The Daily Mail on what I would imagine is something of an annual ritual for them - complaining about how bad the TV was over Christmas. Their reasoning seems to be that people complained about some of the programmes (has there been any year where this hasn't be true?) and that the viewing figures weren't that high. Of course, viewing figures are no indicator of quality, otherwise The X Factor would be one of the best programmes ever, rather than one of the most furiously polished turds in history.

Perhaps inevitably this was the paragraph that stood out to me:

Despite having nine of the 10 most watched shows on Christmas Day, millions fewer tuned in to traditional stalwarts Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the Christmas episode of Doctor Who was successful. But don't take me at face value (just as you should never, ever take anything The Daily Mail at face value). Let's crunch some numbers.

The End of Time (Part One) had provisional viewing figure of 10.0 million viewers. Consolidated viewing figures were 11.57 million viewers. Not bad, when you consider that the average viewing figures for an episode of the new Doctor Who series have been between 6 and 8 million. And not bad when you consider that The End of Time Part Two got initial figures of 10.4 million - and increase of 400,000 people. Doesn't sound too disastrous, does it?

However, is this a decrease on previous years? The answer is both yes and no. The Next Doctor was watched by 11.71 million, with total viewing figures of 13.1 million viewers. Voyage of the Damned got 12.2 million viewers, with a final figure of 13.8 million. Of course, both of those were stand alone episodes, and one of those starred Kylie. Which is a little different to watching the slow, elongated death of the Tenth Doctor in a two separate broadcasts.

Yet, The Runaway Bride in 2006 got 9.35 million viewers. Tennant's debut, 2005's The Christmas Invasion got 9.4 million; around a million people less than his final adventure.

So to put it in perspective, The End of Time Part One was not the most successful Doctor Who Christmas special ever, but nor was it the least. And in this day and age - of DVDs, Internet TV and Freeview - anything over 8 million is pretty damned good. The Daily Mail is talking nonsense when it burbles on about how this was the worst year ever for Christmas TV, as the viewing figures (and reception) of Doctor Who shows.

But when have they ever let facts get in the way of a good whine story?