Christopher Eccleston is officially returning to Doctor Who in an upcoming range of Big Finish audio-drama. When Russell T. Davies relaunched Doctor Who in 2005, he cast Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor - a smart move that told everyone this time the BBC was serious about recruiting top talent for the show. Eccleston was a hit, portraying an emotionally scarred Doctor who was still reeling from the horrors of the Time War.
Unfortunately Eccleston's tenure as the Doctor lasted only the one season, and he didn't part ways with the BBC amicably. In his autobiography, Eccleston revealed he is a lifelong anorexic, and he was struggling with the disease while filming Doctor Who. When Eccleston's departure was announced, the BBC issued a statement in which they claimed he was "tired," and Eccleston sued because the comment damaged his reputation and affected his chances of getting other demanding roles. Although the actor has insisted he harbors no ill will towards Doctor Who itself, he didn't even return for the 50th anniversary special. Eccleston has shown no interest in reprising the role - until now.
Big Finish has revealed Christopher Eccleston will be returning to Doctor Who in an upcoming range of audio-dramas. They are launching the Ninth Doctor Adventures, 12 full-cast audio adventures recorded during the lockdown and now available for preorder by Doctor Who fans worldwide. "After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor's world, bringing back to life a character I love playing," Eccleston declared.
Each of the four volumes in Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be released as a 4-disc collector’s edition box set or download containing three brand-new full cast audio adventures, plus a selection of behind-the-scenes extras. Hopefully, this will only be the beginning of the relationship between Big Finish and Christopher Eccleston, and he will soon be participating in some of their famous multi-Doctor arcs. There is certainly opportunity for him to appear in the "Time Lord Victorious" transmedia initiative that will launch over the next few weeks, already confirmed to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, and David Tennant's Tenth Doctor.
The Doctor Who fandom has flourished over recent months, with the release of a wide range of original online content during the lockdown; this saw a number of old hands return to the fold, including former showrunners Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat. Meanwhile, the Time Lord Victorious project is easily the most ambitious in Doctor Who history, even if the TV series itself won't be participating. It's great to see another much-loved Doctor return, especially given his run ended far too soon.
Source: Big Finish