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Season 13 ends on the 6th of March 1976 and Season 14 starts on the 4th of September the same year. We're back to the 26 week season gap, but Doctor Who is also now on in the autumn/winter.
Viewing figures are just as good as Seasons 12 and 13, showing that the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane are doing something right. Either that or ITV has given up. Science Fiction has certainly declined on Television since the glam and glory days of the early 1970s, so maybe Doctor Who has far less competition now. Fan wisdom will eventually attribute the increase in viewing figures to the show's move from the summer to the winter, conveniently forgetting that Season 12 had far better ratings than Season 11, and yet was still in the old January to July slot.
After an inauspicious start (8.3 million for the first part of "The Masque of Mandragora"), Doctor Who's viewers quickly increase to 10.6 million by week 4. From now until the end of the season the viewers do not drop lower than 9.3 million, and if you want to talk stats:
From a fan perspective this season sees the departure of fan-favourite über-companion Sarah Jane Smith, the introduction of scantily-clad Leela, and more Time Lords than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at. But more importantly to the average viewer, the stories are well recieved, and the charismatic Tom Baker is rapidly becoming "The" Doctor in the minds of the general public.
If we're talking average ratings, Season 14 is the first (and not the last) to beat the ratings powerhouse that was the 1st Doctor's Season 2 by 11.1 million to 10.5.
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