BBC Responds to Doctor Who Series 14 Low Viewership Concerns

The BBC has addressed concerns about Doctor Who’s Series 14 ratings, pointing to shifts in viewing habits and noting the stronger performance in delayed viewing metrics, and the under-35s demographics.

This year, Doctor Who unfortunately experienced its lowest overnight ratings to date, dipping to 2.02 million viewers. The 7-day catch-up figures also saw a series low of 3.38 million.

Russell T Davies previously acknowledged the drop, stating, “They might not be the ratings we’d love. We always want higher.”

However, Davies highlighted the younger audience growth: “The audience no one ever gets are the under-30s. They just don’t watch television any more. But those figures are astronomic for Doctor Who, it’s their top programme in that bracket.”

A spokeswoman for the BBC told the Times (via): “Overnight ratings no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch drama in an on-demand world.

“This season of Doctor Who premiered on iPlayer nearly 24 hours before broadcast, and episode one has already been viewed by nearly six million viewers and continues to grow.”

She concluded: “Doctor Who remains one of the most watched programmes on iPlayer and is the BBC’s top drama for under-35s this year, making it one of the biggest programmes for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters.”

The show has already filmed another series, due to air next year. Its future beyond that remains unknown.