Shakespeare Code final ratings

Wednesday, 18 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
According to the latest figures released by BARBThe Shakespeare Code gained an official viewing figure of 7.23 million, placing it 14thin the British television viewing charts for the week. It was beaten in the charts by all of the week's episodes of Coronation Street andEastEnders, and all but one episode of Emmerdale.

The figure places the episode 21st out of the 30 episodes of new Doctor Who for which the final viewing figures are known, withGridlock's final viewing figure due this time next week. The 14th position in the chart maintains the programme's extremely strong run in the top twenty. Since the return of the series two years ago, only The Empty Child has failed to make the top twenty, finishing 21st in its week.

In the multichannel charts, Doctor Who was the most watched programme of the week with an official rating of 1.039 Million viewers; an impressive achievement for a programme shown on BBC One the night before. Saturday's Confidential was 8th with 656,000 viewers, while Sunday's repeat was 22nd with 560,000 viewers.

Top Twenty Programmes w/e 8th April 2007

1 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) 13.07
2 CORONATION STREET (MON 1934) 11.76
3 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) 10.10
4 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) 10.05
5 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 9.22
6 EASTENDERS (TUE 1930) 9.06
7 CORONATION STREET (SUN 1929) 8.36
8 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) 8.26
9 EMMERDALE (MON 1902) 8.14
10 EMMERDALE (TUE 1901) 8.08
11 EASTENDERS (THU 1930) 7.94
12 EMMERDALE (WED 1858) 7.29
13 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) 7.27
14 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1859) 7.23 
15 THE ROYAL (SUN 2001) 7.10
16 EMMERDALE (THU 1900) 6.75
17 MY FAMILY (FRI 2030) 6.65
18 LIFE ON MARS (TUE 2100) 6.39
19 CASUALTY (SAT 2112) 6.35
20 GEORGE GENTLY (SUN 2059) 6.33

Multi Channel Top Twenty

1 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 1,039,000 - BBC3 
2 EASTENDERS (Thu 2200) 958,000 - BBC3
3 MY BIG BREASTS AND ME (Thu 2100) 946,000 - BBC3
4 EASTENDERS (Tue 2159) 835,000 - BBC3
5 LOST (Sun 2201) 824,000 - Sky 1
6 60 SECONDS (Sun 1959) 766,000 - BBC3
7 FILM: THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) (Tue 2249) 692,000 - ITV2
8 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sat 1946) 656,000 - BBC3 
9 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE (Tue 2248) 653,000 - ITV2
10 FILM: THE MUMMY RETURNS (Thu 2023) 653,000 - ITV2
11 60 SECONDS (Thu 2157) 647,000 - BBC3
12 BONES (Thu 2101) 647,000 - Sky 1
13 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (Wed 2302) 633,000 - E4 In
14 HOLLYOAKS (Tue 1859) 623,000 - E4 In
15 AMERICAN IDOL (Fri 2131) 620,000 - ITV2
16 FILM: THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) (Tue 2205) 607,000 - ITV2
17 THE REAL HUSTLE (Thu 2229) 593,000 - BBC3
18 EASTENDERS (Mon 2200) 589,000 - BBC3
19 HOLLYOAKS (Wed 1859) 574,000 - E4 In
20 AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (Mon 2100) 573,000 - Living TV

Source BARB





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Torchwood Series Two in 08

Wednesday, 18 April 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

In a recent interview with The StageJulie Gardner confirms that series two of Torchwood, set to begin filming on Monday April 30th, will be returning to screens on BBC2 in January 2008.
"Last year, we started filming in March and we were on air with 13 episodes from late September, which was just so, so hectic. And we didn’t really have enough time – it was absolutely frantic from day one of prep, it was all hands on deck.

And so, it just works for the BBC2 schedule that we can go in January. So it’ll just give us a little bit more time in our post-production. Which would be lovely, because we were delivering an episode every single week for transmission. It was incredibly tight. So it was just as well we didn’t have any last-minute technical difficulties last year!"




FILTER: - Torchwood

The Viyrans invade Big Finish

Wednesday, 18 April 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

In the latest issue of Doctor Who MagazineBig Finish Productionsannounced that a new race of monsters will be making their first appearance before the end of the year. The Viyrans will be introduced through an extended storyline called The Virus Strand. This story thread will consist of the single episode stories which accompany the new three-parters on double cd releases.

The first installment of this series, due out this month, is Urgent Calls.Urgent Calls is set to be released with three-part story I.D., with both featuring Colin Baker.

May sees the release of the second installment, Urban Myths, alongsideExotron. Both stories feature Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant.




FILTER: - Audio

Gridlock AI, Sunday Ratings

Monday, 16 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who got an audience of 780,000 viewers for the Sunday-night repeat of Gridlock. This made it the third highest programme on Multichannel TV for the day, and the highest-rated programme on BBC3. Doctor Who Confidential got 480,000viewers.

With overnight figures now available for the whole week, Gridlock is currently the eighth most watched programme. Final consolidated figures will be released by BARB in about nine days time.

