(no subject)

[mrph]

Actor Christopher Eccleston has quit as Doctor Who after just one episode of the new series, the BBC has confirmed

Er. Right. Remind me, didn't he actively ask for the role? Oh well.

Feck.

Comments

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

The Beeb's confirmation appeared to have been forced after the story leaked to The Sun and The Mirror. I'd like to think that it is an April Fool that got leaked a day early, but... it's Doctor Who, nothing is certain.

The confirmation story was issued at 00:06, which is a very odd time to officially announce anything (there can't be many senior staff on hand at midnight, surely?). There is also an earlier BBC story at 5pm confirming the Christmas Special and second series but ominously stating "it was not known if Christopher Eccleston would return".

The fans will go nuts in a not very nice way if CE has indeed quit by his own choice after only one series. Can't imagine it would be very good for his chances of being hired for anything else, either; he'd be forever remembered by programme comissioners as "the quitter".

The BBC's confirmation mentions David Tennant (Casanova) as a possible replacement, which again strikes me as a bit of a whacky April Fool's choice (from the little I've seen, Tennant is far too young and effeminate IMHO). But as I keep telling myself, it's Doctor Who, you just never know.

Is Christopher the Timothy Dalton to Paul McGann's George Lazenby?

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

Can't imagine it would be very good for his chances of being hired for anything else, either; he'd be forever remembered by programme comissioners as "the quitter".

Exactly. If he wanted not to be stereotyped, he has done exactly the wrong thing. Past Dr. Who actors have not suffered from this, whereas he will be long remembered as the one who let the fans down.

[polidori.livejournal.com]

"Past Dr. Who actors have not suffered from this"

Actually, most of them have, and several Doctors have quit the series for exactly the same reason as Eccleston apparently has.

Being slightly more cynical, The BBC appear to have a love/hate relationship with Doctor Who, and they spent many years trying ther best to get ratings to fall to justify axing the series: Terrible scripts and horrendous costumes/sets which plagued Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, for example.

Perhaps, as the Doctor has only a few lives left (12 Regeneration = 13 Doctors), they may be thinking to quickly cycle through the last few incarnations and end series totally.