20 years ago,Doctor Whomade its biggest mistake. Back in 2005, the show returned to screens after 16 years off the air. The highly anticipatedmodern era ofDoctor Whokicked off with the introduction of Billie Piper as companion Rose Tyler and Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, but there was a notable cast change by the end of season 1.
SinceDoctor Whocame back after the classic era was canceled in 1989, a whole new generation of audiences has fallen in love with the British sci-fi show.Doctor Whowas a favorite of many viewers for decades,and it was great for those who grew up with the classic era to be able to enjoy new installments with their children.
In celebration ofthe 20th anniversary of DoctorWho’s modern era, many of us have been revisiting the Ninth Doctor’s era. While some episodes from that time have been consideredthe greatestDoctor Whostories of all time, one glaringly obvious thing about season 1 was thatthe show made a huge mistake in losing Christopher Eccleston.
Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor Who Exit Is Still Frustrating 20 Years Later
Behind-The-Scenes Drama Resulted In Audiences Losing The Ninth Doctor
While some actors chose to stay inDoctor Whofor a certain amount of time for a reason, the context of Christopher Eccleston’s exit from the show was a little different. In the initial press statement announcing his departure,the BBC claimed it was related to Eccleston wanting to avoid being typecast in roles in the future.
However,Eccleston’s comments over the years onDoctor Whoand Russell T Davies have suggested otherwise.Reports claimed that at the time of filming season 1, Eccleston was “overworked” and “exhausted” (viaThe Daily Telegraph). The actor later stated that the atmosphere behind the scenes wasn’t a good environment to work in and even mentioned claims of bullying towards crew members (viaRadio Times).
Even recently, Eccleston has made vague remarks. While attending the For The Love Of Sci-Fi convention alongside Billie Piper in December 2023,Eccleston said that Davies should be “sacked.”WhileDoctor Who’s Ninth Doctor Christopher Ecclestonhas never gone into huge detail about the ins and outs of what happened, it’s clear that his relationship with the show is strained.
The Ninth Doctor Is The Biggest What If In Doctor Who’s History
Viewers Would’ve Loved To See More Of Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor
After the last of thethreeDoctor Whomovieswas released in 1996,Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor was the most notable enigma of the franchise.However, when Eccleston left the show after only one season, he took over from his predecessor asDoctor Who’s biggest what-if?
Because we only got 13 episodes with the Ninth Doctor, there’s a big question mark over his head in regard to how his legacy would’ve looked if he’d stayed.
Because we only got 13 episodes with the Ninth Doctor, there’s a big question mark over his head in regard to how his legacy would’ve looked if he’d stayed. In those 13 episodes,the Ninth Doctor established himself as both a dark and comical figure,and he was a unique kind of Doctor compared to past iterations.
The Ninth Doctor was the first incarnation to be introduced afterDoctor Who’s Time War, and it was a fantastic way to set up the show for a new generation of audiences.WhileDoctor Whoseason 1 had its faults, it’s still held in pretty high regard,and Eccleston’s portrayal of the Ninth Doctor played a big part in it.
Eccleston was undoubtedly incredible as the Ninth Doctor,but as he only appeared in 13 episodes, it’s hard to explicitly say whether it would’ve stayed that way. Some truly brilliant actors start off in shows on a high note, but there’s later a decline in quality, which can be for all manner of reasons other than their actual performance.
What Doctor Who Could’ve Looked Like If Eccleston Didn’t Leave
(Doctor) Who Knows What The Fate Of The Ninth Doctor Could’ve Been
If his portrayal of the Doctor had been as strong as it was in season 1,there’s a good chance Eccleston’s run as the Time Lord could’ve spanned several years.However, hypothetically, if the Ninth Doctor’s later stories were the same as the Tenth’s, the execution could’ve been very different.
It’s possible the Ninth Doctor’s approach to episodes like “The Girl in the Fireplace” or “Doomsday” wouldn’t make the stories as appealing.Every incarnation of the Doctor inDoctor Whohas their own respective personalities and quirks, andit’s not uncommon to hear audiences say that certain episodes would’ve been a better fit for another version of the titular character.
All 13 Episodes OfDoctor WhoSeason 1Ranking (According To IMDb - July 2025)
7.5/10
Season 1, Episode 2: “The End of the World”
7.4/10
Season 1, Episode 4: “Aliens of London”
6.9/10
8.6/10
7.0/10
Season 1, Episode 8: “Father’s Day”
8.3/10
9.0/10
7.1/10
Season 1, Episode 13: “The Parting of the Ways”
However, if Eccleston hadn’t leftDoctor Whowhen he did, we wouldn’t haveDavid Tennant’s Tenth Doctor(or the Metacrisis, or the Fourteenth, either). Viewers might not have seen the Scottish actor become a superstar for his portrayal of the Time Lord at all, andit’s weird to think how different Tennant’s career could’ve been.
Tennant still could’ve been cast as the Doctor, but perhaps not the Tenth, and it could’ve been years, maybe even decades, later.The version of Tennant’s Tenth Doctor that we know and love could’ve been a completely different character,and the romance between him and Rose probably would’ve changed slightly, too.
Will Christopher Eccleston Ever Return To Doctor Who?
Eccleston’s Comments Have Changed Frequently
Anyone who has watched Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, either when his season was airing or nowadays, is curious about whether he’ll ever return to the show. His response to the matter has changed over the years, andfor a long time, he was pretty adamant he wouldn’t come back.
Eccleston hasn’t completely turned his back on the show, though,as he frequently lends his voice toDoctor Who’s Big Finish audio dramas. However, in recent years, his comments about returning toDoctor Whohave been a bit more positive, and the actor hasn’t shut down the possibility as definitively as he used to.
Eccleston has previously stated that he has no interest in taking part in a multi-Doctor story, and thatifDoctor Whowanted him back, they’d need to “get [him] on [his] own”(viaDoctor Who TV). However, in this same interview, he also revealed that he saw the script of the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor.”
The actor said he thought it was “better” after he’d said no to coming back for it.Eccleston’s main issue with these types of episodes is that he doesn’t find them particularly creative,and so while it seems very unlikely he’ll return toDoctor Whoalongside another incarnation of the Doctor, perhaps a particularly strong story will swing him.
Despite the heavily rumored feud between Eccleston and Davies, perhapsBillie Piper’s sudden appearance inDoctor Who’s season 15 finalecould potentially see the Ninth Doctor return to screens. Eccleston has voiced his desire for Piper to be the Doctor before, so maybe he’ll consider coming back toDoctor Whofor a multi-Doctor story, purely so he can appear opposite his old co-star.
