Eccleston turned down chance to be in 50th Anniversary story

Discussion in 'Doctor Who' started by JoeZhang, Apr 5, 2013.

  1. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Every chance?

    Until about a year ago he kept absolute silence on the subject. Which people complained about as well; as if they had a right to demand he say something.
     
  2. Emperor-Tiberius

    Emperor-Tiberius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I have hopes for an appearence during NuWho's tenth anniversary.
     
  3. Green Lantern

    Green Lantern Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Time to wish my life away for the next 50 years. :p

    Well Christopher Eccleston seems to have a good sense of humour..........:p
     
  4. sidious618

    sidious618 Admiral Admiral

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    Eccleston's statement hit me as funny and not passive aggressive.
     
  5. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Well I'd quite like Aherne to take over as showrunner one day, sounds like he's the only one Eccelston has any respect for. Shame as I thought he and RTD had had a good relationship beforehand.
     
  6. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I know Joe Ahearne wanted to do some more of his own stuff after directing almost half of Series One, but it really baffles me that they've never managed to get him back.

    Almost as baffling as that they've never gotten back Hettie MacDonald.
     
  7. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

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    They had every right to demand it, and he had every right not to comply.
     
  8. diankra

    diankra Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The scuttlebutt is that doing five episodes almost without a break (partly because they'd noticed how well he and Eccleston worked together so he was asked back to handle the finale in place of the director who was already lined up) left Ahearne so exhausted that his partner banned him fro.m going back: sort of "I can't stop you working yourself into an early grave but I won't stick around to watch it happen."
     
  9. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

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    I think that just as Tom Baker later regretted not doing The Five Doctors, Chris will regret not doing this. The reason can be seen in his '100th anniversary' joke - namely, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even if the show is on air in 10 years (and as we know, it wasn't on-air for its 30th and 40th anniversaries), the 60th won't have quite the same impact as the half-century. Matt and David might get to appear again in 10 years, just like Troughton and Pertwee did the 10th and 20th anniversary episodes but, for another 50 years, this year's is the big one.

    For the sake of a few week's work, alongside a production team that's largely changed from his time, Chris had the chance to be a part of it, to bask again in the adulation, to know that fans would be delighted to see his return, etc. It's of course his right to decline but I'm baffled by it - I just can't see what the downside would've been for him. And I suspect that when he looks back at his career in years to come, he'll wonder the same thing.
     
  10. Photoman15

    Photoman15 Commodore Commodore

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    Unfortunately, I don't think he will. I don't know if it's arrogance on his part, anger, or so called "artistic integrity" that stopped him this anniversary. To me (and I hope most fans), it doesn't matter. It was a bad decision and a selfish one (no matter what the reason was).
     
  11. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I'm hugely disappointed he won't be in the 50th, especially as his Doctor was such an important gateway drug for the modern audience.

    He seems very bitter about his time on the show though, and I can't see that attitude mellowing any day soon. It isn't selfish of him to turn down a job, and he doesn't owe more than the 13 episodes he signed up for.
     
  12. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    He doesn't owe anyone anything. How hard is that to understand?
     
  13. Photoman15

    Photoman15 Commodore Commodore

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    That's your opinion. A celebrity DOES owe something to the fans or they wouldn't be celebrities. How hard is THAT to understand. It's a selfish position (unless he was abused by the people who are there NOW, not then). Sorry, they wouldn't have their fame, money or ability to pick roles they like without the fans. You don't seem to understand that and neither does Chris. There are a few other reasons why it would be acceptable to give the fans the finger and that would be 1, the pay the producers offered was too low or 2, a scheduling conflict.
    Most actors agree that it's thanks to the fans that they are where they are. Why do you thing RDJ is coming back as Iron Man? He doesn't need the money. He said he didn't want to disappoint the fans (and have someone else replace him, for now).
    All CE had to give up was maybe...maybe 2 or 3 weeks to film a few scenes and get paid.

    Sorry, celebs do owe it to the fans (to a certain extent).
     
  14. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Eccleston doesn't really want to be a celebrity in the way that say, John Barrowman does.

    Huge fucking money, and it's a job he actually enjoyed. All of us have surely had jobs we just loathed and wouldn't go back to?

    I'm disappointed that the Ninth Doctor isn't returning, but Eccleston has earned my respect with the way he has handled this situation over the years. I'd have totally flipped my shit during an interview by this point, and completely called out which personnel had ruined my experience. Eccleston always stays ice cool, and tries to just get on with things.
     
  15. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The self-entitlement in that post is scary - get a grip.
     
  16. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

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    'Selfish' is putting it strongly and he owed nobody anything. But, on the other hand, he must have known that he could have made a lot of people very happy with (as far as I can see) no great personal cost or inconvenience. It wasn't tremendously selfless of him, I'd say.
     
  17. Mr. Adventure

    Mr. Adventure Fleet Admiral Admiral

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  18. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

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    Just thinking about it, I'd look at it this way. I once read in Popbitch, the gossip site, that David Tennant was doing some advert work a few years ago. During lunch, at the canteen, someone approached him and happened to mention that the kids at a special needs care home where he worked were big DW fans. Apparently Tennant spent his lunchtime in character as The Doctor recording greetings and so forth for the fan to record on his smartphone to play to the kids.

    He didn't have to do it, he didn't owe it to anyone to do it and, had he not suggested doing it, I wouldn't regard him as selfish. He just decided to do it out of generosity. But, and maybe I'm comparing apples with oranges, when I contrast that approach to Eccleston's, I feel a lot more well-inclined to DT than to his predecessor.
     
  19. Konata Izumi

    Konata Izumi Commander Red Shirt

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    He is indeed an actor and any celebrity status is unintentional, which he seems to work against a bit. That's allowed. License fee was paid, he did what he was paid for.

    I still think it's about the old doctors, he didn't want to give his support to that.
     
  20. Photoman15

    Photoman15 Commodore Commodore

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    And that shows that DT appreciates his fans.

    Maybe it's because I'm used to US Television where you have a six year contract and do 22-26 episodes a season (series for you UK people). CE did 13 episodes, and you can deny this if you want, but he became famous world wide because of it.