Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has announced that he’ll be reprising his role as the Ninth Doctor for the first time in 15 years.
Christopher took the reins of the Tardis when Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005, but left after one series due to clashes with the show’s bosses, including executive producer Russell T Davies.
And while anyone hoping to see him back on screen in Doctor Who could still have a long wait on their hands, it’s been announced he’ll be returning to the franchise to play the Ninth Doctor in a new series of audio adventures.
The actor will be recording 12 new instalments of an audio series with Big Finish Productions, which will be released in three different box sets, beginning in May 2021.
Christopher said: “After 15 years, it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor’s world, bringing back to life a character I love playing.”
Jason Haigh-Ellery of Big Finish Productions also enthused: “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.”
Fans will be able to purchase the new audio series on CD and vinyl, as well as digital downloads.
Since leaving Doctor Who, Christopher turned down the opportunity to reprise his role in a 2013 anniversary special, which featured his successors David Tennant and Matt Smith.
More recently, he claimed he was “blacklisted” by the BBC over his decision to quit the show, and vowed never to work with Russell T Davies again.
In 2018, he also revealed that he’d taken legal action against the BBC, after they put out a statement announcing his departure which he hadn’t signed off on.