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See broadcasts for BBC OneOxygen (5/12 Series 10)

Last updated 28 June 2017
Broadcast: Saturday 13th May 2017
7:15pm-8:05pm BST (18:15 GMT) < > « » Premiere < > « »
(actually broadcast at 19:14:15)
BBC One
Google
Featuring: Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas, Pearl Mackie

The Doctor, Bill and Nardole answer a distress call in deep space and become trapped on board the Chasm Forge space station in a future where oxygen is rare and precious. They soon find out that the spacesuits they are wearing are worth more than their lives.


Synopsis Source: Radio Times
Broadcast Source: BBC
Final chart position for Oxygen

Ratings Information:


Initial figures: 3.570m viewers (overnight), 20.0% audience share, 4th place day
Consolidated figures: 5.270m viewers (+7 days), 26.1% audience share, 26th place - BARB Week Top 30 Chart, AI 83

Overnight Viewing Figures: Live 2.62m, VOSDAL 3.57m (+0.95m): BBC One occupied three of the top four spots for the day, with Oxygen achieving fourth place; third place went to the preceeding Pointless Celebrities (which itself contained a Doctor Who related round) with just 100,000 additional viewers (3.58m/23.1%). The annual Eurovision Song Contest took second place with 6.73m viewers (35.2%). However, top spot once again went to ITV's Britain's Got Talent with 7.96m viewers (36.8% share). These are average figures across the whole of the programme, with the Eurovision Song Contest's audience reaching 8.37m (58.7% share) as the final results of the contest were being announced.

Consolidated figures: the episode ended up as the 11th most watched programme on BBC1, and the 26th overall for the week.

BARB TV Player reports: 146441/8th (w/e 14 May 2017), 110264/18 (w/e 21 May 2017)


Notes


Oxygen: The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) (Credit: BBC/BBC Worldwide (Des Willie))DRAMA The hiatus seems to have given Doctor Who fresh drive. There's been a bit less fan service and rather more desire to present solid, straightforwardly enjoyable adventures - even ones that will hook the uninitiated. And Oxygen by Jamie Mathieson, a no-messing matter of life and death, is a decent example of that.

When the Doctor, Bill and Nardole (Matt Lucas) head out into deep space, they find the Chasm Forge, a mining station seemingly overrun by the walking dead in spacesuits (zombienauts anyone?). But why?

Oxygen presents a future world of big business and sudden death, with its ironic computer interjections providing the commentary. A well-designed satire with echoes of Ben Elton's stage play Gasping, it features distinctive direction from Charles Palmer, including a heart-stopping moment for Bill (Pearl Mackie). An a scary predicament the Doctor has never faced before.

Credit: Radio Times (p53)