Millions tune in to watch Matt Smith's Doctor Who debut
More than eight million people watched Northampton actor Matt Smith take on the lead role in Doctor Who over the Easter weekend.
The Great Billing actor took on the biggest acting job in television following the departure of previous Doctor, David Tennant.
The BBC said a total of 8.4 million people watched Saturday night's show, a massive 36.9 per cent of the total television audience.
Reaction to the programme was also good, with the majority of critics labelling the episode a success and some even suggesting the former Northampton School for Boys pupil could one day take over from David Tennant as the most popular actor ever to play the part.
Speaking in a behind-the-scenes programme, which was aired after the first episode, both the Northampton actor and his parents explained how exciting it had been to find out he had secured the role.
He said: "I was just ecstatic. My mum and dad didn't sleep for at least a day."
The actor's father, Dave Smith, added: "When he called, he said 'Dad, just call me the Doctor', and I said 'what, are you not well?' Then I realised and just started jumping around, it was surreal really."
Discussing the secrecy which surrounded his son's initial announcement as the Doctor, he added: "There were a couple of nights when my wife Lynne and I just sat up and talked about it, because we couldn't talk about it to anybody else."
Matt's first episode as the Doctor, The Eleventh Hour, saw him take on a new alien called Prisoner One and save the world in just 20 minutes.
It also introduced his new companion, Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan, and her boyfriend Rory, played by Arthur Darvill.
Other guest stars in the hour-long episode included EastEnders star Nina Wadia and Peep Show's Olivia Colman.
During the rest of the series, Matt will take on such Doctor Who icons as the Daleks and Cybermen, as well as new favourites, the Weeping Angels.
The next episode, which will be shown on Saturday, April 10, at 6.15pm, will see him battle against The Beast Below.
Did you watch the show? What was your verdict? Leave your comments below.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
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