Christopher Eccleston

Dear Gary—

Christopher Eccleston was shortchanged. Or perhaps it is Doctor Who that was shortchanged.  Or maybe I am the only one feeling shortchanged.

I would have loved more of the Fantastic Four combo of the Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack, and Mickey as they adventure out into time and space on the lark of a lifetime. We get a brief glimpse of this in Boom Town but nothing more. The Ninth Doctor is never really allowed any fun; and the show during his run is big on the T of TARDIS but has all but forgotten about the S.

It is a shame that the show took the entire season to establish Doctor Who as something old that is new again.

Not that I’m complaining. OK, I guess I am complaining. But I wouldn’t be if Christopher Eccleston had stuck around to reap the benefits of this seed season.

But maybe his purpose, and the purpose of this single season, was simply to reestablish the show, experience the birthing pains, and send it off into the world to grow as an independent being. In that it and he succeeded admirably. And so I guess nobody is shortchanged.

We never get a regeneration scene for this Ninth Doctor. He is presented to us fully formed but an enigma, much like the First. He is the first, in a way, as well as the second in the sense that he is bridging the gap between Classic and New; and yet he is the ninth in a long and continuing line. It is a lot to ask of one actor; Christopher Eccleston fulfills it all.

His primary function is as The First—that is, the first to forge the character for a new generation that generally speaking has never had the luxury of viewing Doctors One through Eight. If the show didn’t succeed in capturing this new audience it would have been doomed.

The improved special effects and compact, single 45 minute episode format helped with this, as did, dare I say, Rose. I really wish I hadn’t taken this sudden dislike of Rose; it only came about as a result of considered thought. That is one of the hazards of action packed, special effects laden adventures—they don’t always hold up upon close inspection. Their very nature requires the fast paced, cursory perception of first acquaintance. On that level Rose works; just don’t scratch too far beneath the surface like I did.

Merely on the superficial, Rose represents the audience, someone we can identify with as an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstance via the Doctor; and we get to know the Doctor through her eyes; this new Doctor; this first Doctor for a new generation. Through Rose we learn that the Doctor is not of this world; through Rose we travel with him in time (not so much space); through Rose we experience the TARDIS and alien threats and adventures beyond expression.

Rose also helps the initiated audience span the gap from the Classic to the New series along with the Doctor. This is probably Christopher Eccleston’s next most important role; that of secondary Doctor. Without gaining diehard fan acceptance New Who still might have succeeded, but certainly not to the extent that it has. Based on several seasons of hindsight, Eccleston succeeded beyond expectations in this role. However, I can only speak for myself and not for the hordes of dedicated, lifetime fans on the impact of his tenure (although I am sure you will forgive my inevitable extrapolation).

As I have said before, Gary, I had my doubts going in to the premier episode Rose. Based on the debacle (in my view) of the previous attempt to revive Doctor Who with the TV Movie, I did not let my expectations get too high. Just because a show calls itself Doctor Who does not mean that it will be true to the spirit of Doctor Who. Christopher Eccleston and the production team of the new series, however, did not disappoint.

As Christopher Eccleston first extended his hand with the single word “Run” he took not only Rose but me and an entire audience along with him. What better way to proclaim himself? Any aficionado of the prior history of the show would understand without further explanation. Once he does utter the phrase, “I’m the Doctor, by the way,” it is merely a formality. He already is the Doctor in a multitude of minds.

What sells it more than anything is his supreme confidence; Christopher Eccleston inhabits the role, much the same way William Hartnell did so many years before. I never get the sense, with this Ninth Doctor, that there were countless hours and numberless people behind the scenes determining how this particular persona of the Doctor should be shaped and portrayed and developed. Doubtless there were. I am sure that endless discussions and preparation preceded the introduction of this new Doctor. Much time and thought and effort went into the making of the character. But in a single word, “Run,” Christopher Eccleston took it all on as his own.

And he was off and running. (Sorry Gary, I couldn’t resist that.)

Along for the ride are the constant of the TARDIS and the reemergence of the sonic screwdriver, two icons of the series but with fresh looks, updated for a modern era. Also bridging the gap are some familiar foes like the Daleks and the Autons who receive similar face lifts.

Underscoring the entire season and the regeneration are the ill-fated Time Lords. When the First Doctor entered that long ago junkyard of I M Foreman the Time Lords were not even a gleam in Doctor Who’s eye. As the series progressed, however, they were conceived and born and eventually produced fully formed, kicking and screaming into the Doctor Who universe (much to my dismay if I may say, Gary). I can’t help but breathe a sigh a relief that the new series decided to kill off these illustrious Galactic Ticket Inspectors. In so doing, the show runners imbued the Doctor with a depth and a sense of mystery for both old and new enthusiasts alike.

The catastrophic loss, revealed slowly and subtly with immutable grief but at times punctuated with sudden bursts of anger and always underlined with crushing guilt, defines this Doctor and instills his race with the majesty and mythos that had been tarnished during the Classic years.

Finally, and of somewhat diminished significance, Christopher Eccleston is the ninth in a long line of Doctors. One of many. The latest generation. The newest incarnation. Taking over from a string of actors before him.  Preceding what one can only hope will be a string of actors to follow. The Ninth Doctor.

Unfortunately he was never able to develop the role fully beyond the confines of the first two burdens placed upon his character. The Ninth Doctor carries not only the responsibility of the Time War and the destruction of his planet and people, but also carries the weight of Doctor Who itself.  It is a lot to ask of one man, one actor, one Doctor.

He carries it off brilliantly, but this is where I feel that he, we, and the show have been shortchanged. Because he is never allowed to break free of those shackles and explore the universe unfettered in the TARDIS. He is never free to just be the Ninth Doctor.

We get flashes of him, for example in the aforementioned Boom Town, but also in his delight of mystery in The Unquiet Dead, in his interactions with Jabe in The End of the World, and in his Big Brother House segments of Bad Wolf to name a few.  For the most part, though, he is carrying the weight of Gallifrey or ushering Rose through alien adventures or reintroducing Doctor Who to the world.

I maintain Eccleston solidly as my number three, with increased respect and admiration for his portrayal.  And so, Gary, I send this out, a new path embarked on this slow path of mine . . .