Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies admitted that the ratings for the latest Doctor Who season are not good and even hinted that the entire show might be scrapped following the already greenlit second season.
Russell T. Davies via DWhoUnreleased YouTube
As reported by Doctor Who TV, Davies spoke with Radio Times about the show’s disastrous ratings. The first episode “Church on Ruby Road,” which debuted on Christmas had overnight viewership of 4.73 million and garnered 7.49 million after a week. The episode had the second worst debut for any Doctor and were the worst of any Christmas special.
It did not get any better from there. “Space Babies,” which aired in the middle of May only had overnight viewership of 2.6 million viewers in the United Kingdom. After a week it only reached 4.01 million.
Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Church on Ruby Road” (2023), BBC
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The worst performing episode in overnight viewership so far was the third episode “Boom” which had overnight viewership of 2.04 million and only hit 3.58 million after a week.
However, the worst performing episode after a week is “Dot and Bubble.” The episode had overnight viewership of 2.12 million, but after a week it only hit 3.38 million.
On top of the show doing abysmally in the United Kingdom, it has not even charted on the Nielsen charts a single week in the United States. The show airs on Disney+ in North America.
A scene from “Dot and Bubble” in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
Davies reacted to this terrible viewership telling Radio Times, “I’m very proud of it! You know, they might not be the ratings we’d love. We always want higher. But they are building over the 28-day period. Episode 1, Space Babies, is already up to 5.6 million and counting. So it is getting there.”
He then touted how the show was allegedly reaching younger audiences with its blatant woke propaganda, “I was brought back in to bring in a youthful audience. That’s been massively successful.”
Davies explained, “The audience no one ever gets are the under-30s. They just don’t watch television anymore. But those figures are astronomic for Doctor Who, it’s their top programme in that bracket.”
Jinkx Monsoon in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
Finally, Davies reveals that the show might not move forward after its second season saying that the future of the show is “still up in the air.”
These comments from Davies come in the wake of both Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the Doctor, and Millie Gibson, who plays his companion Ruby Sunday, hinting they would be done with the show after the first two seasons.
Gatwa told Rolling Stone UK in July 2023, he would be returning to the stage after Doctor Who “[Theatre] kept me warm and it held me all night, even if I was broke. But I’m planning on getting back to it next year, after I finish season two of Doctor Who.”
He also told Radio Times he had no plans after the second season of Doctor Who, “No idea, no plan. I just know that I’m loving it and my love for it is growing.”
Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
As for Gibson, she informed Fabric Magazine what her plans for 2024 are, “I think, now that the strike’s over, probably auditioning again, for parts, and seeing what’s out there.”
“Every year has seen such change for me, it’s hard to think what might come next. I’d like to play a villain,” she added. “If not that I think I’m really intrigued by biopic roles that you really need to research. I think that would be a great challenge. I don’t know, I think I’m just excited to see what’s to come.”
Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Church on Ruby Road” (2023), BBC
Davies had previously indicated he was already working on a third season and had plans for a fourth.
He told SFX Magazine via Games Radar, “I’m planning season 3 now, there’s plans for season 4.”
Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Church on Ruby Road” (2023), BBC
What do you make of Davies admitting the ratings are trash and that the show might be cancelled?
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With those ratings, I don’t see them passing season 2. I’ve never watched the series but Ive been near a bubble of fans since 06–no one is talking about it now and if they are, it’s not good. The enthusiasm is effectively dead.
How about another 16 year hiatus?