When Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005 it quickly established itself as the centrepiece of the BBC's spring schedule. The series is guaranteed to be a hit in the ratings whatever time of the year it aired but there was always a sense that it would've been better suited to dark nights like the good old days, so much so that this was one of the first things Steven Moffat was particularly keen to instigate when he took over the show's reigns from Russell T Davies in 2010. As alway with TV, though, it's easier said than done. Moving the series later in the year meant that the whole production schedule had to be shifted and as a result fans had to endure a mid-series break in 2011 which was followed by one series being strategically split across two years in 2012 and 2013 as Doctor Who prepared for its acquisition of autumn's Saturday nights. The constantly changing formats was the BBC's way of experimenting but after Series 8 it's safe to say that Doctor Who has finally found its home. This year's series was the first uninterrupted run the show has enjoyed since 2010 which was particularly vital in establishing Peter Capaldi's new Doctor. Doctor Who has also achieved ratings success in 2014 with an average of 7.4 million viewers across its 12 week run. Not too shabby for a man who's been around as long as the Doctor has and with another full series on the way in 2015, the only way is up for everybody's favourite Time Lord.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
