10 TV Characters Who Were Written Out Way Too Soon

1) Ninth Doctor (Doctor Who)

The secret to Doctor Who’s longevity is that it has an in-built reset switch – whenever the show needs a kick to up the viewers’ interests or make it feel fresh again, a new Doctor can be brought in. They usually change over every few years, but one version of the Time Lord regenerated far too soon.

Christopher Eccleston’s contribution to helping the show return stronger than ever when it came back in 2005 is often overlooked. In fact, his gravitas-laden lead performance was instrumental in convincing the audience that this was serious drama and not just a nostalgic remake of an old children’s show. Fans were devastated, then, when Eccleston hung up his sonic screwdriver after only thirteen episodes in the role. His successor might have been the near universally-loved David Tennant, but Eccleston really should have stayed on for a couple more years at least.