Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The Series 10 premiere was watched by an official audience of 6.68 million in the UK, the final BARB rating has revealed.
A considerable rise from its initial overnight of 4.64 million, the consolidated figure also accounts for viewers who recorded the episode and watched it within the first 7 days of its transmission. It places Doctor Who as the tenth most watched programme of the week, and makes The Pilot the show’s second lowest rated premiere since its revival, including the mid-series openers.
Rose (Series 1, 2005) – 10.81 million
The Eleventh Hour (Series 5, 2010) – 10.8 million
Deep Breath (Series 8, 2014) – 9.17 million
Partners in Crime (Series 4, 2008) – 9.1 million
The Impossible Astronaut (Series 6: Part 1, 2011) – 8.86 million
New Earth (Series 2, 2006) – 8.62 million
The Bells of Saint John (Series 7: Part 2, 2012) – 8.44 million
Asylum of the Daleks (Series 7: Part 1, 2012) – 8.33 million
Smith and Jones (Series 3, 2007) – 8.20 million
Let’s Kill Hitler (Series 6: Part 2, 2011) – 8.1 million
The Pilot (Series 10, 2017) – 6.68 million
The Magician’s Apprentice (Series 9, 2015) – 6.54 million
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The end of last night’s Series 10 premiere treated us to a brand new Coming Soon trailer which gave us our first look at the Master’s upcoming return.
Ok, so admittedly it was a very brief look (blink and you’ll miss it, in fact), but it’s still enough to get us excited. John Simm will be reprising his role as the renegade Time Lord to come face to face with his current incarnation, Missy.
The trailer also teases Mondasian Cybermen, Ice Warriors and the Doctor regenerating. No biggie. Nothing to see here…
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
4.64 million people tuned in for the Series 10 premiere last night, according to the overnight ratings.
A 24.8% share of the total television audience were watching The Pilot on BBC One, which introduced Pearl Mackie as the new companion, Bill Potts.
Doctor Who was the second most watched programme of the day, behind the return of Britain’s Got Talent on ITV, which was seen by 8.65 million. The final viewing figure – which also adds those who recorded it - will be released in 7 days.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
Doctor Who returned to our screens earlier tonight and it wouldn’t be the start of a brand new series if it didn’t bring with it its very own mystery to boot.
The Pilot established that the Doctor has been working as a lecturer at the University of Bristol but, as expected, all is not as it seems as he’s also added ‘guarding a mysterious vault that’s hidden under campus’ to the top of his list of extra curricular activities. Who needs trampolining?
Let us know your initial theories in the comments below!
He also alluded to a promise he’s made, but what is the promise and who was it made to…?
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Two worlds collide when the Doctor meets Bill, and a chance encounter with a girl with a star in her eye leads to a terrifying chase across time and space. Bill’s mind is opened to a Universe that is bigger and more exciting than she could possibly have imagined – but who is the Doctor, and what is his secret mission with Nardole on Earth?
Well, there you have it. After months of build up and anticipation, the moment has finally arrived. Welcome to the post-Pilot world, everybody! But was it worth all the waiting for?
Let’s face it, there was an awful lot to cram into these 50 minutes. Not only was tonight’s adventure kicking off Peter Capaldi’s final series as the Twelfth Doctor, it was also officially introducing Pearl Mackie as his brand new companion, Bill Potts. We’ve known about her for nearly a year, but now she’s stepped on board the TARDIS to see the universe anew…
So, what did you think of Bill’s entrée into the Whoniverse? Her days serving chips in the university canteen are over, but her life as an honorary, bonafide Earth defender are only just beginning. What are your first impressions of the Doctor’s new BFF, and was she what you were hoping for/expecting? And what did you make of the episode in general? Steven Moffat managed to reference the past, establish the present and look to the future in his last ever series opener, but will it go down as one of his best? Our discussion is now open…
You can read what WhovianNet thought of tonight’s episode in our advanced preview here.
NOTE: This discussion will NOT be spoiler monitored so please do not read the comments section if you haven’t seen The Pilot. You have been warned!
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The big day has finally arrived, and later tonight Bill Potts will finally be stepping aboard the TARDIS!
The premiere of a new series is always an auspicious occasion (especially as it’s been over a year since our last full one!), and you’ve probably had “15th April, BBC One, 7:20pm” permanently etched into your mind for weeks.
There’s no danger that you’d miss it, but we’ve compiled a handy round up of The Pilot’s international premiere times… just in case. You’re welcome.
