Mr Eccleston

This recently surfaced in Digital Spy's forums. It sounds accurate:

'So, Mr Eccleston told fans at a recent marathon run he turned down Moffat's offer as "the character was going nowhere. I had a bit part and I couldn't see what I could do with the character."'

this is what I've been saying. there is a reason why Moffat didn't want to bring back any previous Doctors (McCoy, Baker, even McGann has said in various interviews that they would have done it). Moffat wants to shine the light brighter on Smith/11 and Clara (which I really don't care about, either way, at least I hated Amy, Clara, I just couldn't care less about). We don't know if Tennant is really the 10th Doctor or not (which could have been a reason why Eccleston didn't come back), or how small a role they would have next to Smith.

I know I will be accused of 'Moffat hate', but it's just my opinion. I'm not going to hate on his fans, but don't ask me to like his writing, his Series (7 has been the most boringest, dull season since Colin Baker's 1st, in my opinion, which actually led to the BBC almost axing the show in the 80's).

The 50th Anniversary was supposed to celebrate the history of the show, not just show how brilliant Smith/11 and Clara are (which is what we get every week). Big let down.

Why would Eccleston expect more than a glorified cameo? There's not much room for character growth in an anniversary special when your character already finished his arc. He should be happy they wantd to involve him rather than making it about ego. It seems like Eccleston is the one letting down the franchise in this instance.

I feel that this year is all about celebrating a fantastic body of work - It's 50yrs of WHO not 5yrs of Moffat!

Eccleston could've alleviated that if he hadn't acted like Tom Baker for The Five Doctors.

Funny as it is, the closer we get to the Anniversary, the more I don't want a multi-Doctor Storyline. Honestly - what would you do with them? Even The Five Doctors was getting fairly crowded, and now there's half a dozen more incarnations to throw into the mix.

The fan comic The Ten Doctors is an example both for and against the multi-Doctor storyline. While at the end, it worked out fantastically (Making Nine the overall hero of the piece was a treat), the middle positively dragged with the need to give the Doctors each screen time.


Series 7 has given us The Great Intelligence, Silurians, Sontarans, Daleks, Robomen, Cybermen, a glimpse of the Eye of Harmony, to say nothing of at least one reference to previous adventures and companions per episode (From Susan to Teagun).

As far as a celebration of the history of the show...I'm content.

I do wish Eccelston wasn't being stubborn though. He and Smith would have had wonderful chemistry on par with Pertwee and Troughton. With Smith and Tennant I fully expect chemistry on part with Baker and Troughton, but this time without Shockeye chasing around Perri for half an episode.

I have a feeling that we will see CGI walking, talking past doctors... bits cut out if past episodes put into modern story.

The fact that they are filming scenes

Spoiler:

gives me hope that the special will be a celebration of the entirety of Doctor Who and not just NuWho. I really had little hope Eccleston would return anyway,so it doesn't disappoint me too much.

I did not want to see all of the Doctors anyway. For me, it just does not work. Unless you were making a three hour mini series. They would get nothing but cameos.

bret_owen99 wrote:

this is what I've been saying. there is a reason why Moffat didn't want to bring back any previous Doctors (McCoy, Baker, even McGann has said in various interviews that they would have done it). Moffat wants to shine the light brighter on Smith/11 and Clara (which I really don't care about, either way, at least I hated Amy, Clara, I just couldn't care less about). We don't know if Tennant is really the 10th Doctor or not (which could have been a reason why Eccleston didn't come back), or how small a role they would have next to Smith.

I know I will be accused of 'Moffat hate', but it's just my opinion. I'm not going to hate on his fans, but don't ask me to like his writing, his Series (7 has been the most boringest, dull season since Colin Baker's 1st, in my opinion, which actually led to the BBC almost axing the show in the 80's).

The 50th Anniversary was supposed to celebrate the history of the show, not just show how brilliant Smith/11 and Clara are (which is what we get every week). Big let down.

I agree. Why work for a boss you hated? I mean the governor does not call and you go and strap yourself back into the chair. Both Bakers had issues with the producers and writers. Same with Eccleston.

And I agree, Moffat's an overrated hack who should go do other shows and let someone who appreciates the fans to do the writing. Bad enough the past several years was more of "The Pond Show!" and less Doctor Who.

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

I still pray this John Hurt thing is a blind. Can't believe Eccleston would eff up so bad as to refuse the 50th.

Shatterbang wrote:

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

I still pray this John Hurt thing is a blind. Can't believe Eccleston would eff up so bad as to refuse the 50th.

Well, you know, it's not like Sylvester McCoy has done anything in years.......

bret_owen99 wrote:

Shatterbang wrote:

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

I still pray this John Hurt thing is a blind. Can't believe Eccleston would eff up so bad as to refuse the 50th.

Well, you know, it's not like Sylvester McCoy has done anything in years.......

And that part he played was just like the Doctor with a long beard haha

Shatterbang wrote:

Can't believe Eccleston would eff up so bad as to refuse the 50th.

