialised on the stage and the audience got to see a montage of clips from Season One for several minutes (which showcased the various location filming that was done last year in Cardiff, but curiously had no Christopher Eccleston clips). Tennant, when asked how he was finding being the tenth Time Lord, replied, "It's terrible. I'm having a miserable time. I'm leaving. Max Boyce is taking over.... No, I'm having a ball. I get my own TARDIS. I get my own sonic screwdriver. I get to hang out with Billie Piper, I'm having a great time." Tennant described the forthcoming Christmas episode as being "perfect thing for Christmas Day. Sit down with a big lump of turkey, put on a paper hat, pull a cracker and you'll have a great time," and mentioned that in upcoming episodes the Doctor and Rose face a werewolf and Tennant even gets to dress up as a woman in one episode. The lights were then turned on and fireworks went off, as Billie and David wished the crowd Merry Christmas in perfect Welsh ("Nadolig Llawen").

Reported BBC News, "The pair, who play the Doctor and his sidekick, Rose Tyler, switched on the city's Christmas lights. Tennant... told the crowd that he also gets to play a woman in the new series. ... Piper revealed to the crowd that other dangers the pair face in the sci-fi series, the second made by BBC Wales, include a werewolf as well as the Cybermen. Speaking from the stage moments before switching on the city's festive lights, she confided that the enemy in next month's episode is a Christmas tree. 'The Christmas tree attacks us. That's pretty exciting and quite threatening and scary at the same time,' she said. The Cyberman also seemed to have made an impression on her. She said: 'They are giants, absolutely terrifying (but) quite sexy actually.'" The article also noted that "The Christmas Invasion" doesn't have a firm time commitment yet on December 25: "[Russell T Davies] said he did not yet know what time the Doctor Who special would be broadcast, but viewers should expect to be frightened. He said: 'It's scary. That's why we can't show it after the Queen.'"

BBC Wales also covered the event, which is available online until 6.30pm Friday; Yahoo News also has coverage.

Below are several photographs taken for Outpost Gallifrey by two correspondents, Dave Greenham and Ian Golden, of Tennant and Piper in front of a huge cheering crowd outside the Civic Centre for the festivities and finally switching on the lights; click on each for a larger version. BBC News also has a collection of five additional photographs of the event. (Thanks to Justin Robinson, Ian Golden, Dave Greenham/DWAS, Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg)