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Why Eccleston if Only One Series?

Steve67

Steve67

Commander
Red Shirt
I've always wondered why Christopher Eccleston (my favorite Doctor of nuWho) even agreed to accept the role of The Doctor if he only wanted to do one series. In interviews he's said that RTD was the primary reason he took the role.

I can understand Chris not wanting to continue with the show, seeing as many actors do not wish to be tied down to the grind of a series and also want to explore a variety of roles, but from the producer's point of view, why would they go with a lead who stated beforehand that he had no intentions of staying after series one?
 
I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along to clear things up, but my understanding was when Eccleston took to role, it was for one season with the option of continuing afterwards. However, although he did like the show and enjoyed being the Doctor, there was behind the scenes bullshit going down which he couldn't tolerate, and therefore left once the season was done.
 
Hasn't RTD said he knew from the off CE would only do one year?

I'd always kinda read between the lines that RTD wanted a solid, respected, name-actor for the role to help cement the show, and give it more legitimacy, and he was willing to compromise and only have that actor for one series if neccesary.

Plus the way the character was written, and much as I really liked Eccleston, it was hard to see where you could go with the survivor guilt/damaged Doctor. He could have pulled himself together I guess, but by regenerating so soon it cemented in the eyes of the viewers (lots of whom had no concept then of the show's history) that the lead could change.

Imagine if Tennant had been cast as the 9th Doc and gone on till Series 4 before leaving, I think the notion of regeneration might have been a harder sell.

This is mostly just supposition on my part however!
 
It seems there was bad friction behind the scenes with at least one of the directors, which cemented Eccles' feeling that doing one season as planned was right.

However, I have heard - and it may well be total bollocks - that part of the reason he won't come back is because he ummed and ahed about whether he'd do some more, decided he wouldn't, went on holiday, the BBC tried to get hold of him to confirm one way or the other but couldn't, so they decided to with Tennant as planned, Eccles changed his mind and decided he would come back, but then found that he was too late as he'd missed the deadline and DT was signed up. And then somebody blew the fact that he had quit without checking with all parties...

So, AIUI, he was originally supposed to do only one with an option for some more if he wanted, decided the stress was such that he didn't want to pick up the option, then changed his mind, but did so too late and got gazumped, meaning he only did the one he originally wanted, but he felt messed-around with to the extent that he'll have no more to do with it.

Though he did say a couple of months ago that he supposes he'll end up having to do "those radio plays".
 
ha ha, "those radio plays!"

I wouldn't have thought he'd have to, I mean the guy seems to be always in work (he's great at the moment in BBC2's The Shadow Line) but then I guess you could say the same of someone like Davison who never seems to have lacked for work for very long. I guess the money isn't bad for what's probably a fairly easy gig.

don't suppose anyone has a clue how much BF pay?
 
One year wasn't enough. I wouldn't have felt cheated if we'd had 2 years. Still I hope in the fullness of time that he will come back to do appearances. The 'radio plays' are quite well regarded and don't take up anywhere near as much time as a TV production so while he was obviously being sarcastic (it's not as if he needs more work) he may indeed view it as easy money in a few years' time.

I'm keener to see McGann on screen again in a special or something. If he had come back to do one year oddly I wouldn't have thought as much of it since the movie sort of counts. It's probably the off-screen regeneration that makes the difference!
 
I would think one would question the BBC or RTD. Who'd blame an actor for taking a brief gig?

If nothing else, he left with everyone wanting more. By the time Billie exited some felt she had worn out her welcome.
 
Lonemagpie said:
It seems there was bad friction behind the scenes with at least one of the directors, which cemented Eccles' feeling that doing one season as planned was right.

However, I have heard - and it may well be total bollocks - that part of the reason he won't come back is because he ummed and ahed about whether he'd do some more, decided he wouldn't, went on holiday, the BBC tried to get hold of him to confirm one way or the other but couldn't, so they decided to with Tennant as planned, Eccles changed his mind and decided he would come back, but then found that he was too late as he'd missed the deadline and DT was signed up. And then somebody blew the fact that he had quit without checking with all parties...

So, AIUI, he was originally supposed to do only one with an option for some more if he wanted, decided the stress was such that he didn't want to pick up the option, then changed his mind, but did so too late and got gazumped, meaning he only did the one he originally wanted, but he felt messed-around with to the extent that he'll have no more to do with it.

Though he did say a couple of months ago that he supposes he'll end up having to do "those radio plays".
Click to expand...
That's fairly believable, similar in a way to what happened with Claudia Christian's Ivanova on Babylon 5, Season 5, she hemmed and hawed past her deadline, and was eventually replaced
 
Just started season 4. I still kind of miss Rose, but I know she'll be back again. It was somewhat a rough transition from Rose to Martha. I didn't think Martha's arc would amount to much, but she did help save the day at the end of her run. Now, it's an even rougher transition from Martha to Donna.
 