Doctor Who was once again one of the most appreciated programmes of the week with an Appreciation Index or AI figure of 85, once more pushing the programme into the excellent category.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Radio Times Dalek Cover

Monday, 16 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who is featured on the cover of the new Radio Times listings magazine, out in shops from the 17th April. The cover features an exclusive photograph from the forthcoming two-part Dalek story, but be warned that the photo on the cover is a major spoiler. To see it, click on the Radio Times spoiler thumbnail below.

Also with the magazine are free Doctor Who stickers, which will also feature in the next two issues of the magazine. According to Radio Times

In issue 17, Radio Times is giving away the first of three packets of free Doctor Who stickers. Sticker packets will be free inside every copy of the magazine and will accompany exclusive editorial coverage of Doctor Who. Some of the stickers free in Radio Times are exclusive to the magazine, the others form part of Merlin's new sticker collection.

Free Doctor Who sticker album
As well as free stickers in the magazine, Radio Times readers can claim a free Doctor Who sticker album from WHSmith. The in-store promotion, a tie-up between Radio Times and Merlin will be featured in Discovery Zones in selected WHSmith High Street stores from Thursday 19 April for two weeks. Readers can also send off for the sticker album directly through the magazine if they cannot get to a WHSmith store.




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Magazines - Radio Times

Gridlock - Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 15 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who was once more top of the charts with unofficial overnight figures showing that episode three, Gridlock, was watched by 8.0 million viewers, a 39.5% share of the total audience.

The programme was the most watched of the day by nearly two million viewers, beating Any Dream Will Do, which gained 6.2 million.

The programme had almost double the viewers of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on ITV1.

In terms of share it was fourth, just being beaten by the sporting events of the afternoon.

With one day to go, this makes the programme the seventh most watched of the week, beating three episodes of EastEnders, and gives Gridlock a high probability of bringing Doctor Who once more into the week's top ten.

Doctor Who was again top of the children's top ten, with 1.4 million under 16s watching, double the second placed Any Dream Will Do.

Doctor Who Confidential was top of the multichannel charts, with a rating of 0.56 million viewers, over 50% more than the second placedInspector Morse




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Friday Ratings

Saturday, 14 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
The Friday repeat of The Shakespeare Code was watched by510,000 viewers, a 2.9% share, making it the 5th most watched programme of the day on multi Channel TV and the highest rated programme on BBC3 for the evening.

Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 282,000 viewers, a 1.6% share.

On BBC1, Totally Doctor Who got 700,000 viewers, the same as week one and roughly equal to other CBBC programmes in the same slot.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Earlier start time for Daleks

Saturday, 14 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Schedules published for 21st April show that episode four, Daleks in Manhattan has an earlier start time of 6.35pm.

The programme is once more sandwiched between The National Lottery People's Quiz and the talent show Any Dream Will Do.

ITV1 appear to have altered their schedule to place their talent showGrease Is The Word at 7.25pm, missing Dcotor Who and placing it directly against the BBC's Joseph. Against the Doctor and the Daleks, they have scheduled Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon, where Wendy RichardMichael Le VellJamelia and Andrea Catherwood help recreate Blankety Blank.

BBC2 viewers are offered another futuristic drama series Superstorm, which runs from 6-7pm, followed by live coverage of World Championship Snooker from the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, while Channel 4 once more hasBorn Survivor: Bear Grylls. Last week, this got 1.4 million viewers.

Channel 5 is showing a 1987 Blake Edwards comedy, Blind Date, starringBruce Willis and Kim Basinger.

Doctor Who Confidential is on BBC3 at 7.25pm.

NB: schedules are subject to change.




FILTER: - UK - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting

The Now Show

Saturday, 14 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
This week's Now Show on BBC Radio 4 features a song about the scheduling of Doctor Who, wishing Manchester United a clear and decisive win, just to ensure that tonight's episode of Doctor Who isn't postponed. This is the latest of several Doctor Who-related songs to have been performed on the programme by comedian and Outpost Gallifreyforum member Mitch Benn.

The programme is available via the BBC Listen again feature for the next seven days. The song is approximately seven minutes into the programme.

(Thanks to Julian Shortman.)




FILTER: - Radio

Eccleston to Time Travel in Upcoming Film

Friday, 13 April 2007 - Reported by R Alan Siler

According to the Manchester Evening NewsChristopher Eccleston is set to star in a theatrical adaptation ofSusan Cooper's Young Adult novelThe Dark Is Rising.

Eccleston will play the main villain, the Rider, who leads the evil forces back and forth through time, in what are described as Harry Potter-style films. The five books in Cooper's series are optioned and will be produced, depending on the performance of the first film.

No information on production schedule or proposed release date is included in the article. Book description appears below:
"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track;
Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone;
Five will return, and one go alone."


With these mysterious words, Will Stanton discovers on his 11th birthday that he is no mere boy. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land. His task is monumental: he must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will create a force strong enough to match and perhaps overcome that of the Dark. Embarking on this endeavor is dangerous as well as deeply rewarding; Will must work within a continuum of time and space much broader than he ever imagined.




FILTER: - People