Doctor Who confirms overnight ratings for Lux – lowest in series history

Of course, it's worth noting that these figures don't tell the whole story, given the figure doesn't take into account anyone who watched the episode on BBC iPlayer, where it debuted at 8am on Saturday prior to its BBC One broadcast.

The consolidated ratings, which include iPlayer, devices and catch-up, will be released at a later date.

In total, the episode was only the fourth most watched programme on BBC One on Saturday, behind News at Ten, Casualty and Blankety Blank.

Meanwhile, Britain's Got Talent – its direct competition on ITV1 – also received more viewers.

However, it's not all bad news, given that those who did watch the show appear to have been largely impressed by the episode – and its unique animated villain Mr Ring-a-Ding (who was voiced by Alan Cumming).

"The artists did such a great job with Mr Ring-a-Ding, he has so many amazing images," one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding: "Each frame is perfect."

Another Whovian wrote: "Have to say, this was one of the most satisfying resolutions to an episode for a very long time. I can’t praise Lux enough."

And a third fan went ever further, calling it "hands down the best episode of the new era" and giving it a rating of 9.5 out of 10.

They continued: "Bonkers concept, stunning visuals, and the Doctor and Belinda’s chemistry continues to be brilliant. This is Doctor Who firing on all cylinders: wild, clever, and totally unique."

The episode saw the Doctor and Belinda arrive in Miami in 1952, where they soon find a terrifying secret hiding in an abandoned cinema in the shape of the aforementioned Mr Ring-a-Ding.

As well as Cumming, there were a few more guest appearances in the episode, with Linus Roache, Lewis Cornay and another mysterious appearance for Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.

It will be followed next week by episode 3, The Well, which takes the TARDIS to a devastated mining colony on a tough, brutal planet in the distant future – where these is only one survivor.

Doctor Who continues next Saturday (26th April) on BBC One, with new episodes available from 8am on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The series will be available on Disney+ outside of the UK.

Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.