Doctor Who: Series 9

 

01. The Magician's Apprentice · 4.60m (21.2%) · 6.54m

02. The Witch's Familiar · 3.71m (16.6%) · 5.71m

03. Under the Lake · 3.74m (16.3%) · 5.63m

04. Before the Flood · 4.38m (21.%) · 6.05m

05. The Girl Who Died · 4.63m (22.2%) · 6.56m

06. The Woman Who Lived · 4.39m (20.2%) · 6.11m

07. The Zygon Invasion · 3.87m (19.4%) · 5.76m

08. The Zygon Inversion · 4.22m (20.4%) · 6.03m

09. Sleep No More · 4.00m (18.2%) · 5.61m

10. Face the Raven · 4.48m (19.9%) · 6.05m

11. Heaven Sent · 4.51m (20.7%)

12. Hell Bent · 4.47m (20%)

 

first figures are overnights, second are the official BARB ratings

 

Average overnight rating: 4.25m

 

 

 

 

Posting this here for those who don't read the overnight thread!

The final BARB ratings are OK really, slightly disappointing after previous series but they could be a whole lot worse going by what the press seem to be reporting :lol:

 

The final two episodes really were incredible, Capaldi was on top form and I feel like it was timey-wimey stuff done right. The ending to Clara's story felt quite satisfying to me, always a sucker for a happy ending. Very excited for the Christmas special now :cheer:

I've just caught up with both episodes...

 

Overall I was happy with the finale though I could have done without the return to Gallifrey/the time lords as they all felt a bit redundant. I was hoping for Missy to make an appearance but hopefully that will come in the next series especially after the end if the Witches Familiar.

 

I'm glad Clara got that ending, it felt very strange to kill her off at before the finale but it felt more emotional this way that the Doctor wouldn't just accept a companions death and I loved the references to the Doctor/Donna and other classic nods to last stories. Faultless acting from Peter and Jenna, those last scenes were so moving and I think Peter has excelled this series he's up there with David Tennant as the best actors in the role.

 

I feel this series, bar the Ashildr episodes, felt more coherent and I cannot wait for the Christmas special with Alex Kingston and Greg Davies! Intrigued to see what series 10 brings now!

It does feel like resurrecting the Timelords in the 50th anniversary was just to have a huge revelation and they clearly had no idea where to go with them from there. The throwaway mention in last year's finale coupled with the unnecessary mess they were in yesterday's episode makes it look like Moffatt suddenly thought 'I'd better do something with this plot point fast'.

It definitely worked in the 50th Anniversary but I do think the Time Lords are more problematic trying to find a story for them. As I said in my other post, I'm not entirely sure where they go from here and the fact that it was Gallifrey/the Time Lords was very much glanced over (in terms of the fact this is the first time we've seen it after the events of the Time War) which is very odd.

Just watched it (both of the last two), rather good finale overall, it could have been so much more than just 'rather good' though if it weren't for that ending :/

 

Heaven Sent was fantastic, properly gripping and enigmatic, the sort of thing I'd see on a cult sci-fi film and not primetime on a Saturday night on BBC1 :o I'd go down to say one of the best of Nu-Who. Like the Zygon two parter, it was really intense science fiction - presenting a strange world and not giving any answers.

 

Hell Bent I was in two minds about, I'm gonna agree with those that weren't very happy with the ending. The end of Face the Raven was so powerful and such a daring and excellent exit, that for Moffat to go back on himself and have her constantly prolonging her death feels a bit incomprehensible (plus I may be misunderstanding but doesn't that mess with time too much or something given in real time she's still in that moment? I don't think the Doctor would normally condone this sort of thing and it felt too rash even with his big connection to Clara) The interaction between Peter and Jenna was excellent and the Gallifrey Hell place and the old school TARDIS' were amaze. Gallifrey otherwise was brushed over too quickly (particularly Rassillon, where did he go???)

 

Overall a flawed finale but it has definitely been a bold and daring series with some real classic episodes, which I guess is a good and a bad thing - it's good as the quality's high but bad somewhat as, like Froot said, it does feel like it's becoming quite niche and putting off more casual viewers which doesn't bode well for commercial success, having said that, the Christmas special looks like daft fun!

Digital Spy have really excelled in making a complete cock-up of creating ranks - Series 1 last and Series 5 winning ffs: http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/fe...m-2005-to-2015/

 

01 Series 2

02 Series 1

03 Series 4

04 Series 3

 

Didn't care for Series 5+ when originally watched or didn't watch in the first place. The first four series are all excellent.

The Dr. Who episode felt like a Disney kids movie adaptation of Big Hero 6, personally I didn't find it that good, but it was nice to see River Song back again,

The last 15 minutes were beautiful, especially when they got to Derilium. The final moments were emotional af. :cry:

The ending aside, the whole thing was stupid really - the completely cartoonish villain, Greg Davies and Matt Lucas, the thin plot, but I wouldn't expect much from a Christmas special and I found it enjoyable enough, Capaldi and Kingston worked well together and Davies was especially hilarious. Was kinda surprised River didn't know who the Doctor was, I was sure she was bluffing him or something and she'd know him best out of anyone? But I've never really understood anything about their relationship!

