New ‘Doctor Who’ Is a Smash Hit in the Ratings

A new season of Doctor Who launched on Sunday, bringing forth the debut of Jodie Whittaker as the first woman to portray the iconic character. The fans certainly took kindly to the new iteration of the series as its premiere episode was an absolute smash hit in the ratings, breaking records in the process.

According to Deadline, this week’s Doctor Who premiere received 8.2 million viewers in the UK, and a 40.1 percent share for BBC One. When you compare those numbers to previous Doctor Who seasons, and other shows on BBC, it’s easy to see that this new installment is on pace for an unstoppable performance.

The most recent season of Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi’s last as the titular time-traveller, debuted to 4.6 million overnight viewers in the UK back in April 2017. It’s also worth noting that Whittaker’s debut was not only better than Capaldi’s first episode as the Doctor, but it also topped the first episodes of both David Tenant and Matt Smith. It would be an understatement to say that viewers enjoyed the new iteration of the Doctor.

This new season of Doctor Who wasn’t just a major hit within the context of its own franchise, but it was also a monumental victory just in terms of overall BBC viewership.

BBC One thriller Bodyguard, which stars Game of Thrones‘ Richard Madden, opened with 6.7 million viewers and a 35 percent share earlier this year, becoming 2018’s biggest new drama launch. While the new Doctor Who premiere was certainly helped by the fact that it’s an extremely popular franchise, the ratings are an impressive feat nonetheless.

Not only was this the first episode for Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, but it was also the debut of Chris Chibnall as the new showrunner. Directed by Jamie Childs, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” introduced Whovians to the Doctor’s new friends, Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yaz (Mandip Gill), and Graham (Bradley Walsh).

What did you think of the new Doctor Who premiere? Are you excited to see where Whittaker and Chibnall take the story next? Let us know in the comments!