DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special is UK's Most-Watched Drama; Matt Smith Tweets 'Farewell'

The BBC's Doctor Who Christmas Special, which featured the final appearance by exiting 'Doctor Who', Matt Smith, was the most-watched drama, and the second most-watched program, in the UK on Christmas Day, according to Deadline.

The special, which introduced Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor in the long-running series, was viewed by 8.29M people, delivering a 30.7% share according to the overnight ratings. The show saw its peak during the final minutes, at approximately 8:25 pm as 10.2M viewers tuned in to watch Smith's departure. That number beat last year's holiday episode which earned 7.59 million viewers on Christmas day.

Following the show, Smith tweeted to his fans: "To the downton-abbey-christmas-special-2013Whoniverse, thanks a million. You're the best. I'll miss you. And I'll miss the madness."

About the Show:

Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas special.

During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.

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