2. The Shorter-Length Serial Market Is Far Smaller Than Who Deserves
Next, James referenced the market for serials currently existing within the BBC, with the success of The Thick Of It and The Sarah Jane Adventures in recent years proving prime examples of this interest. However, in both instances these programmes have fallen well short of what Doctor Who is currently capable of- The Thick Of It kicked off with just over 1 million viewers in its 2009 run and The Sarah Jane Adventures averaged just under a million each week in the five years that it charmed fans of the spin-off on CBBC. Considering that Who debuted with a great starting figure of 8.3 million and over the course of five episodes it has never dropped below 7 million, then, we should be able to see the clear distinction. Even the overnight figures all averaged in the 5-6 million range despite heavy competition from The X Factor, and thus we can note the show's continued success in its one/two-part story format. If it were the case that these ratings had dropped massively from the show's return in 2005, then we could perhaps speculate a problem with the format seven years on, but when Series One was averaging the same sort of figures (albeit of course with the added impact of the success of the premiere return after sixteen years) it's really challenging to point any real negativity towards Who. At no point should the Moff even consider reverting to the serial format if things stay the way they are, seeing as against any criticisms of the 45-minute adventures the viewers (fans such as myself of course included) are coming back week after week to spend more time with Matt Smith and the TARDIS. It feels as if Doctor Who could not be in ruder health in terms of quality and viewer ratings on the eve of its 50th Anniversary, so it's only natural that Steven Moffat will stick to what's worked while adding new monsters and plot twists on top!