Christopher Eccleston was the actor who brought the Doctor into the modern era, but his tenure was short and (to many) controversial, and it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him never reprise his role. Fortunately, that won’t be the case.
Announced today by Big Finish Productions, the firm behind the excellent series of Doctor Who audio adventures, Eccleston will be returning to the world of the Doctor with a series of twelve (!) full-cast audio adventures. These adventures, set to be released across four box sets, are slated to begin in May 2021 with the first volume.
“After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor’s world, bringing back to life a character I love playing,” Eccleston said in a press release. Eccleston, famously, had an extremely hard time during his role as the Doctor, struggling with behind-the-scenes issues and personal mental health struggles, which makes his return as the Doctor feel particularly triumphant. It’s a victory over bad circumstances and harsh struggles, as well as a return that fans will adore.
According to Jason Heigh-Ellery, the Chairman of Big Finish, this has been in the works for a while. “I first talked to Christopher about returning to the role of the Doctor at a fan convention in February this year. Christopher said he was enjoying meeting the fans and was pleased that his Doctor was remembered so fondly. I am so pleased that Christopher has decided to return to the role with us – and I’m excited to welcome him to the Big Finish family as we discover the new adventures of the Ninth Doctor.”
The first of the four volumes, each containing three audio adventures, is currently available for pre-order on Big Finish’s website.