UK – Saturday 15th April, BBC One, 7:20pm
USA – Saturday 15th April, BBC America, 9/8c (followed by Class premiere at 10/9c)
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No, your eyes do not deceive you. It really is Saturday 15th April. Which means that we’re about to see the universe anew!
And blimey, it has been a long time coming, hasn’t it? It’s nearly been a whole year since Pearl Mackie was announced as the new companion, but tonight she will finally step aboard the TARDIS as she makes her official debut in The Pilot.
Tonight’s episode has been preceded by a mammoth publicity frenzy, and at 7:20pm it will be unleashed unto the world.
Our discussions are back for the new series, and our first one will be open for business as soon as the premiere has ended at 8:10pm. Make sure you drop by to share in the journey with your fellow fans, plus you’ll have the chance to WIN an awesome Doctor Who prize…
In the mean time, while away the last remaining hours by sharing your anticipation in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out our advanced spoiler-free preview and teasers, and let us know what you’re doing to celebrate the Doctor’s grand return. What episodes are you rematching? Are you hosting a viewing party? We’d love to hear what you’re all up to! It’s almost a time for heroes. The Doctor will see you, right… about… NOW.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The Series 10 premiere, The Pilot, will finally grace our screens this weekend, and WhovianNet has got 10 teasers to whet your appetites!
You can read what we thought of the episode itself here (spoilers: we loved it!), but if you like your previews shorter and more to the point, take a gander at our 10 exclusive hints below…
Make that 9 hints, as one of them is a red herring, just to keep you on your toes. But which one is the lie?
Nardole is back and this time, he’s got a screw loose.
Never underestimate a crush.
“Imagine, just imagine, how it would feel if someone did this to you.”
The electric guitar makes its grand comeback.
The Doctor, Bill and Nardole take a fleeting trip to Australia.
You’ll never look at puddles or showers in the same way. Or water in general, really.
There’s something wrong with Bill’s reflection.
“I know you’re not exactly a sci-fi person…”
The Doctor makes an awkward entrance at a Freshers’ foam party.
The TARDIS has its very own macaroon dispenser.
The Pilot premieres on Saturday at 7:20pm and you can read our advanced preview here.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
After weeks, months and nearly a year since her announcement, Pearl Mackie is about to make her official entree into the Doctor Who universe, as the TARDIS prepares to open its doors to a brand new series this Saturday. But what did WhovianNet think of her debut? Basically, it’s like all of our Christmases have come early.
And Christmas really does come early at one point, as The Pilot kicks off with a stylish (kudos to director Lawrence Gough – loving your work!) sequence – set over several months – to document the Doctor’s personal tutoring lessons with his favourite pupil, Bill Potts, at the university where, for reasons that will be explained, he’s serving as a lecturer, while she’s serving… well, chips.
The fleeting festive scene is one of the many initial heartwarming moments between the new partners in crime, and they’ve even bought each other presents, which is sure to melt your Whovian hearts. The Doctor’s thoughtful gift to Bill brings tears to her eyes, and it will probably bring some to yours, too. You have been warned.
Because, in a nutshell, that’s what the Series 10 premiere is all about. Amidst all of the developing danger, it’s a story about the Doctor meeting his new companion, and as such it is ultimately a much more intimate series opener than the ones we’ve come to expect from Steven Moffat. We’re definitely not complaining, though, as it’s one of his strongest, tightest episodes yet. It’s less about scale and spectacle and more about two people getting to know each other, but the stakes are still hella high as Bill finds herself caught up in a confounding campus conundrum. Try saying that three times when you’re drunk!
“Intimate”, though, is the perfect word to describe The Pilot. Even the pre-titles sequence, which Steven usually utilises as ambitious, ‘fly by the seat of your pants’-type prequels, is a simple yet satisfying opening. It all takes place in the Doctor’s office as Bill stumbles across the TARDIS for the first time, and Steven’s scriptwriting skills manage to honour the past (two familiar faces make an appearance), establish the present and look ahead to the future all within the matter of minutes. Or 5 minutes and 4 seconds, to be precise. You’ll absolutely love the first scene, and not only because it will leave you humming along to what we can assume is Bill’s personal theme, courtesy of the master maestro that is Murray Gold. It’s full of whimsy, joy and wonder. Another classic.
As soon as the titles have rolled (they haven’t changed, in case you were wondering, but do they really need to?), the Doctor and Bill’s relationship has already been firmly cemented as one of the most interesting and intriguing Doctor/companion dynamics in the show’s history. That is in no way a mean feat, and a credit to the outgoing showrunner, as Bill already feels like she’s been around forever, in the best possible way.
