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Doctor Who lead role could be taken by woman, says BBC1 chief

• Doctor Who returned for its new series two weeks ago with 4.6 million viewers, the lowest audience for a launch show since its new incarnation in 2005. It dipped further last Saturday to 3.7 million viewers, up against Wales’ Rugby World Cup win over England on ITV.
• “The day it will work is when somebody says, ‘That person would be amazing,’ and the most conservative, most traditional member of the audience says, ‘Oh God, yes. I would hate the idea of a lady Doctor, but that one would be great.’”
• However, the launch programme added another 2 million viewers – nearly 50% of its total audience, in the consolidated figures, which include people who recorded it and watched it in the following seven days, up to 6.5 million. It has also had 1.5 million requests to watch it on the iPlayer to date.