It may be one of the Trending Topics on Twitter, but Doctor Who's ratings have begun a steady decline in recent months.
The show, which returned to our screens back in 2005, has gone through several Doctors in the meantime with the current iteration, Peter Capaldi, becoming a fan favourite. However, the sci-fi serial's ratings have begun to stagnate and fall below 4,000,000 viewers.
It's understood that bosses at BBC are planning to switch to a feature-length format by airing specials, similar to the Christmas episodes. Meanwhile, it's been reported that Capaldi is considering leaving Doctor Who as the commitments to filming have begun to impact on his family life.
As for a possible replacement to Capaldi, names such as Game of Thrones' Richard Madden have been mooted, but there's been nothing confirmed as of yet.
The alleged BBC insider said that "drastic action may be needed" to correct the falling figures. Although a spin-off series has just been announced targeted towards teenagers, the unnamed source said that Doctor Who's falling ratings are worrying. "At this stage all options are being considered," explained the source.
An official statement from the BBC said that it's "far too early to discuss next year's commission." As it stands, Doctor Who is the highest-selling programme overseas, earning the broadcaster an estimated £60,000,000 a year in sales.
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Via Metro
