‘Doctor Who’ season 8: Peter Capaldi’s debut also nets big ratings for BBC America

Apparently, the massive success of Peter Capaldi’s launch on “Doctor Who” is not just limited to Britain. The ratings are in for BBC America, and it is very good news for the network.

With a total of 2.6 million viewers among all of the show’s viewings Saturday night, this is the record for a season premiere of the show. At the same time, this is a decline from the recent “The Day of the Doctor” special, but you also have to remember here that this is not only on a Saturday, but one in the middle of the summer. It’s hard to get big ratings in this timeslot.

What is interesting about this number, though, is how much it shows that America is still playing catch-up to Great Britain when it comes to the adventures of The Doctor and his trusted companion. Overseas, the premiere of the show got close to 6.8 million viewers, and a huge percentage of the actual TV audience at the time.

We anticipate the numbers being at least somewhere close to this in the weeks ahead, though some declines are expected. The crazy thing is just how long it has actually been since there was a proper “Doctor Who” series premiere. Think nearly two years. The first half of season 7 aired in late 2012, while the second half, including the set-up to the 50th anniversary special, aired in the spring. Then you had the anniversary event in November, and then the farewell to Matt Smith at Christmastime. Who knows what awaits us the rest of the season? We’ll just have to wait and find out.

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Photo: BBC