For a long time, it seemed like Christopher Eccleston had cut his ties with Doctor Who, having previously explained the stresses the role had caused him. The performer, who played the Doctor for the first season of the show’s 2005 revival, is now returning as the character for a series of audio dramas, though, and has been typically open regarding why he was willing to record new material.
Eccleston recently went into more detail about his experiences, courtesy of an interview with The Big Issue, and the 57-year-old had this to say on getting back into the part after almost twenty years:
“Suddenly the physicality, the energy levels I employed – which are very much mine, I think – came back. [Fourth Doctor] Tom Baker said it’s not an acting role. And it’s true. It’s partly yourself, partly the writers.”
Furthermore, he took time to comment on the distinction between Doctor Who fans and his relationship with the production, remarking as so:
“I’ve always retained a deep affection for playing the role and what it means to be people. I disconnected from the politics and the lies and the bulls**t, but not my relationship with the people who love the show.”
Although Eccleston turned down the chance to cameo in 2013’s 50th anniversary special, and has dismissed the possibility of making other television appearances, he’s embraced the Big Finish format. Released last month, the initial volume of The Ninth Doctor Adventures provides a trilogy of episodes under the title “Ravagers” that are set before the Time Lord meets Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. As a result, the stories include fresh companions Nova (Camilla Beeput) and Audrey (Jayne McKenna), with plots touching on immersive game companies, the Battle of Waterloo and a ghostly Doctor.
Given the hours of content that Big Finish have created around even more fleeting Doctors like Paul McGann, we’d hope that Christopher Eccleston will become a regular fixture in the studio’s output. For the time being, there’ll be three additional volumes coming out between now and February 2022, completing a twelve-part series. Based on the enthusiasm that the actor has shown in recent interviews, then, he may have found a corner of the Doctor Who universe that allows him to enjoy playing the Gallifreyan without the problems that left a negative imprint on his single season of the BBC show.