Let's put things in perspective on Christopher Eccleston. If you had a job that turned out to be something you really didn't enjoy, would you want to go back? He said repeatedly that he didn't like the environment of that production. There are rumors of him and one of the directors almost getting into a fist fight because of safety hazards on the set.

Entertainment is still a job and there have been places I've worked for that left such a bad taste in my mouth, that I don't care who's running it now, I won't work for again.

Shatterbang wrote:

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

If the storyline's not there for it...besides, you know even if they got all the surviving Doctors together for it, fans would complain that their favorite Doctor didn't get enough screen time.

Rust wrote:

Shatterbang wrote:

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

If the storyline's not there for it...besides, you know even if they got all the surviving Doctors together for it, fans would complain that their favorite Doctor didn't get enough screen time.

I dont want to see current doctors in another onscreen mess....

Too many actors, not enough lines to go around....

davro wrote:

Rust wrote:

Shatterbang wrote:

I amazed so many people don't want a mulit-doctor storyline. It's the 50th! I wanted to see as many Doctors as I could.

If the storyline's not there for it...besides, you know even if they got all the surviving Doctors together for it, fans would complain that their favorite Doctor didn't get enough screen time.

I dont want to see current doctors in another onscreen mess....

Too many actors, not enough lines to go around....

It can be done, if a little thing called creativity and another called hard work is used.

I mean it worked for the guy who wrote War and Peace, right?

The Castellan wrote:

It can be done, if a little thing called creativity and another called hard work is used.

I mean it worked for the guy who wrote War and Peace, right?

To do a Doctor Who: War and Peace, would require telling the story of the Time War through the eyes of all the Doctors incarnations as befitting a conflict on the scale. It sounds like a grand idea and a powerful narrative to tell. Unfortunately, we hit the two sided wall of television production.

Length and Expense.

You have anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes to chronicle the Time War and fit in eleven separate incarnations of the Doctor plus Companions and their roles in it. At maximum time allotment of 90 minutes, you've got eight minutes with each incarnation with a two minute leeway. This can obviously be extended if you bring multiple Doctors into contact with one another, but then you've relegated actors and incarnations into cameo roles.

Knocking the number down to only the surviving Doctors doesn't increase the time much - now we've got 11 minutes and some change to play with.

Even assuming you can write a compelling narrative within the constraints of each Doctor getting 8-11.25 minutes to shine in a 90 minute production, you then run up against cost...cost, I'd hasten to add, that has already been depleted by the sheer size of the cast to say nothing of the wardrobe. Then you throw in effect shots, sets, lighting and the like...

The BBC is funded by a combination of public funding and international grants. In March of 2012, the BBC had a funding of 29.5 million Pounds. These figures come from the BBC's own website. That's roughly 45 million and some change in US Dollars.

45 million for a yearly budget. That's barely enough to qualify for "Low Budget" status at the Box Office.


At a certain point, it no longer becomes feasible to do what the fans want when it would very literally bankrupt or stall every single one of your other projects. This is where Big Finish shines. There's no need for sets, for visual effects, or even costuming...you just need the actors and the tale can be a big or small as you desire.

No. It took me a while to accept it, but Big Finish always was the proper place for the 50th's Multi-Doctor story.

The Five Doctors pitted five incarnations of the Doctor against a mystery opponent on Gallifrey. Old and new monsters alike tried to stop the Doctor, but he over came them all. What if instead of a physical challenge, it was a dream challenge for control of the doctor's body? The Dream Lord (once again played by the brilliant Toby Jones) vs. all the past incarnations of the Doctor. I don't see why in this day and age all we say is: It would be too hard to make it work, instead of trying to find a way to make it work.

I want to see as many Dr's too, I've seen them all over the years, when they showed the clip on the first 11th end, I almost had a heart attack, the emotions that ran thru my head was great

If only for a brief moment, I want all the past Doctors back. Maybe 11 and 10 are the focus, but they would have to interract with other past incarnations to help 'push along' the story arc, without a full blown tie-in to the story. Also, I would like to see Moffat return to what he does best, just write 2 or 3 really good stories a year and let others do the majority of the writing. He can still run it, but also if he does let more scripts go to others, we may start getting full seires running for 13 weeks straight, without splits again!

As much as I HATE to see Matt go, I can understand why he chosen to do so....

LastWho wrote:

If only for a brief moment, I want all the past Doctors back.  Maybe 11 and 10 are the focus, but they would have to interract with other past incarnations to help 'push along' the story arc, without a full blown tie-in to the story.

Of course, you know the whole thing is filmed already, right? 

Quote :

Also, I would like to see Moffat return to what he does best, just write 2 or 3 really good stories a year and let others do the majority of the writing.

He only wrote 4 of the 13 episodes (and two of those essentially being a single story, as it's a 2-parter) in Series 7 "proper", so others are still doing the majority of the writing, so I don't see what your problem is there.

Quote :

 He can still run it, but also if he does let more scripts go to others, we may start getting full seires running for 13 weeks straight, without splits again!

The "split" season may or may not have been his idea. I think it's up to BBC bosses, not the showrunner, to decide dates/times of transmissions.

Got irritated due to the sheer arrogance in the above quoted thread. Started forming a reply but decided to just let it go.....