thats terribly low!
This was the best final ever!
2009’s final (the worst final ever) got way more

All depends on perspective, I didn’t like Season 5’s finale, depends on your own opinion.

I agree with JC. I was a little disappointed with The Big Bang.

It’a a mix bag reaction over-all. I think Matt Smith suffered from a David Tennant backlash and unfortunately, it would not have made any difference really. Overall, Doctor Who would not have done that well due to the weather and the World Cup. I certainly agree with Steve, this years final was so much better than the drivel that was David Tennants last story! I also think there is something else going on. This season appeared to have to much influence from RTD approach to Doctor Who. Steve Moffat could do so much better. If I was in control, I would have sacked Muray Gold for the worse ever theme, left Rory dead and killed off Amy. Now that would have been a fantastic ending! I am getting bored of River Song as well. Trouble is, I think the ratings are reflecting these views.
Another improvement would be to move the series to a stable time and moved to Sept instead. I also believe the BBC are attempting to destabilise Doctor Who in order to funding the on going empire building.

I don’t think you can judge it on whether it was a good episode or not because the people who didn’t watch it wouldn’t have known if it was good or not. The 2009 finale got so many because it was on New Years Day (not a summer saturday evening) and it was a moment of history with David Tennant leaving. However I can understand that it is a disappointment when other episodes have scored so many but final figures will be higher and Doctor Who isn’t going anywhere.

Nowadays its all based on time-shift people. The overnights don’t have nearly as much significance as they previously did. I wouldn’t worry one bit, two million plus for timestamps will bring the final figures to at least 7m and considering the brilliant weather, up against the Tennis and abysmally poor scheduling by the BBC, its a cracking result.

Why non hardcore whovians would be inside watching TV 6pm on a scorching saturday night is beyond me.

I think the BBC should go back to putting Doctor Who out as part of their autumn scheduling. Sept – Dec then Xmas Special. Much better idea. Go on BBC. Give it a go

Even if the numbers are low, it was the second most watched program of the night, and it only had .6 million less viewers than the World Cup. I would say that’s not too bad at all!

I think the finale was amazing, and very funny!!! The overnight ratings don’t look great but on a boiling night broadcasted at a time of 5 past 6, why would they be higher!? The rest of my family recorded and watched it, I’m sure a lot of other people did too. Ratings will go up!

Improvement for next year: BACK TO 7pm TIMESLOT PLEASE!!!!

I think its pathetic that some people on here are blaming RTD just because this finale wasnt as well recevied and this series had more of a mix bag. The simple facts are this, Series 5 suffered mainly due to:

* The weather
* The irregular time splots from the BBC
* The World Cup
* Britains Got Talent

Thats all!

I personally think it doesnt help that SM has to be overly clever and have too many complicated strands in the series but thats a personal opinion.

In Austrailia, Doctor Who is on at 7:30 Sunday Night
And has been for the last 3 years (series 1 and 2 where on sat night)
In the UK the BBC change it every night! and 6 oclock?! we should actully complain

I wasn’t going to say anything more, but then I read some of the posts in this topic. Anything I say isn’t meant to offend anyone but it still may, very much unintentionally.

I am angry that some are blaming the lack of hype over Season 5 on the previous series. I also think that if there has been any David Tennant backlash, it’s been from those that had some kind of………what’s the word?…….vendetta or grudge against him and RTD and wanted Season 5 to come out with a bang, be so much more popular than the other four series just to show David Tennant, Russell T. Davies and the 10th Doctor fans just how wrong they’d got it.

Clearly, that hasn’t happened. For me only, though in some cases I can understand why it’d effect other people, the weather was never a factor, the time slots were just something to make sure you knew, an hour here or there wouldn’t really bother me, I only (pointlessly) watched the England World Cup matches, which to my memory never conflicted with Doctor Who and I watched Britain’s Got Talent too, so I suppose it just goes to show that if you really wanted to watch it, you could.

For me, David Tennant was a great Doctor, he was my Doctor and when he regenerated, it was difficult to accept but I did. A few episodes into Season 5, I gave Matt Smith a chance and “amazingly”, I was able to accept him as the Doctor and no longer thought about whether David Tennant should have been doing the job.

Even so, Season 5 was very much a mixed bag. I can say I didn’t enjoy the series as much as previous series, some of the episodes and storylines this Season were just………well, let’s just say I endured them, and I know that’s contraversial but it’s the truth for me, you know. That was one side of the mixed bag, the other having some great moments that seriously rivalled or bettered the previous series for me, it’s all about being objective and fair about things for me.

People will look to different excuses why Doctor Who Season 5 held it’s own rather than storming the TV ratings. As I’ve said, I think the reasons will be different for everyone, since for me, the weather, the world cup, the timings and Britain’s Got Talent had no impact on whether I watched the series or not, I’m just not sure this Season was able to connect with people on the same scale as Seasons 1 to 4 were able to and perhaps that is because Matt Smith is new, but it certainly isn’t David Tennant’s fault.

As for Amy and Rory, I won’t get into that one, this post is already too long. All I’ll say is that I liked both characters and I found both much more approachable than I had previous companions and the reasons for that are long.

I do respect that some people really didn’t like David Tennant or RTD and I respect their opinion, but I read some things that to me as a 10th Doctor fan, as well as a Doctor Who fan that was able to move on and judged Season 5 on it’s own merits, couldn’t stand without reply.

As I said at the start, no offence is meant to anyone on either side of the arguement, this is just my opinion and I hope I don’t regret expressing it, lol

Actually, this series is much more popular outside of the UK than any previous series, so it is doing something right.

The ratings will be fine…most people I know watch it on iplayer (mulitple times)… and those aren’t usually aren’t counted in the overnights.

Its the weather mostly, the time of year, and a few other things added in. I don’t know a single person who used to watch it that doesn’t watch it now. They just watch it later because its sunny, warm, and they are busy enjoying their lives.

@JC

I think you take Doctor who just a tiny bit too serously then its ment to be taken

I think that Moffat has done a great job in getting rid of all the lame and unrealistic elements of dr. who (eg. towing the earth home, giant cyberman, spaceship titantic), MOST (excluding sum episodes) of RTD’s storys were based on action, wether Moffs storys are all based on charector and interesting plotlines and their all about time! and that wat doctor who is about! not visiting London every episode! If RTD’s finals got around 10 million, then moffats deserve WAY more!

Not at all, it’s just a show to me and usually I don’t say anything much beyond what I thought of episodes and that, but some Season 5 fans, seriously…..

there not great ratings, but i’m not worried for doctor who, as they make most of their money for merchandise and toys.

@Steve
i know. i live in north wales, and according to pre moffat doctor who, in britain the only places were cardiff, and london….

@steve

You are complaning about the giant Cybermen?? Ummmm wasnt there, ooh i dont know, GIANT power ranger coloured Daleks in series 5!! Granted Moffat brough other regions of the uk into this series. But I enjoyed the RTD years as it introduced dr who to the casual fan and made it accessible. Moffat is more about bringing the series back to how it USED to be…its 2010! Television has moved on!!! old school sr who style wont work!

In your opinion pirko… which is obviously wrong… because the series is doing just FINE.

How is my opinion wrong glen? Its an opinion! it means neither right or wrong, its a view. And your right the series is doing FINE. Its been FINE for the last 5 freaking fine years!! If it wasnt doing FINE, there would be NO series 5 and there would be no FINE lord stephen moffat writing, and no FINE matt smith as the doctor and no FINE village people daleks. In short there would be NO dr who at all if the first series wasnt FINE and theat wouldnt have been…FIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

What a FINE conversation this has turned out to be