Doctor Who: "Joy to the World" 7-Day Viewing Numbers Released
· BCPosted in: BBC, Disney+, TV | Tagged: doctor who, joy to the world
Doctor Who: "Joy to the World" 7-Day Viewing Numbers Released
After seven days, the Doctor Who Christmas Special "Joy to the World" brought in 5.9 million viewers, sixth place for the holiday season.
Published Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:36:08 -0600
by Ray Flook
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A new year means we start focusing on anything and everything having to do with the second season of Showrunner Russell T. Davies's Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor), Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), and Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra)-starring Doctor Who. But that doesn't mean we don't have time for some final "housecleaning" when it comes to the Nicola Coughlan-starring, Steven Moffat-penned Christmas Special, "Joy to the World." So how did the holiday special do viewers-wise? Earlier today, Radio Times ran the figures, with "Joy to the World" the sixth most-watched program during the seven-day stretch. In terms of where it ranks, the Christmas Special's 5.9 million viewers place the show behind Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Call the Midwife (two episodes), and the Outnumbered Christmas special. In comparison, last year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, "The Church on Ruby Road," was watched by 7.4 million viewers over a seven-day period – though, to be fair, that was also Gatwa's first full run as The Doctor, so a big curiosity factor was baked into those numbers. Of course, there's also the Disney+ factor to consider when looking at viewing numbers (though streamers can be a bit wonky when it comes to reporting numbers).
Doctor Who Season 2: Eccleston Era Weapon Returns & More
Even with the spotlight shining brightly on "Joy to the World" leading into Christmas Day, that didn't mean there wasn't time to look ahead at what the second season had to offer viewers. In Doctor Who Magazine #611, RTD did just that with a Doctor Who-themed edition of "The 12 Days of Christmas" that had some key clues to what viewers can expect from the second season:
"Twelve eps-a-counting!" RTD teased that an acronym for the title of Season 2 Episode 1 is "TRR."
"Ten scenes-a-heading!" RTD notes that the header for Episode 8 Scene 10 reads: "INT. CUTAWAY, METAL DOOR 2" (RTD: "Oh but wait till you find out what's behind that metal door! Not to mention Doors 1 and 3. Scream!)
"Nine eras-a-remembering!" RTD teases that a weapon from the time of Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor "is about to make a terrifying return. I knew nothing about it until the writer handed in their magnificent script, and… pow! What a comeback!"
"Eight shows-a-glimpsing!" Though not confirmed until it actually airs, RTD notes that we could be getting a Season 2 teaser trailer over Christmas "with some amazing guest stars in there." But this was the part that really caught our eye: "We kept quiet about next year's actors while Season 1 was centre stage, or it would've looked confusing."
"Seven words-a-listing!" RTD offers seven words from Episode 7: "It contains violets, owl, threshold, poppy, slip, Chinese, and Persephone."
"Four words-a-puzzling!" RTD offered a four-worded tease that will mean something at some point: "Tables don't do that."
"Three words-a-naming!": RTD refers to one of the characters in Season 2 "is a complex beast" who is "Possibly the production team's favourite. And very quotable!" The character was known by the shorthand RAD and noted in shots as "RAD enters the room," "RAD meets the Doctor," and "RAD is sad."
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