The episode itself has been described as the perfect starting point for new viewers and it goes without saying that this is largely due to the fact that the story is told from Bill’s perspective. The majority of the adventure takes place on campus (with a quick jaunt to the other end of the universe, 23 million years in the future, thrown in for good measure, naturally), and Pearl Mackie is really given the chance to shine as we join her in discovering the Doctor’s world in all its weird and wonderful glory. The moment she sees the interior of the TARDIS is particularly memorable, and it’s her brilliantly executed one liners and quirky questions which make her stand out from her predecessors. She really is something new, which is exactly what the Doctor ordered. He’s really going to have to up his game.
The most important factor to take away from this episode is that it makes us care. As she joins the Doctor and Nardole to see the universe anew in the final moments, we care about our new friend Bill Potts. When the TARDIS doors close behind her, we just wish we were going along with her. We will be, of course, as there are still 11 episodes to come, but the abrupt ending makes for a poignant closing scene to what we’d describe as the best companion introduction of the modern series.
Let’s not forget the big bad. Without giving too much away (but trust us when we say that you’ll never quite look at puddles in the same way…), the underlying threat fuels the development of Bill’s character, as we’re left with the sense that the story of/her connection with Heather – the girl with the star in her eye – is only just beginning. The Daleks make a blink and you’ll miss it cameo appearance too, with the Doctor’s oldest adversaries once again being exploited in an original, albeit ultimately underwhelming, fashion. It ties up the Friends from the Future scene, though, so it’s nice to get that out of the way so soon. Onwards!
And “onwards” can’t come soon enough. Series 10 is already shaping to be one of the best ones yet, and if The Pilot is anything to go by, we really are in for one hell of a treat. Peter Capaldi expectedly kicks off his final series as a force to be reckoned with, and with Pearl in tow, the new chemistry on the TARDIS is sizzling. Matt Lucas deserves a special mention for his reprisal as Nardole, who it somewhat tragically underused in this episode, though there’s already enough going on to keep the story flowing, so we’ll let that one slide. There’ll be plenty more where he came from over the coming weeks.
In a nutshell, The Pilot is the perfect introduction. It’s sort of one of those episodes that you’d watch on a rainy day, but bearing in mind what’s to come, we’ll probably look back and appreciate that they eased us into it gently. With the Doctor, Bill and Nardole, the prospect of travelling through time and space just got very exciting. A time for heroes it is indeed. And do you know what? It’s about bloody time.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
With just 4 days to go (4 days, people, this is not a drill!), the BBC have released a TARDIS load of new pictures from the Series 10 premiere.
The Pilot will grace our screens this Saturday at 7:20pm on BBC One, when new companion Bill Potts finally steps aboard the TARDIS with the Doctor and Nardole to see the universe anew.
Check out the selection of images below for a taste of what lies ahead. Is it the weekend yet?!
Above – Why so serious? Something’s his mind, and we doubt it’s fish fingers and custard…
Above – Christmas comes early for Bill Potts when she steps aboard the TARDIS. Nice hat!
Above – The Doctor arming himself. Books are the greatest weapons in the world, after all.
Above – University would’ve been much much better if the Doctor had been our lecturer!
Above - Is the Doctor running away from danger, or towards it? Towards. Always towards.
Above – Bill on a bench. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. It’s all about to change…
Above – Bit slow on the uptake, Doctor. We’ve known what ‘TARDIS’ stands for for years…
Above - It’s Nardole and Bill in the TARDIS! We’re sure they’ll keep the Doctor on his toes.
Above - Come at me, bro! One episode in and Bill is already a force to be reckoned with…
Above – Nardole on a roll at the TARDIS console. And just like that, we ran out of rhymes.
Above – Well, she’s pretty creepy, isn’t she? And you think YOU were having a bad day…
Above – Here’s Heather again, albeit a different side. We much prefer this one, don’t you?
Above – Bill Potts is a hand to hold, but we’ve got a feeling that this isn’t going to end well.
Above - Ah, the Doctor and the Daleks meet again… for the last time! Said nobody EVER.
WhovianNet is an unofficial Doctor Who fansite. We are not endorsed by or affiliated with the BBC or any other companies connected with Doctor Who and its spin-offs. The official site can be found at bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.
Above – Why so serious? Something’s his mind, and we doubt it’s fish fingers and custard…
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(4.92 out of 5)