50th Anniversary Special - Eccleston Reconsidering?

[tomalak301]

I got this link from another board I visit and I'm not sure if it's been brought up here yet. I know it's pretty much all speculation at this point and don't get my hopes up, but this would be awesome if it happened.

Show boss Steven Moffat is close to completing a script which will see the current Doctor, Matt Smith, needing the assistance of ALL his police box predecessors – even if three of them have died.

The half-century special, to be broadcast in November, will use studio trickery to resurrect the first three Doctors – William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee – in brief flashback scenes.

Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann have all signed up to record an anniversary audio adventure, and are keen to appear in the historic TV show, too.

Christopher Eccleston is said to be reconsidering an earlier decision not to take part, and David Tennant – a friend of Moffat – has hinted that he has been invited to reprise his role.

link

[DalekJim]

Well, he left over behind the scenes politics and disliking RTD's cheesy OTT writing so it's possible he could be back now those elements have gone but... I can't see it. I think he's moved on entirely.

[Skywalker]

I'm still skeptical, but really hoping that it happens.

[Emh]

I'm skeptical but cautiously hopeful. Only time will tell.

What is just as interesting is the claim that the first three Doctors will be represented in the special through "studio trickery" and all of the remaining Classic Doctors are "keen" to return.

[The Mirrorball Man]

DalekJim wrote:

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and disliking RTD's cheesy OTT writing

Source?

[Nightowl1701]

I'm starting to fear my fellow Whovians are getting their hopes up WAY too high, and whatever Moffat and the BBC come up with this fall isn't gonna clear the bar. Ironic as this may sound, throwing everything AND the kitchen sink at the screen was a lot easier in 1983 than it is now.

[Shazam!]

The Mirrorball Man wrote:

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Source?

RTD's cheesy OTT writing.

[DalekJim]

The Mirrorball Man wrote:

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Source?

Fairly well known among Who fans. He was also heard yelling at Keith Boak that "I have to act it, but at least I don't have to watch this shit!"

He's on record as praising the Moffat 2-parter he did a bunch of times but uh... that's it as far as his episodes go.

Nightowl1701 wrote:

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I'm starting to fear my fellow Whovians are getting their hopes up WAY too high, and whatever Moffat and the BBC come up with this fall isn't gonna clear the bar. Ironic as this may sound, throwing everything AND the kitchen sink at the screen was a lot easier in 1983 than it is now.

As long as we get Sylvester McCoy back for the anniversary, I'll be happy. If it's JUST Tennant then I'll be pretty pissed.

[Konata Izumi]

DalekJim wrote:

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He was also heard yelling at Keith Boak that "I have to act it, but at least I don't have to watch this shit!"

I heard he took the gig after reading the scripts for Keith Boak's episodes. Was it like when he did G.I. Joe and now Thor 2? Unless you mean the way RTD wanted them to be directed. Ruining decent scripts. And I guess that direction went more into the scripts too in later series.

Any chance for more quotes like that?

[DalekJim]

Konata Izumi wrote:

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Any chance for more quotes like that?

Only other quotes we have are Eccleston slamming the producers as the reason he quit the show. Though RTD still peddles the line that Eccleston was always meant to leave at the end of Series 1. Which just isn't how TV works at all.

[The Mirrorball Man]

DalekJim wrote:

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Fairly well known among Who fans. He was also heard yelling at Keith Boak that "I have to act it, but at least I don't have to watch this shit!"

Hearsay. What he said that you can actually source is this: "I left because of politics. I did not see eye to eye with them. I didn't agree with the way things were being run. I didn't like the culture that had grown up around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle."

The bit about "disliking RTD's cheesy OTT writing" is a fabrication.

[DalekJim]

Haha. OK.

[The Mirrorball Man]

DalekJim wrote:

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Haha. OK.

I like it when you're reasonable.

[DalekJim]

Still, I hope we at least get the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors back for the 50th. Having McGann back in particular would be such vindication for those fans who kept the dream alive.

And please, no River Song or Rose.

[Mr Awe]

Nightowl1701 wrote:

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I'm starting to fear my fellow Whovians are getting their hopes up WAY too high, and whatever Moffat and the BBC come up with this fall isn't gonna clear the bar. Ironic as this may sound, throwing everything AND the kitchen sink at the screen was a lot easier in 1983 than it is now.

That's possible, but they really need to do something like this or it's just going to seem like a lack of effort to many of us. It's a Who tradition to bring back as many older Doctor's as possible for these anniversaries.

Personally, I'd be totally fine if not all Classic Doctors returned, but the they do need to be represented.

Mr Awe