The new Doctor and his TARDIS crash landed on SPACE with explosive results as one million viewers tuned in to some or all of the premiere of DOCTOR WHO on Saturday night. The recharged DOCTOR WHO series also claimed top spot as the #1 non-sports specialty program of the day with an average of nearly half a million viewers (469,000).*
During the premiere, SPACE hosted a live chat on spacecast.com featuring a panel of DOCTOR WHO experts, including INNERSPACE reporter Natasha Eloi, SANCTUARY star Robin Dunne and award-winning artist Pia Guerra (Y-the Last Man). The two and a half-hour chat clocked in 1,300 comments, paralleling the number of comments made in THE JUNO AWARDS chatroom last night on CTV.ca. Viewers who missed their appointment with the Doctor on Saturday still have five more days to revisit the premiere episode on demand at spacecast.com.
As the youngest actor to incarnate the 907-year old icon, Matt Smith and the re-charged DOCTOR WHO series won over viewers and critics alike.
Here’s what critics had to say:
“Make no mistake: This is not your father’s Doctor Who.”
Andy Ryan, Globe & Mail
“The 27-year-old isn’t just the youngest actor to play iconic role, but he’s also – dare I say it – the most entertaining.”
Greg David, tvguide.com
“Yes, it’s that good. In fact, based on the evidence of tonight’s enthralling opener, it’s not just good. It’s special.”
Alex Strachan, Canwest
“It takes no time at all for the new team to establish its authority; the new “Who” feels at once traditional and fresh, and completely right.”
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
Really, the episode lives and dies based on Matt Smith’s and Karen Gillan’s performances. And they’re both captivating. Smith’s hyperactive, joyful Doctor is already firmly established in my mind as THE Doctor i09 (Gawker Media Sci-fi blog)
In the next episode of DOCTOR WHO, “The Beast Below,” airing Saturday, April 24 at 9 p.m. ET, The Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain in space! Starship UK houses the future of the British people as they search the stars for a new home. As Amy explores she encounters the terrifying Smilers and learns a deadly truth.
About the Smilers:
Start to worry, when The Smilers frown. The Smilers are androids, mounted in booths all across the space faring version of Britain that left Earth in the 29th Century. They let people know what’s good and what’s bad. The terrified population keep them clean. Their heads can rotate to show three faces: happy; warning or very dangerous indeed.
*Source: BBM Canada; P2+ reach and audience
