Christopher Eccleston is set to return as the Ninth Doctor in 12 new Doctor Who audio adventures. Produced by Big Finish, the series will follow Eccleston's Doctor before the 2005 series. Eccleston took on the role of the Doctor during the first season of the revived British sci-fi series. Alongside Billie Piper's Rose Tyler, the actor received much acclaim for his incarnation of the character. Eccleston left the series following its first season due to personal reasons, but later reprised the role in several Big Finish audio dramas last year. Eccleston became a fan-favorite for many, so his return to the role in audio adventures was met with much excitement.
Announced on the official Doctor Who website, it has now been confirmed that Eccleston is returning for 12 more audio stories. The adventures will release in four box sets released throughout 2022 and 2023 as CDs, digital downloads, or limited edition vinyl LPs. The announcement also included a quote from Eccleston where he discusses his experience recording earlier adventures in 2020, as well as his enjoyment working on the role. Read what Eccleston said below:
“Just before Christmas in 2020, I walked into a small recording studio in an industrial estate in North London. Me and the sound engineer looked at each other and we smiled and say, ‘Let’s go!’ Then I started playing the Ninth Doctor again, and I loved it.
It’s been one of the great joys for me of the past year. It’s a lovely way to do it, so I’m coming back to record more.”
Eccleston's initial return was announced in August 2020, when Big Finish revealed the news on Twitter that the actor would return for 12 audio adventures across four box sets. The actor previously revealed that lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic left him with the opportunity to return to the role due to not being busy with other work. Eccleston joins previous Doctors Peter Davidson, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and David Tennant to return through Big Finish releases.
Eccleston's return comes following a rough departure that left him hesitant to return to the series for several years. Following personal issues and conflict with higher-ups working on the series and at the BBC, as well as the environment and culture he had to work in, Eccleston left the role after working on the first season. His return is exciting for fans who grew up with or were introduced to Doctor Who through his incarnation, and it is good news for those fans to hear that Eccleston is enjoying his time in the role once more.
Source: Doctor Who