 

It was fine Christmas viewing, nothing more nothing less.

Edited December 25, 20159 yr by Cheznuts

That must be the end for River then which is a shame. I'm glad she met another Doctor though. The fact she had only 12 faces to memory and that the next even is the Library means she won't be meeting any more probably. Alex Kingston is so fantastic.

Absolutely awful.

 

I assume during that long night they went on many adventures etc like Clara and Me? If so, it is a goof and long end for her.

That must be the end for River then which is a shame. I'm glad she met another Doctor though. The fact she had only 12 faces to memory and that the next even is the Library means she won't be meeting any more probably. Alex Kingston is so fantastic.

Yeah, I'm sure Moffat made a comment recently saying that this episode was originally meant to be his very last episode for the show, so he wanted to end River and the Doctor's story together with that and just have them 'do their thing' one last time, but seeing as he's staying on now I'm assuming going by what happened in the episode we won't see her again.

The ending aside, the whole thing was stupid really - the completely cartoonish villain, Greg Davies and Matt Lucas, the thin plot, but I wouldn't expect much from a Christmas special and I found it enjoyable enough, Capaldi and Kingston worked well together and Davies was especially hilarious. Was kinda surprised River didn't know who the Doctor was, I was sure she was bluffing him or something and she'd know him best out of anyone? But I've never really understood anything about their relationship!

 

It was fine Christmas viewing, nothing more nothing less.

This pretty much sums up my comment as well. It's like it was trying to be funny a bit too much in places, maybe because of the sad ending? I was also a bit confused as to why Ruver didn't know the Doctor until the end :???:

 

The scene with the Doctor "reacting" to the TARDIS was great though :lol: I really would like to see her again as she's probably the best character in terms of appearing from time to time.

 

I wonder if those aliens in the restaurant were related to that fish like alien in the first episode of Series 2 in Torchwood? Kiss Kiss Bang Bang I think it was called (where we see Captain John for the first time. :thinking:

a bit of a slapstick Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy episode, love River and glad to see her back, the ending was so sad but we already know how she dies. She doesn't have much room left in her diary, so we assume she dies soon after - or maybe The Doctor does her a new diary which she loses. Spoilers! :lol:

I watched this yesterday and re-watched today and as usual, this episode fares better after a repeat viewing.

 

I thought it was a fun, light-hearted, silly episode which was genuinely amusing in parts (e.g. the scene where the Doctor enters the TARDIS for the 'first time') - it was nice to see Peter Capaldi having a good time after a grim few episodes at the end of Series 9 and I really don't mind if Doctor Who is campy and silly at Christmas. On first watch, I was quite disappointed with the scenes at Dallirium as I thought they did a dis-service to River, and to their relationship. I FAR preferred the ending in 'The Name of the Doctor'. However, it got me more on repeat viewing and I love the idea of the two of them spending the next 24 years together.

 

People are saying this is the last we'll see of River this time - I guess we can never say for sure, but with Stephen Moffat's days as exec producer surely coming to an end, River's days numbered. Perhaps when Capaldi regenerates we'll see him say a final farewell akin to David Tennant's final scenes but if not, I'm quite happy for them to leave it here.

Edited December 26, 20159 yr by Slick

Yeah I'd imagine that's the last we see of River :( A great ending though if that's the case, was great to see Alex Kingston back in the role for the episode, she was on form as always. The episode as a whole was definitely stupid but it was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot, potentially my favourite Christmas episode of the Moffat era (although maybe The Time of the Doctor takes that title, that one's grown lots with repeat watches). The villain actually felt more threatening than half of the series 9 villains too so job well done :lol:

It would be lovely to find a way around it but River not recognising this Doctor and this being what she described as their last meeting before the library is pretty much meaning this is an iron clad ending for River :(

I'm glad that it was so fun as, even though I liked the majority if Series 9, it was quite dark in tone throughout so this episode brought some much needed fun and what better a time to do it than Christmas. River was great as always and there were many a funny moment. The guest actors were all great too and it was nice to have that monster threat throughout the episode for once.

 

Loved to see another Doctor pair with River, it's what I'd hoped for and they worked just as well together. That said, it's sad that it's highly unlikely we won't see River again considering she didn't recognise him/know about the events of 'The Time of the Doctor' where he was given more regenerations from the Time Lords. Still, the scene was beautiful and I'm glad we were able to see it, particularly the handing over of the screwdriver which will of course 'save' her.

 

Overall, fun is the only word to describe the episode and I liked it for that. It's not going to be one of my favourites and last years 'Last Christmas' was so much better, but it's not something I can criticse either.

This was the best Christmas special (aside from The Time of the Doctor) since the RTD/Tennant era. It was fun, light-hearted but also moved the plot along and filled in the gaps (River's final meeting before The Library episodes). It also makes a nice change to the complicated plots of the main series - it generally felt like this episode was more for a casual audience but the series was made for the fanbase.