Return of ‘Doctor Who’ to BBC America Brings in the Ratings

The Doctor is back in America, and in a big way! On Saturday night 2.2 million viewers tuned into BBC America to see the season premiere of Doctor Who.

Although the premiere did not quite match the 2.4 million viewers of the 50th anniversary special, the 2.2 million viewers is a 46 percent improvement from last summer’s premiere. On its original BBC channel, Doctor Who‘s premiere averaged 6.8 million viewers.

The increased interest in Doctor Who is very possibly linked to Peter Capaldi portraying this season’s Doctor. Capaldi, who has garnered recognition for his role in the BBC’s The Thick of It. Capaldi will be playing, a louder, ruder doctor than we have seen in previous seasons, and could be a refreshing change for viewers.