January-March
The introduction of the Cybermen, the first change of lead actor and the fourth return of the Daleks helped Doctor Who see out 1966 with a respectable audience, just shy of eight million viewers. Although a Christmas spent in 18th-century Scotland saw this dip by a million or so, The Highlanders slowly built its audience and the final episode kicked off 1967 with 7.3 million people watching. Whether they were anticipating a more exciting futuristic adventure following a trip into history, or the cold January weather simply kept them indoors, an extra million viewers sat down to watch The Underwater Menace Episode 1. Was it lack of interest in the machinations of Professor Zaroff, ongoing uncertainty over the newly rejuvenated Doctor, or the draw of Doddy’s Music Box on ITV, that saw them drift away again? Whatever the reason, the rapid return of the Cybermen in an even more frightening form had viewers rushing back, with The Moonbase and subsequently The Macra Terror holding an audience of between eight and nine million. The latter, seemingly boosted by the scheduling of Episode 3 over the damp Easter weekend, would remain the peak for Doctor Who this year.