Doctor Who overnight ratings revealed for series 13's The Halloween Apocalypse

While the figures are higher than most of series 12's overnight statistics, they are lower than those for last season's premiere, which was watched by 4.88 million.

Last night's episode of Doctor Who introduced new companion Dan Lewis, played by comedian John Bishop, as the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Yas (Mandip Gill) rescue him from Karvinista, a dog-faced alien.

Series 13 is the first season of Doctor Who since 2005 to tell one complete story over the course of its full series since 1986, with all six episodes consisting of a "massive arc", according to Whittaker.

The season, titled Doctor Who: Flux, is set to be the last starring Whittaker as the Doctor as she leaves the show alongside showrunner Chris Chibnall.

The pair, who previously worked together on Broadchurch, announced their departure from Doctor Who in July, revealing that they made a "three series and out pact with each other".

Whittaker recently revealed her reaction to reading her very last Doctor Who scene, with the star explaining that it wasn't until she did that she "appreciated" what she was losing.

"I’m going to be awful. Whenever my last day is, I’m going to be awful, because I just love it so much, and I love everyone, and I love being a part of it," she said.

Read more about Doctor Who:

• Doctor Who - The Halloween Apocalypse review: Chris Chibnall turns up the heat for a fast, fun-packed opener
• Doctor Who: The Halloween Apocalypse’s 12 biggest questions
• Doctor Who’s The Halloween Apocalypse is like a series finale, but backwards
• Doctor Who's series 13 premiere featured nods to an old Doctor and two classic companions

Doctor Who: Flux continues on BBC One on Sundays. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.