Doctor Who: Ratings Record for ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio’ on BBC America
By David Hill
‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio’ set a ratings record for BBC America. So much for those thoughts that Doctor Who is losing popularity.
Considering the reaction that a few people had to the Doctor Who Christmas special, one would have assumed that it was a flop. People were complaining about the episode being boring, or not feeling like a proper Doctor Who adventure. After a year off, it seemed to these folks to be a letdown.
The ratings, however, certainly do not reflect that. Instead of being a dud, ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio’ set a ratings record on BBC America. In delivering 1.7 Million viewers, it was the highest rated show on the network for virtually every demographic.
Of course, the high ratings could be a matter of how much the show was missed by fans during the year off. After looking for various ways to satisfy our Doctor Who fix, and without any new episodes to watch, the special was exactly what we needed. Even though it will be another three or four months until Series Ten begins, it does not seem nearly as long now.
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Because the special featured a superhero in New York City, one of the complaints was that the episode felt as though it was catering to stereotypical “American” tastes instead of being true to the history of Doctor Who. However, it certainly seemed to work for the ratings.
Maybe this is the direction that Doctor Who is going to take — casting a wider stylistic net to have more varied adventures. We have been promised a different feel to the show, and based on this special, we have just that. Of course, any changes on the program will result in a mixed bag in terms of a reaction. Some will hate it, others will love it. But, so far, it is still Doctor Who, no matter what changes have been made.
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