Summary
Doctor Whohas a global fanbase and is one of history’s most well-known science fiction shows. The new season, which is currently two episodes deep, was highly anticipated, and the expectations were high for its viewership performance.
Despite claims thatDoctor Whomight end up being axed after this season, the viewing figures for Ncuti Gatwa’s first season were very positive. Now a new record has been set after the second episode of the new season, with ‘Lux’ going down inDoctor Who’shistory books, regardless of whether people liked or loathed it.
‘Lux’ Breaks Doctor Who History With Its Viewership
Unfortunately, This Is An Unwanted Record
‘Lux’ wasa unique episode ofDoctor Whothat featured plenty of entertaining moments, but unfortunately,it only drew 1.58 million viewers on its release. This led to the episode gaining the unwanted tag of being the lowest-viewed inDoctor Whohistory,marking the first time the figure has fallen below 2 million.It’s a damning situation and was a significant drop from the 2 million who viewed the season opener, showcasing that a large chunk of people opted not to stick with the story moving forward. Considering how many yearsDoctor Whohas been going, it’s an alarming figure, with this being a new low for the science fiction series. It ended up being the fourth-most watched show on BBC One that night, but it’s still a new low for the series that will likely be concerning.
The only positive to take from this fact is that it doesn’t include those who viewed the episode on the BBC iPlayer or on Disney Plus, which obviously takes up a huge chunk of the audience at this stage. Streaming is the predominant way many people consume television at this stage. Therefore, the viewing figures for the show will be important on those platforms. However, it still needs to perform well on traditional television, especially since it takes up such a commanding slot on a Saturday night, as theBBC needs to see that investment is paid backin terms of viewership.
Doctor Who’s Future Is Hanging In The Balance Right Now
More Viewer Numbers Like ‘Lux’ Will Sink The Series
One episode in a season struggling at a time when television viewing figures are generally down across the board might not seem like the end of the world. However,forDoctor Who, it could be exactly that. There are a lot of reports and rumblings claiming that the show’s future is up in the air right now, with no concrete plans for its future. A third season of this version has not been greenlit, and whenever anyone involved in the show has been pressed on that matter, it has been met with a level of awkwardness that is slightly worrying to fans. It is believed that the show’s future will very much depend on how this season performs in terms of viewership and critique; therefore, having a record-low episode can be a deal breaker. People involved in the show and fans will be hoping that this was simply a one-off or that the streaming numbers will make up for it, but if this trend continues, then it could have a drastic impact.
Audiences Have To Get Behind Doctor Who Right Now
‘Lux’ Was Actually A Brilliant Episode
Given the uncertain future ofDoctor Whoas a show, it has never been more important for audiences to sit down on a weekend and watch each episode. If people want the series to remain on the air beyond this season, they will have to spread the word.Doctor Whohas gone through various iterations since its inception, and there’s no doubt that it will return in the future if it is put on ice after this season. But given all the work that’s beenput intoDoctor Whosince its revival, it would be a shame to see the show fall to the wayside at this stage.
The fact that ‘Lux’ has ended up with this record is also extremely unfair because it was a brilliant episode ofDoctor Who. The show featured a fantastic setting, with period costumes and aniconic villain in Mr. Ring-a-Ding.Voiced by Alan Cumming, the animated character was unique and unlike anything that has been seen before throughout Doctor Who’s history, which is no mean feat at this stage in the game. The episode tackled racism, brought some meta, fourth-wall-breaking moments, and had an intense yet heart-warming feel throughout. ‘Lux’ gave people everything they could be asking for in aDoctor Whoepisode, which makes it such a shame that more people didn’t turn out to view it, especially since this one was marketed so heavily in the build-up to this season. However, showrunners hope that the rave reviews the episode received in its aftermath will have people flooding back to witness the next installment ofDoctor Who.
