Doctor Who news: Christopher Eccleston returns as the Ninth Doctor for Big Finish!

Yes, you read that headline right. Next year, Christopher Eccleston will finally return to Doctor Who, in the brand new audio series The Ninth Doctor Adventures!

Well, I’ve gotta be honest: I never expected to be writing about this. Over the years, Christopher Eccleston has made his feelings about his time on Doctor Who very clear. For the longest time, it looked like he’d never return to the role, even on audio.

Thankfully, as of today, that’s now completely changed.

As announced by Big Finish Productions, Christopher Eccleston will once again play the Ninth Doctor. Starting in May 2021, The Ninth Doctor Adventures will feature brand new, full-cast audio stories set during his era of Doctor Who.

Four box sets containing three episodes each have been announced so far, meaning we’re going to be getting at least twelve more episodes of the Ninth Doctor – almost as many as what he had on TV back in 2005. The equivalent of another full season of the Ninth Doctor is, needless to say, amazing news.

A long-awaited return

So how did this happen? Big Finish’s Chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery reveals what lead to Christopher Eccleston returning to his iconic role.

"More from Winter is ComingFor All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule WesterosConfirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”I first talked to Christopher about returning to the role of the Doctor at a fan convention in February this year. Christopher said he was enjoying meeting the fans and was pleased that his Doctor was remembered so fondly. I am so pleased that Christopher has decided to return to the role with us – and I’m excited to welcome him to the Big Finish family as we discover the new adventures of the Ninth Doctor."

It sounds like the strength of Doctor Who‘s fandom as well as Haigh-Ellery’s powers of persuasion have helped to convince Eccleston to play the Doctor again. I don’t think any of us could be happier about this news. Right now, Big Finish is remaining tight-lipped about what we can expect, but there are so many possibilities for brand new stories with the Ninth Doctor.

For example, more adventures with Rose or even Captain Jack would be exciting, but it’d also be brilliant to discover exactly what happened to Nine right after the Time War, and how he recovered from the loss of Gallifrey. Filling in some of those crucial gaps and further bridging the links between The Day of the Doctor and the start of his era would be extremely exciting to hear.

The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be released in four different volumes in a range of formats: collector’s edition CD, digital download or limited edition triple LP vinyl. You can pre-order each of the volumes now individually or as part of a bundle from Big Finish’s website.

Are you excited about Christopher Eccleston’s long-overdue return? Will you be checking out The Ninth Doctor Adventures? Do you hope that he’ll return to the TV series for its 60th anniversary? Let us know in the comments below!