Eccleston quits Doctor Who role

[Anarcho-Socialist]

Eccleston quits Doctor Who role

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

Eccleston, whose first appearance as the ninth Time Lord attracted around 10 million viewers, feared being typecast.

Talks are taking place to replace him with Casanova star David Tennant.

A second series of the new Doctor Who, which will again be written by Russell T Davies and produced by BBC Wales, has already been commissioned.

More at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4395849.stm

If this story had gone out tomorrow, I would have believed it to be an April Fools skit. So, we have another Doctor to get used to.

[Warpy]

1. I haven't seen Dr. Who in ages

and I find it hard to believe anyone else can top either John Pertwee or Tom Baker.

Are the new Doctors still fighting those animated rubbish bins, the Daleks?

[Anarcho-Socialist]

4. The Doctor will be fighting the Daleks later in the current season

The new ones look similar, but more "up-to-date".

[mr blur]

7. I'm probably in the minority,

but I thought Pertwee was absolutely appalling. That's when I stopped watching it, the rot set in right there.

[Mojambo]

2. You're shitting me?

I thought he was an absolutely terrific Doctor.

So how many episodes had he filmed?

I am quite bummed by this news.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. 14 x 45 minute episodes and 1 Christmas special n/t

[Nye Bevan]

12. Jon Pertwee was the BEST

Probably because I was just the right age when he was the Doctor....

The Sea Devils... absolutely TERRIFYING. Remember when the Doctor went underwater in the shark cage and it came up to the surface empty? One of the most chilling moments in my childhood!

The Green Death-- scary maggots, a premise (environmentalism vs. toxic waste) ahead of its time. Classic stuff.

Carnival of Monsters-- ingenious idea, VERY scary monsters.

And many other great stories-- Frontier in Space/Planet of the Daleks (excellent invisibility effects); the Three Doctors; Planet of the Spiders (great Metebelis 3 effects).

Jon had a perfect balance between seriousness and humor, and the writing was generally terrific. Of course I also liked Tom Baker (to a lesser extent); Peter Davison was just OK and Colin Baker was an unwatchable clown.

[Selteri]

5. Don't want to be typecast after the first ep?

Okay... yeah, that's uh... special.

[Spinzonner]

6. I guess that makes him a Short-Timer Lord

[non sociopath skin]

8. Shrewd career moves all round ...

... his having become "irreplacable" after one screened episode, Christopher Eccleston's departure and the Search For A Successor will ensure that the hype surrounding a middle-budget sci-fi saga continues for at least another six months.

Who said Auntie Beeb had no commercial nous?

The Skin

[RogueTrooper]

9. only fools

the bbc is one of the most commercially ruthless organisations in the uk. they are the only people that give Sky a run for their money.

[D-Notice]

11. Which is why

it gets a kicking in The Sun & The Times... Rupert doesn't like competition

[Wat_Tyler]

10. He's been making noises about that for quite some time.

Fair enough - I would've liked him to have lasted longer than the shit Colin Baker, but it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

[T_i_B]

13. Tennant to be the new Doctor Who

I'm not sure about this. I've seen Casanova and I'm sure that another actor could have played that role better, although maybe I'm the only one who thinks so.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1461185,00.html

The BBC has confirmed that actor David Tennant is to swap his tights for the Tardis, unveiling the star of Casanova as the next Doctor Who.

Tennant, a classically trained actor, was confirmed as the frontrunner for the role last month when the BBC admitted that Christopher Eccleston was hanging up his leather jacket at the end of the current series.

"I'm delighted, excited and honoured to be the tenth Doctor," he said yesterday. "I grew up loving Doctor Who and it has been my lifelong dream to get my very own Tardis."

[non sociopath skin]

14. I haven't watched "Casanova" but Mrs. Skin assures me ....

... that Tennant was excellent in it and that he is a natural for the role of The Doctor.

Are there ANY actors in the UK who haven't wanted to play the role since they were knee high to a grasshopper, though?

The Skin

[Anarcho-Socialist]

15. I think that he can do a good job...

...hopefully the writers will give him a distinctive and interesting Doctor to carry on from Ecclestone.