If there was one thing missing from the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode, it was Christopher Eccleston. As much as I knew he didn’t want to return to the show, I was holding out hope they’d convinced him for the tiniest of cameos – a regeneration scene. Steven Moffat has finally explained why, even though the actor wasn’t involved, they decided not to use his likeness. We also have some news on new writers coming to work on Doctor Who this season, none of which are women.
Just yesterday Billie Piper gave her thoughts on the not-Rose she played in “The Day of The Doctor,” and now a new piece in Doctor Who Magazine #473 gives us details on the special from Moffat.
He’d previously admitted Eccleston was indeed meant to play a major role in the 50th, a role which later went to John Hurt when Eccleston declined. Hurt’s character, as you know by now, was a new version of our Doctor, having regenerated from Paul McGann’s 8th and eventually regenerating into Eccleston’s 9th in the special.
Moffat told DWM “human decency” was the reason we didn’t see Eccleston’s face in the scene (though we might have seen his eyes?)
“It was one thing to include [Eccleston] among all the other archive Doctors, as they flew in to save the day — in fact, it would have been disgraceful to have left anyone out — but placing him in that scene might have given the impression he’d actually turned up for filming, which would have been crossing the line,” he went on to tell them. “Not taking part in the 50th was a difficult decision for Chris, taken after a lot of thought and with great courtesy, and not respecting his wishes would have been grossly unprofessional and disrespectful to a good man and a great Doctor. Number 9 may not have turned up for the celebrations, but there would have been no party without him.”
You can see a fan-made Hurt-Eccleston regeneration at Doctor Who TV‘s post.
Meanwhile, Digital Spy cites Being Human writer Jamie Mathieson and Wallander writer Peter Harness will be writing stories for Season 8. They join the list of other men writing the show and zero women this season. A reminder, there have been none since 2008 so it would have been a nice surprise if they announced, oh I don’t know, one.
(via Doctor Who TV, regen image via TARDIS wiki)
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