‘Doctor Who’ Christmas Special delivers quite a gift to BBC America

In the fall of 2015, the British press were doing their typical thing (i.e. having a complete and utter field day) over the ratings declines of “Doctor Who,” with some critics going so far as to wonder whether it was time to put the show on another extended hiatus. We on the other hand, have been fairly optimistic regardless of the ratings, because this is “Doctor Who” after all – a show with a very long legacy and dedicated fans.

What we have for you today constitutes some rather welcome news for “Doctor Who”, as the show managed to be the gift that kept on giving for BBC America in the latest live+3 numbers over the Christmas holiday. According to Deadline, the Peter Capaldi series’ Christmas special “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” drew in total 1.7 million viewers, including almost 900,000 in the 18-49 demographic, over the course of these three days. This makes the Christmas special the top-rated telecast of the year among live+3 figures for BBC America across many of their demos — in other words, this show is not going anywhere.

These ratings may not seem like a slam dunk, but we have to remember here that American television viewing is extremely competitive and fractured, and there are likely millions of people who have never heard about “Doctor Who,” let alone made the decision to watch it. Add to this the fact that this show remains one of the most popular BBC franchise across the entire globe, and you have even more evidence that this is not a show going anywhere, provided of course that there is enough creative talent around who want to keep it going.

Want some other news when it comes to “Doctor Who,” including some discussion about Pearl Mackie’s upcoming role? Then head over to the link here! Also, tell us in the comments if this gives you any feeling of hope for the longevity of the franchise. (Photo: BBC.)