Mr. Adventure said:
I would think one would question the BBC or RTD. Who'd blame an actor for taking a brief gig?

If nothing else, he left with everyone wanting more. By the time Billie exited some felt she had worn out her welcome.
Click to expand...

And...she still came back for more, heh (Not that I ever grew to dislike her, but, I'm glad room was made for Martha and Donna)
 
Mr. Adventure said:
I would think one would question the BBC or RTD. Who'd blame an actor for taking a brief gig?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm asking: why would the powers that be go with an actor who has already stated he'd only do one series? Eccleston was wonderful in the role, so it must've been a case of "He's the best, and one year or no, that's the guy we want."

I hope CE does do "those radio plays"!
 
Steve67 said:
Mr. Adventure said:
I would think one would question the BBC or RTD. Who'd blame an actor for taking a brief gig?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm asking: why would the powers that be go with an actor who has already stated he'd only do one series?
Click to expand...

Because RTD was playing the long game all along.

RTD wanted to have a regeneration at the end of his first series. He recognized that the idea of the Doctor regenerating was something people find exciting and addictive and didn't want to just cast a Doctor and see how long the actor would last.

Chris Eccleston was GOOD FRIENDS with RTD. Chris Eccleston says HE WROTE AND REQUESTED the role of the Doctor. It was planned all along that he'd last one series. You might even call it a marketing ploy. It certainly has created a lot of buzz, hasn't it?

RTD could not have brought back Doctor Who with a character like Matt SMith or even David Tennant. The idea of Doctor Who had descended into a laughable cartoon-like joke of itself in the public's perception. RTD wanted to strip everything superflous away, including the Doctor's weird outfits (notice 9s plain leather jacket) in order to restore the central idea of Doctor Who as credible and exciting. It worked.

I have A LOT of problems with what RTD did with the show, especially at the end with the year of specials and DT's departure, but I give him hella credit for working so expertly with Chris Eccleston to bring back the credibility of the show. This is one thing that worries me about STeven "Fart-Joke-Dalek-Bump" Moffat and Matt Smith: the Doctor is turning into a cartoon character. A prancing, giggling, goofy, Bugs Bunny-like figure that is the exact opposite of everything Christopher Eccleston stood for.
 
Bacl said:
Steve67 said:
Mr. Adventure said:
I would think one would question the BBC or RTD. Who'd blame an actor for taking a brief gig?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm asking: why would the powers that be go with an actor who has already stated he'd only do one series?
Click to expand...

Because RTD was playing the long game all along.

RTD wanted to have a regeneration at the end of his first series. He recognized that the idea of the Doctor regenerating was something people find exciting and addictive and didn't want to just cast a Doctor and see how long the actor would last.

Chris Eccleston was GOOD FRIENDS with RTD. Chris Eccleston says HE WROTE AND REQUESTED the role of the Doctor. It was planned all along that he'd last one series. You might even call it a marketing ploy. It certainly has created a lot of buzz, hasn't it?
Click to expand...

Except then why come up with the "I didn't enjoy the environment" claim? It sort of contradicts what you put here.

However I do have to agree that there is plenty of evidence, were Eccleston to have never said anything, that supported the idea that RTD had a single season planned all along for the Ninth Doctor. Certainly the way the season progresses, and the culmination of the whole Bad Wolf thing - it just feels like it was planned and plotted as a single season, ending with what was supposed to be a surprise regeneration until the BBC Press Office messed things up.

This is one thing that worries me about STeven "Fart-Joke-Dalek-Bump" Moffat and Matt Smith: the Doctor is turning into a cartoon character. A prancing, giggling, goofy, Bugs Bunny-like figure that is the exact opposite of everything Christopher Eccleston stood for.
Click to expand...
I'll wait until you've watched Series 6 before really responding to that one. There's no way anyone can consider the Eleventh Doctor a "Bugs Bunny-like figure" after watching the emotional steamroller that was The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh, The Almost People and A Good Man Goes to War so I have to assume you haven't seen these episodes yet.

Alex
 
Bacl said:
This is one thing that worries me about STeven "Fart-Joke-Dalek-Bump" Moffat and Matt Smith: the Doctor is turning into a cartoon character. A prancing, giggling, goofy, Bugs Bunny-like figure
Click to expand...

Which is actually what this season is *about* - acknowledging that problem within the show itself, and deal with it and with the Doctor's notoriety among the denizens of the galaxy...
 
Lonemagpie said:
Though he did say a couple of months ago that he supposes he'll end up having to do "those radio plays".
Click to expand...


:beer:

I hope that's true because that just made my day. First Tom Baker agrees to do BF and now maybe Eccleston. Now someone has to invent a real TARDIS and get the first three!!
 
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