“Asylum of the Daleks” Premiere Breaks BBC America Ratings Records

There was no doubt that after such a long wait, the Doctor Who fandom would be ravenous for the update to the nearly fifty year old series. With the cathartic ending to series six, the show disappeared from air for almost a year, promising to return with a half season of farewell to two thirds of its main characters followed by the introduction of a new series main in the spring.

But I wonder, after all that time, if anyone expected the first episode of the new season to be a record breaker not just for Who on BBC America, but for all of BBC America.

The Saturday night broadcast drew 1.6 million viewers, making it the most watched episode of the show in BBCA history, according to Entertainment Weekly, breaking the BBCA record for that timeslot. 1.6 million also puts it up 23% from 2011’s Series 6 premiere.

The Entertainment Weekly article doesn’t have any info on whether this is record setting or breaking for any show on the network, which is what I’m most curious about. Downton Abbey is another American favorite from the BBC that will be returning soon, and one wonders how the two will measure up.

And for full ratings dominance, might I suggest a crossover?

(via Entertainment Weekly.)