Showrunner addresses concerns about BBC sci-fi drama’s lower overnight figures.

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has suggested that “loads of things” contributed to the dip in the show’s overnight ratings.
Series nine premiere, ‘The Magician’s Apprentice’, drew an initial audience of 4.6m – down over 2m on the previous year’s launch.

“I don’t want to get on anyone’s case but that wasn’t our best-run launch,” Moffat told Radio Times.
“This year is not a new Doctor year, it’s not an anniversary, or a new companion year.

“We can just concentrate on making Doctor Who, which is quite nice in a way. But it’s dangerous when you don’t have that special extra bit to launch a show with.”The way it always goes is our highest episode is the first one, but this is the first year we’ve gone up mid-season – after the rugby [World Cup] died down. Our ratings went up with episode five.”

In the same interview, Moffat spoke about his eventual exit from Doctor Who – hinting that he is “actively engaged” in the hunt for his successor.
He is currently signed as head writer and executive producer for at least another 13 episodes.

The current series of Doctor Who will conclude this Saturday at 8pm on BBC One, with finale ‘Hell Bent’.