Christopher Eccleston Opts Out Of Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special
The Doctor is out.
While the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary spectacular promised to be an awesome orgy of nerdiness, at least one face was conspicuously absent. Turns out that Christopher Eccleston, who played the ninth incarnation of the Time Lord—the first in the modern era—didn’t end up making an appearance.
When it was first reported that Christopher Eccleston wasn’t going to be part of the special, it followed the news that his successor to the throne, David Tennant, who filled the role from 2005 through 2010, would drop in for a visit. That would be along with Billie Piper, who played his companion Rose Tyler. The show was, at the time, on its Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith
Christopher Eccleston met with showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat multiple times, but they could never reach an agreement that was agreeable to both parties. A spokesperson for BBC said at the time, “Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about Steven’s plans for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best.”
Christopher Eccleston later clarified that he felt the role they wanted him to play did not do justice to his portrayal of the Ninth Doctor. Eccleston said, “I didn’t feel that what they were asking me to do did justice to the Ninth Doctor. So I said no.”
Plus, it got a little ugly after the announcement with the BBC putting out a statement that said Christopher Eccleston left Doctor Who because he was “tired.” Eccleston didn’t like this at all, forcing them to retract that term by threatening legal action. He said was mad they never apologized and didn’t seem willing to work with them, in any way, on the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary.
Admittedly, Christopher Eccleston had said he liked Steven Moffat which was the only real reason he even considered coming back for the special. But personal feelings aside, it just didn’t happen.
This news bummed out fans, but it shouldn’t have come as any great shock to anyone. Christopher Eccleston was only around for one season, and though he played a vital role in reviving the franchise and garnering new fans, it is well known that he didn’t always play well with others, and doesn’t look back on his time as Doctor Who with as much fondness as one might hope.
