S1 and S2 also started on an Easter Saturday. S3 started 1 week before, and S4 2 weeks after. So--it's closely aligned, anyway. *g*
S5 was shoved around the schedule, but so was S4. That said, S5 start times also skewed the earliest of any season. On average it aired about 45 minutes earlier than S1-S3. So both those factors worked against the S5 ratings.
My guess is the BBC hopes for a 9-10 million Who viewership in autumn, as it got with WoM in 2009. And a Merlin/Doctor Who combo isn't a bad thematic combination, actually. Merlin is solid, at least; it got almost the same ratings against X-Factor in autumn as Who did in spring. If the BBC airs Who before X-Factor, and then Merlin, it could very well bump up both shows' ratings nicely. It's a smart move, as long as the BBC keeps the autumn time slots consistent.
no subject
S5 was shoved around the schedule, but so was S4. That said, S5 start times also skewed the earliest of any season. On average it aired about 45 minutes earlier than S1-S3. So both those factors worked against the S5 ratings.
My guess is the BBC hopes for a 9-10 million Who viewership in autumn, as it got with WoM in 2009. And a Merlin/Doctor Who combo isn't a bad thematic combination, actually. Merlin is solid, at least; it got almost the same ratings against X-Factor in autumn as Who did in spring. If the BBC airs Who before X-Factor, and then Merlin, it could very well bump up both shows' ratings nicely. It's a smart move, as long as the BBC keeps the autumn time slots consistent.