The newest iteration of the venerable Doctor Who franchise was broadcast in the UK on Saturday, March 26th on BBC1 to great ratings, capturing over 40% of all viewers during its time slot. Around 10 million people watched the show.
But the show's boffo premiere was followed by the announcement that Christopher Eccleston, the 9th star to hold the role of Doctor Who (see 'Finally the New Doctor Who Is Found'), would quit after the first 13-episode series. The BBC announced that a second 13-episode series had been ordered last week. Among the names being mentioned as the 10th Doctor are David Tennant, Bill Nighy, and Eddie Izzard.
A heavy licensing stream is planned in the UK, which will include toys from master toy licensee Character Options, novels, DVDs, children's books, birthday cards, watches, clocks, and more, according to an article on Telegraph.co.uk. A Playstation game is also being developed.
It's unknown when the show, DVDs, or merchandise will hit the States. Diamond has U.S. distribution rights for the novels (see 'Diamond Signs the Doctor').
