Jodie Whittaker’s take on the Time Lord drew Doctor Who’s biggest series launch audience in more than a decade on Sunday night.
An average of 8.2m viewers watched Whittaker’s first outing as the Doctor, beating the ratings for political thriller sensation Bodyguard, which attracted 6.7m viewers when it debuted in August. With an audience share of 40.1%, Whittaker’s performance was the most-watched episode of the science fiction drama since the 2008 series.
The first female doctor bettered Matt Smith and David Tennant’s debut viewing figures of 7.7m and 8m respectively. While she drew a smaller audience than Christopher Eccleston’s first appearance, which was watched by 9.9m, he had the advantage of appearing in the show’s comeback episode in 2005.
Critics were mostly positive about the performance, with the Guardian’s Lucy Mangan writing: “I hope intersectionalist feminist propaganda is always this much fun”.
The figures may come as some relief to Whittaker, who has spoken of her sense of the responsibility that comes with being the first woman to play the part. “There’s the natural nerves you have of doing any job you’re passionate about,” she said recently. “Cut to the responsibility of those shoes to fill and I’d be absolutely lying if I said I didn’t feel it.”
The show’s writers chose to address the change early in the new series. When she is told that she is a woman, Whittaker’s Doctor replies: “Am I? Does it suit me? Oh yeah, I remember. Half an hour ago, I was a white-haired Scotsman.”
There was a positive reaction from many fans. Screenwriter Mark Gatiss, who has penned a number of Dr Who scripts in the past, wrote: “At the theatre all day so had to watch #DoctorWho at midnight! Absolutely loved it. Jodie delightful and @BradleyWalsh as movingly Cribbins-like as I knew he would be. A creepy, moving and fun first adventure. Above all, I loved its heart(s). I love you, Doctor Who!️️”
Another Twitter user wrote: “It needed no effort from me to accept her as the Doctor, just none at all. It’s obvious why: the essence of the character isn’t gender: it’s kindness, and a unique vulnerable brilliance, both of which Jodie gave in spades.”
Others reported feeling emotional about the significance of a woman playing the role for the first time. One tweeted: “Jodie Whittaker appeared on my screen as The Doctor for the first time this episode and I welled up. About bloody time.” Another wrote: “So ready to watch a woman be the thousand-year-old weird nerd genius who saves the world again and again by being clever and brave.”
