Christopher Eccleston Returns to Doctor Who!

The Ninth Doctor returns! Christopher Eccleston is back in the role he first brought to life 15 years ago!

A very impromptu post this one, but I felt it prudent to write something considering yesterday's huge news. That's right - fifteen years after Christopher Eccleston helped to bring Doctor Who into the 21st Century, he has returned! Audio company Big Finish Productions are launching The Ninth Doctor Adventures, a new series of stories featuring Christopher Eccleston returning to the role of the Doctor for the first time since 2005's "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways". In the press release, Chris said that:

"After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor's world, bringing back to life a character I love playing." 

Now, as many people will know, for many years Chris was reluctant to even be associated with the role, and in recent years has spoken about battling mental health issues while involved with the show. We have also been aware that there were difficulties while filming that first series, including a breakdown in the relationship between Chris and the powers-that-be. So, it was no surprise that Chris was reluctant to return to the role, even passing up the opportunity to appear as the Doctor on the verge of ending the Time War in Steven Moffat's show-stopping 50th Anniversary Special, "The Day of the Doctor". In fact, I think we, as fans, kind of had an acceptance that Chris would probably never return to the role that won him millions of loyal fans around the world. Even now, three years in advance of the date, people believed he would be a no-show for the 60th Anniversary (something I still believe in, but there we go), and even the powers-that-be at Big Finish wouldn't be enough to win him around. So, imagine my shock and awe, when, on the 9th of August 2020, Big Finish dropped the news that Christopher Eccleston would be returning as the Ninth Doctor in a series of four, four-disc box-sets. To say this was a shock would be an understatement, as I had long put-paid to any thoughts of Eccleston's return. Honestly, I am delighted by the news, as not only does this mean a great actor has returned to the Doctor Who fold, but that the possibilities for the Ninth Doctor era are near endless.

Since the Ninth Doctor only had one season on TV, there are literally so many places that this Doctor could go. One of the major villains this Doctor never got the chance to face on TV is the Cybermen. Now, I'm sure that Big Finish will already be lining up at least one story for the Ninth Doctor Adventures featuring Christopher Eccleston and the Cybermen, but its a story that I definitely want to see. Of course, there's also lots of other Doctor Who villains that could feature in stories with the Ninth Doctor, and, for me personally, I'd love to see the Weeping Angels, the Sontarans and even maybe the Master (probably a pre-war incarnation, like Alex MacQueen or Geoffrey Beevers) going up against the Ninth Doctor. In terms of other characters, well, at some point we're going to see Rose and Jackie return, as both Billie Piper and Camille Coduri have worked with Big Finish before. I also hope we get the chance for Noel Clarke to reprise his role as Mickey Smith, something that hasn't yet happened at Big Finish (Noel has worked for Big Finish before, but not playing Mickey). As for John Barrowman... well, I have heard that Barrowman and Eccleston had a, shall we say, fractured relationship, but Big Finish do have a track record with actors who may not have got along returning to do new work together (Tom Baker and Lalla Ward being a case in point), thanks to being able to record in different studios, so it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility. As for characters beyond his era, there's one that immediately stands out to me, and it's one I hope Big Finish do as quickly as possible: River Song. Since joining Big Finish in 2015, Alex Kingston has worked her way through pretty much all of the Classic Series Doctors (Paul McGann most prolifically, and the only other Doctor River hasn't met yet is the Second Doctor), and is reuniting with David Tennant for three stories coming out this November. So, I can only imagine that Alex is a shoe-in to work with Chris at some point, and can you imagine how much fun it would be to have River meeting the Ninth Doctor? It's dying to happen. I wouldn't mind if they threw some other past companions in there as well, to really link the Christopher Eccleston era with the eras of the other Doctors. I'd love something where Chris can interact with companions like Katy Manning's Jo Grant, Louise Jameson's Leela and especially Jon Culshaw as the Brigadier. Finally, I'd certainly be open to Chris travelling with a new companion, or exploring that time period between the end of the Time War and "Rose", as its a relatively untouched period in Doctor Who terms, and getting the chance to fill that era in would be great.

I am honestly delighted that Christopher Eccleston is returning to the part of the Doctor. While only appearing in 13 episodes on screen, those 13 episodes helped shape and define modern Doctor Who, and, without Chris, we wouldn't have had David, Matt, Peter or Jodie. It fills my heart with joy that he now feels comfortable enough to return to the role, and bring the Ninth Doctor back to life. It was news none of us were expecting, and it is delightful that we got it. The Ninth Doctor is back, and there is only one word that can sum it up...

Fantastic!

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