Christopher Eccleston Returning to Doctor Who (Big Finish)

[MerelyAFan]

https://twitter.com/bigfinish/status/1292475726646718466

Now this is a hell of a pleasant surprise. Honestly any return to the franchise always struck me as a long shot, and given the great work BF has done with various Doctors, Companions, and even Masters, I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with 9 in the audio plays.

[ProfessorDetective]

This caught me off gaurd, too. Given the problems he had during his tenure, I'm shocked and glad he's willing to come back, now.

[MerelyAFan]

This caught me off gaurd, too. Given the problems he had during his tenure, I'm shocked and glad he's willing to come back, now.

There's a couple of factors involved. First Eccleston's gotten some safe distance from his time on the show which he's said was miserable given that he was struggling with depression and anorexia all while having issues with how the production was generally handled. Secondly he's commented that being at recent Who conventions have given him a real sense for how much fans really appreciated him as the character which has shifted his feelings a bit.

Finally I think its significant that its Big Finish is specifically not the BBC or the current show which he still might be reticent about getting back into. BF doesn't take up that much of his time and is probably the most comfortable way to dive back into the character again.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Eccelston rightfully hates the monarchy, and the BBC are a bunch of Worthless Aristocrat Apologists.

[GreyICE]

Davies and Moffat are gone. That’s who he had a beef with. I’m not surprised he’s willing to return, now that the two people who pissed him off are gone.

[Riedquat]

Secondly he's commented that being at recent Who conventions have given him a real sense for how much fans really appreciated him as the character which has shifted his feelings a bit.

Good to hear a story where the fans have encouraged rather than made life grim for an actor.

[MerelyAFan]

Secondly he's commented that being at recent Who conventions have given him a real sense for how much fans really appreciated him as the character which has shifted his feelings a bit.

Good to hear a story where the fans have encouraged rather than made life grim for an actor.

That is something distinct about most Who fans; the greatest scorn and heaps of online insults is saved for the writers and showrunners more than the performers.