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Summary: Doctor Who nearly got cancelled in its first week because its premiere was swamped by coverage of the JFK assassination, which happened the same day. Thankfully, producers saw fit to rerun it the next day, which is now its official anniversary date. With the two events locked in tandem forever, their respective 50th anniversaries were bound to compete for our attention. But which would swamp which this time? Well, while the Doctor may have the highest rated individual article, he was crushed in terms of view numbers, as the assassination drew 5 articles into the top 10, totaling nearly 4 million views. And those wishing ill on Doctor Who can relax in the knowledge that its 50th anniversary special was beaten in the ratings by Strictly Come Dancing. In other news, global warming continued to be a hot topic this week, though with interest in Typhoon Haiyan apparently faded, there remains the question of whether the heat is natural or if someone with an agenda is stoking the fire.
For the week of November 17 to 23, the 25 most popular articles on Wikipedia, as determined from the report of the 5,000 most viewed pages* were:
| Rank | Last | Wks | Article | Class | Views | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 3 | Climatic Research Unit email controversy | 
|
2,148,412 |  |
Despite the typhoon that supposedly triggered its rise having faded from the top 25, this manufactured controversy holds its top position, which raises the question of whether it is the beneficiary of some artificial inflation. In fact, all the global warming articles from last week are roughly in their previous positions, which is odd, and perhaps suspicious. Given that its very presence in the top 25 is questionable, as those involved have repeatedly been found innocent of any wrongdoing, its continued high view count has a bit of a whiff about it regardless. However, not enough to warrant exclusion. |
| 2 | - | 2 | Doctor Who | 
|
1,435,415 | The longest-running science fiction television series in history celebrated its 50th anniversary with a barreling barrage of coverage; beyond the mandatory feature-length episode (see below), there have been documentaries, radio serials, lost episodes making sudden appearances, even a docudrama about its creation starring David BradleyasWilliam Hartnell. And of course, that surefire guarantor of high Wiki views, an interactive Google Doodle. | |
| 3 | 14 | 2 | John F. Kennedy |
|
1,034,731 |  |
The ever-popular, ever-tragic 35th US President surged during the 50th anniversary of his assassination on 22 November. His lack of a Google Doodle is probably the reason he stands below the good Doctor in popularity this week. |
| 4 | - | - | Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis |
|
806,828 |  |
The epitome of 60s glamour who saw her husband die in front of her got many sympathy votes this week. |
| 5 | - | - | Assassination of John F. Kennedy |
|
737,126 |  |
Three shots ring out in the Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, a President dies, and a legend is born. Will there ever be closure? Perhaps, but it seems that, even after 50 years, we haven't been able to put this behind us. |
| 6 | 21 | 2 | Lee Harvey Oswald |
|
661,246 | The assassin of President Kennedy (no, I am NOT going there) of course got attention on the 50th anniversary of his big moment. | |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | Sachin Tendulkar |
|
873,040 |  |
The highest scoring international cricketer in history retired last week after a 24-year career, during which he scored 18,426 runs in one day internationals and 15,470 runs in test matches (both all-time records) and was the only person ever to score a hundred hundreds internationally. His fans declare him the God of the religion of cricket; the devout Hindu wishes they would not. |
| 8 | - | - | Children's Day | 
|
637,074 | The day established by the UN to honour the children of the world fell on November 20th and was honoured itself by a Google Doodle. Seriously, if you were going to honour children, don't you think the least you could do would be to give them a day off school? | |
| 9 | - | - | Jack Ruby |
|
553,276 |  |
The assassin of the assassin of President Kennedy (seriously, how often does that happen?) also holds the distinction of having committed a murder on live television. Yeah things got weird that year. And they wonder why people find the whole story a bit strange. |
| 10 | 5 | 46 |
|
509,242 |  |
A perennially popular article | |
| 11 | 23 | 9 | United States |
|
488,855 |  |
The 3rd most popular Wikipedia article between 2010 and 2012, and a perpetual bubble-under-er. Not really surprising that the country with by far the most English speakers would be the most popular on the English Wikipedia. |
| 12 | - | 2 | Bitcoin |
|
433,272 |  |
People just can't stop finding bitcoins. The oddball digital currency that is mostly beloved of child porn addicts, illegal drug consumers and radical libertarians is back in the news this week, for a number of reasons. First, bankers have (prematurely?) suggested it may prove a legitimate competitor to real money; second, another bitcoin "trove" worth USD 6 million was found in a junked hard drive this week; finally, "Bitcoin Black Friday" was declared for the day after Thanksgiving to try and get people to actually spend the frigging things instead of hoarding them. Except that hoarding them is exactly the right thing to do if their value continues to skyrocket as it has done. |
| 13 | - | - | Gettysburg Address | 
|
420,366 |  |
In all the brouhaha about competing anniversaries, the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's 271-word rhetorical masterpiece almost slipped under the radar. Thankfully, the encyclopedia of the people, by the people and for the people, for better or worse, drew nearly half a million views to its featured article on the subject. |
| 14 | 12 | 4 | Global warming |
|
395,829 |  |
Global warming topics are still in the top 25 this week, but there is some suspicion as to why. |
| 15 | 13 | 27 | List of Bollywood films of 2013 | List | 373,935 |  |
An established staple of the top 25. |
| 16 | 9 | 9 | Lorde |
|
369,476 | The just-turned 17-year-old singer-songwriter from New Zealand released her modestly titled debut album, Pure Heroine, on 27 September. | |
| 17 | 10 | 49 | World War II | 
|
363,486 |  |
Another perennially popular article. (The 16th most popular article from 2010 to 2012, in fact, see Table 2 here.) |
| 18 | 7 | 55 | Deaths in 2013 | List | 346,231 |  |
The list of deaths in the current year is always quite a popular article. |
| 19 | 16 | 2 | Greenhouse gas |
|
342,919 |  |
Another climate change-related article |
| 20 | - | 3 | Jennifer Lawrence |
|
341,242 | The second instalment of the Oscar-winning actress's blockbuster franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, opened this weekend to a record-breaking $158.1 million. | |
| 21 | 8 | 8 | Eminem |
|
339,172 |  |
The rapper's latest album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, was released on November 5. |
| 22 | - | - | The Day of the Doctor | Future | 336,089 | The nostalgia-fest that was the Doctor's 50th anniversary special drew in tens of millions of viewers when it was simulcast around the world in 94 countries, and even drew in a respectable box office gross of $10 million, for the cinemas showing it in 3D. | |
| 23 | 17 | 2 | Climate change |
|
330,684 |  |
And the global warming debate rages on, for whatever reason. |
| 24 | - | - | The Hunger Games |
|
331,877 |  |
This hybrid of Metropolis and Battle Royale has become the least likely young adult hit ever. Thanks to the latest film adaptation (see above) it's been getting some Wikipedia attention. |
| 25 | 19 | 6 | India |
|
318,711 |  |
The second-largest English-speaking population on Earth also made it into the top 25 this week. |
