When Doctor Who came back in 2005 under Russell T. Davies, The Doctor changed his face yet again. And this time around, it was the talented British actor Christopher Eccleston who portrayed the Last of the Time Lords.
The Ninth Doctor had a lot riding on his performance, too. After all, the legendary sci-fi series had already gone through one cancellation. So, in every sense of the word, Davies and his team had to stick the landing and ‘regenerate’ Doctor Who. If that weren’t enough, his characterization was also a unique take on the Time Lord. While the then-showrunner only briefly touched on the subject of the Last Great Time War, we later learned that the 9th was fresh out of his most horrific experience in life, having destroyed the Time Lords and the Daleks alike to save the universe.
As such, a lot of people instantly fell in love with this darker aspect of The Doctor, but David Tennant replaced Eccleston after only one season. Over the years, we’ve learned that the actor’s dispute with the BBC was what prevented his return as the titular character, despite Steven Moffat’s best efforts to bring him back for the 50th-anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor.”
Now, after more than 15 years, Eccleston will be back as the Ninth Doctor in Big Finish’s new audio drama, Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures. The series, consisting of 12 episodes, will release in four box sets, starting with the first volume in May 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted the next season of Doctor Who, but Big Finish is working on a lot of projects concurrently to keep Whovians busy amid this period of social distancing. The addition of the Ninth Doctor will certainly be a huge deal, especially for his fans. To that end, here’s what Eccleston himself said in a recent statement:
“After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor’s world, bringing back to life a character I love playing.”
Big Finish’s creative director Nicholas Briggs is also excited to work alongside the actor once again, saying:
“Working with Chris was a very special time for me. The beginning of my Doctor Who TV career,” He revealed. “So, writing for and directing him feels incredibly exciting. He’s such a powerful performer and it’ll be amazing to work with him again.”
Plot details and additional cast members are currently under wraps, but fans can now pre-order this new Doctor Who audio drama, starring Christopher Eccleston in his first outing as the Ninth Doctor in more than 15 years.
