Doctor Who, Steven Moffat, Matt Smith
Steven Moffat (L) head writer and executive producer and actor Matt Smith who portrays 'The Doctor' take part in a panel discussion about their BBC America series 'Doctor Who' during the 2011 Summer Television Critics Association Cable Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California July 28, 2011. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

“Doctor Who” isn’t losing audience and not on the verge of cancellation. Executive producer Steven Moffat has denied rumours that BBC is considering cancelling the long-time running series due to poor viewers’ number.

Reports claim that the sci-fi show’s ratings have been diminishing in number in years. The situation has just got worse when the recent eighth series, which stars 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi, commenced in 2014.

Moffat denied the reports, insisting that the ratings have “barely changed” since the show was revived in 2005 with the 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston. In fact, the show has even attracted more viewers in different platforms. Since how people watch shows these days have differed from the past, wherein they would all watch from a TV screen during the program’s on-air schedule, viewers who watch “Doctor Who” have opted to do so through various media.

“The figures are the same – they’re just the same. If by ‘ratings’ you mean the number people who watch the show... they are the same. The headline – boring though it is – is that they’ve barely changed since Doctor Who came back. Since Matt Smith took over Doctor Who – the time I’ve been doing it – the number of people that watch the show on iPlayer has trebled,” he was quoted as saying. “The way people watch it has changed. People watch it on catch-up to a much greater degree, but there is no drop-off in the ratings.”

He added, “For the record, [even if our overnights were our final rating, that would still count as a hit. I would be working hard, even as a Scot, to be disappointed!”

Capaldi’s first full episode as the Doctor shows a final consolidated figure of 9.2 million, including the catch-up views. Ratings agency Barb also suggested that the final viewing ratings for the season increased an average of 39 percent. The final figures for the last episode titled “Death in Heaven,” which was aired on November 8, isn’t available yet.

Meanwhile, Moffat also hinted at a possible shift in companions. While Clara Oswald’s (Jenna Coleman) future with the Doctor is still unclear, the show boss revealed that they are mulling on giving the Time Lord future companions who are not from Earth.

“What we have is probably the most enduring form of the show and I think will always tend back to it for whatever reason, but there’s no reason you couldn’t tend away from it and there’s no diktat or special rule left by Verity Lambert or something,” he spoke at the Royal Television Society Panel.

“We absolutely could vary it. The times they’ve varied it, it makes them work hard – you can see them struggling with Leela. She was a great character but they had to civilise her fast because it was getting hard to fit her into stories – but it’s not a hard and fast rule at all.”

Leela, played by Louise Jameson, was the fourth Doctor’s [Tom Baker] companion who appeared in the program from 1977 to 1978. She was a highly intelligent primitive warrior from a savage tribe. And although the Doctor has attempted to “civilise” her, she was still set on continuing her “savage” ways.

“Doctor Who” with Capaldi will be back with its Christmas special.