TV Ratings - 5x08 (The Hungary Earth)
- Thread starter Jax
- Start date
Yeah, if it's still got that share, I'd say it did all right under the circumstances.
Do to the lack of posting on here yesterday after the ep aired I thought the viewing figures would be down.
Looking out at cloudless skies and the smell of BBQs around here I thought the same!
I'm waiting for the bashers to somehow equate the ratings to quality (or perceived lack thereof). 
Seriously, though, the BBC needs to get its act together. Although it does right by taking into account time-shifting, online, and reruns (I have a feeling there'll be a lot of numbers added after that), the show hasn't had the same time slot two weeks running since it came back, and if they're gonna put it on at 6 or 6:15 in springtime, this is what they should expect.
Next week it's on at 7 and I bet there'll be a big boost. Why doesn't the BBC just get its head out of its butt and park it at 7 and be done with it? Even if they insist it's only a kid's show, I don't know of any kids over the age of 5 who go to bed before 7 pm in the 21st century.
Alex
Seriously, though, the BBC needs to get its act together. Although it does right by taking into account time-shifting, online, and reruns (I have a feeling there'll be a lot of numbers added after that), the show hasn't had the same time slot two weeks running since it came back, and if they're gonna put it on at 6 or 6:15 in springtime, this is what they should expect.
Next week it's on at 7 and I bet there'll be a big boost. Why doesn't the BBC just get its head out of its butt and park it at 7 and be done with it? Even if they insist it's only a kid's show, I don't know of any kids over the age of 5 who go to bed before 7 pm in the 21st century.
Alex
I'm waiting for the bashers to somehow equate the ratings to quality (or perceived lack thereof).
Seriously, though, the BBC needs to get its act together. Although it does right by taking into account time-shifting, online, and reruns (I have a feeling there'll be a lot of numbers added after that), the show hasn't had the same time slot two weeks running since it came back, and if they're gonna put it on at 6 or 6:15 in springtime, this is what they should expect.
Next week it's on at 7 and I bet there'll be a big boost. Why doesn't the BBC just get its head out of its butt and park it at 7 and be done with it? Even if they insist it's only a kid's show, I don't know of any kids over the age of 5 who go to bed before 7 pm in the 21st century.
Alex
Sorry? But what? You're not even in the UK so what does it matter that the British Broadcasting Corporation have changed the time each week. What with iplayer and recording technology (Sky Plus for example) it doesn't really matter. You're just getting your knickers well and truly in a twist over a non issue.
I know that people try to spin this low viewing figure with talk of hot weather, audience shares and 'appreciation', but there is no denying that these are BAD figures for the show no matter what the reason behind those figures.
Ok, so on a whole, the number of people viewing all TV was down. But that is because the audience decided to do something other then watch TV - maybe because they were out in the sun, or maybe because they were just not that interested in watching what was on. It just goes to show that Doctor Who is no longer 'event' or 'must watch' television. My Nephew every year has dropped everything to watch Doctor Who on a Saturday night, however this year he's just not been as interested... instead of rushing in to watch it this weekend, he stayed out playing with his friends. He'd never have done this in the past... what's changed?
If the show can manage to 5-6 million viewrs on sunny summer days in the past, why did it not this weekend? The competition was pretty much the same, the circumstances are too.
Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I think people need to stop being blinded by their love of the show trying to defend low audience figures.
I hope that the show picks up when the final figures come in, and I hope that this is not the start of a new trend.
Ok, so on a whole, the number of people viewing all TV was down. But that is because the audience decided to do something other then watch TV - maybe because they were out in the sun, or maybe because they were just not that interested in watching what was on. It just goes to show that Doctor Who is no longer 'event' or 'must watch' television. My Nephew every year has dropped everything to watch Doctor Who on a Saturday night, however this year he's just not been as interested... instead of rushing in to watch it this weekend, he stayed out playing with his friends. He'd never have done this in the past... what's changed?
If the show can manage to 5-6 million viewrs on sunny summer days in the past, why did it not this weekend? The competition was pretty much the same, the circumstances are too.
Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I think people need to stop being blinded by their love of the show trying to defend low audience figures.
I hope that the show picks up when the final figures come in, and I hope that this is not the start of a new trend.
Considering the weather country wide last Friday Saturday its no surprise TV rating are down, but still when the actual figures come out i have no doubt they will be will into the 5mil plus....which is still good stuff all round.
But in the past when the weather was just as hot and sunny, the ratings never got that bad! It should be based on the population that bothered to tune in, and not so much emphasis put on 'shares'. Where's the 1-2 million viewers gone who tuned in to episode 8 of seasons 1-4 on comparably sunny days?
