I'm asking, since it seems a lot of fans were disappointed with season 8. However, it always comes down to ratings, and people still tuned in. The reason I'm asking is, fans seem to be growing more and more disappointed with nuWho the last few seasons, and I couldn't help but wonder if season 9 might be the last Who we'd be getting, atleast for a while. However, regardles of percieved quality, if people tune in and watch every episodes, studio-execs will be making Who untill people stop watching. Bringing us back to..... what were the ratings for season 8? Are people still watching, or has there been a decline?
http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/doctor-who-series-8-ratings-accumulator-66394.htm They look healthy enough to me!
http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date About the same as the season before. A little less than the first half, a little more than the second. Seems the ratings dropped a little after the Ponds left. I wouldn't think the show is in any danger of being taken off the air.
Doctor Who is also more successful practically everywhere now, whereas the classic series was mostly popular just in Britain (Although it had a cult following in other places).
This is important to remember. There are more stakeholders with an interest in Doctor Who now than there was in, say, 1985 or 1989. If, for some reason, the BBC decided they didn't want to produce Doctor Who anymore, BBC Worldwide would be very likely to step in and finance the series to protect their merchandising revenue streams and their worldwide sales.
Never really considered the difference between wordwide popularity now and back then. Good to know that Who is still going strong in the ratings.