Why not just say that you're not enjoying this series as much as previous ones instead of trying to bait us for particular answers as to why it didn't do as well?
It was the hottest day of the year, people were outside enjoying it - why is this hard for you to grasp?
I'm waiting for the bashers to somehow equate the ratings to quality (or perceived lack thereof).
Seriously, though, the BBC needs to get its act together. Although it does right by taking into account time-shifting, online, and reruns (I have a feeling there'll be a lot of numbers added after that), the show hasn't had the same time slot two weeks running since it came back, and if they're gonna put it on at 6 or 6:15 in springtime, this is what they should expect.
Next week it's on at 7 and I bet there'll be a big boost. Why doesn't the BBC just get its head out of its butt and park it at 7 and be done with it? Even if they insist it's only a kid's show, I don't know of any kids over the age of 5 who go to bed before 7 pm in the 21st century.
Alex
I never watch it on Saturday, like many people, because I'm always too busy. I watch it on Beeb 3 at 8 o'clock on Sunday, (also like many people).
Except now you have two repeats on BBC3 in the next 6 days, iPlayer & Sky/Virgin+.
The time shifts for this series have been massive - up to 1.5m viewers - much more than we saw even in season 4.
Oh and the same share with a 7pm start would have only given it 5m viewers so the early showing made little difference.
indeed. Sunny weather = less people watching tele.
Two numbers that actually matter have been released:
1. The A.I. figures, true to form, show the people who watched liked it, a lot, as an "Excellent" rating of 86 was reached:
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/05/hungry-earth-ai.html
2. The BBC has released figures showing Doctor Who helped them reach record profits in 2009, including selling 3.3 million DVDs (a figure much higher than I'd expected to see). It ain't going anywhere.
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/05/bbc-worldwide-record-profits.html
Also, frankly, you can't make comparisons anymore even with just last year. The way people watch their shows has changed exponentially in even the last 6 months, never mind since the spring of 2008 which was the last time was had "normal" episodes airing. That's why the BBC is now including things like iPlayer. If the show only attracted 50 people to the tele, but 8 million to the iPlayer, then the BBC would take online numbers into account. This differs from American networks which are still -- with a few exceptions -- tied to broadcast-date viewership only, in part due to being beholden to advertisers. Something the BBC is not. They have to make a profit, sure. But see that link above. That's the tale of the tape.
I know people want to jump in and try and suggest that "something has gone wrong". But nothing has gone wrong. The viewing audience is evolving, pure and simple. I currently watch about a half-dozen shows - NONE of them on their broadcast dates anymore with the exception of the Canadian broadcast of Doctor Who, which is technically a replay as it's 4-5 weeks after the BBC airs it. I either view online, or I record the shows for later viewing, or I buy the DVDs later. I am not alone.
Alex
1. The A.I. figures, true to form, show the people who watched liked it, a lot, as an "Excellent" rating of 86 was reached:
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/05/hungry-earth-ai.html
2. The BBC has released figures showing Doctor Who helped them reach record profits in 2009, including selling 3.3 million DVDs (a figure much higher than I'd expected to see). It ain't going anywhere.
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/05/bbc-worldwide-record-profits.html
Also, frankly, you can't make comparisons anymore even with just last year. The way people watch their shows has changed exponentially in even the last 6 months, never mind since the spring of 2008 which was the last time was had "normal" episodes airing. That's why the BBC is now including things like iPlayer. If the show only attracted 50 people to the tele, but 8 million to the iPlayer, then the BBC would take online numbers into account. This differs from American networks which are still -- with a few exceptions -- tied to broadcast-date viewership only, in part due to being beholden to advertisers. Something the BBC is not. They have to make a profit, sure. But see that link above. That's the tale of the tape.
I know people want to jump in and try and suggest that "something has gone wrong". But nothing has gone wrong. The viewing audience is evolving, pure and simple. I currently watch about a half-dozen shows - NONE of them on their broadcast dates anymore with the exception of the Canadian broadcast of Doctor Who, which is technically a replay as it's 4-5 weeks after the BBC airs it. I either view online, or I record the shows for later viewing, or I buy the DVDs later. I am not alone.
Alex
I'd probably be more worried if every other show hadn't taken a hit as well.
And hey, even if the bottom were suddenly to drop out, the Beeb has already given the go ahead for season six.
And hey, even if the bottom were suddenly to drop out, the Beeb has already given the go ahead for season six.
Series 1 had no compariable sunny days, nor did series three and four. Series two was the only one that had anything comparable, even then it wasn't as hot for as long.
I for one have stopped watching Doctor Who on TV, moving over to watching it purely on iPlayer (because the digital signal is crap).
I for one have stopped watching Doctor Who on TV, moving over to watching it purely on iPlayer (because the digital signal is crap).