And a handful of films as well as a stint on Heroes too.

He did Perfect Parents and was the best character in Heroes....and played a spoof of his Doctor on the The Sarah Silverman Program.....as well as the stage work, and film, and radio....

Hmm, shame he felt the need to hold back . If you're going to say anything at all you might as well spew the lot rather than be a big tease.

I wouldve loved a second series of CE but everything has its time and theres no reason why he should have stuck around in am unhappy environment. Lets be honest, he did the show a big big favour by being the doctor in the first place.

Thats why I was so angry to see how he was virtually airbrushed out of New Who history in that tacky little 'Greatest Moments' show last year....an insult. And it makes you wonder- maybe this was a bit of an FU from RTD and Julie Gardner? I might be completely off base there but come on, those two rabid careerists certianly strike me as the sort who'd eat their own young/ sell grandparents so it wouldnt surprise me.

Absolutely. Phil Collinson has said what a nightmare Series 1 was and he was the one who had to go to Ecclestone every day and tell him they weren't shooting the scheduled scenes. I have no doubt that this went down like a cup of cold sick with Ecclestone, who I don't recall ever having done a 13-part series before or since DW and so was probably used to having more time. Add to this the fact that nobody on the team had done a show like DW before and, from Ecclestone's point of view, it would have been chaos. I'm sure RTD and JG did an awful lot of executive stroking but, from what CE has said here, it get the impression the whole experience rather went against his artistic grain.

And if some people use this to start RTD-bashing, I think it would say more about them than it would about either CE or RTD ...

He does smaller roles here and there. He played a character in the first series of Heroes, and was also a character in the Summer 2009 blockbuster GI Joe- not to all our tastes but huge global money spinner.It seems CE is quite tactical with his acting and though he doesn't get the lead role in this, that and the other, he certainly hasn't been forgotten. This new Lennon thing proves exactly that.

Yes, I was quite disappointed in this. I know the show needs to move on and keep with the times, but when he was 'air brushed' out of that I was quite shocked. CE carried a certain gravitas to the role that was a primary contributor to the success of Series 1. And without that success, we would never have gotten around to seeing Martha Jones, Donna Noble, The Tenth Doctor, Torchwood, Sarah Jane and her adventures with Luke and co., The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond etc. what a scary thought. His series started off something remarkable, made all the more impressive by the fact it was a continuation of an old show that had run itself into the ground

What an unpleasant comment, far from "rabid careerists" both RTD and Julie Gardner only ever came across as massive fans of the show who wanted to do the best that they possibly could. I don't think either of them would have stayed in the show so long if they were simply using the show as a stepping stone to further glory. And the fact that RTD is still involved in a low-key children's show (Sarah jane Adventures) is further proof of that.

The "Greatest Moments" show last summer, had 13 CE episodes to choose from, and 44 DT episodes. Obviously it was going to be slanted more to the latter.

As for the speculation about CE's comments, would be interesting to hear more but I suspect he was not used to the intense effects filming and suchlike, as has been mentioned previously here, and it probably felt a bit shambolic to him at times (he is a luvvy after all!) But he was great in the role, and bought much needed respect to the show, along with such a renowned writer as RTD. However, much as I'd have loved another CE series, Tennant and Smith have both been better in my opinion, and certainly more at one with the feel and tone of the show.

i don't think he is even blaming one particular person either....if I was honest, it really feels like that he seems to be talking about someone even higher above RTD and co.....

And it will be a shame if people start thinking that that RTD and co don't have respect for Chris....I still rememebr when RTD moned at the fact that Chris never got a bafta nomination....he hasn't ever even said that for David....


I'm really excited by this role as well, a big fan of Chris, he always keeps me wanting more!!! More than often when it comes to TV shows he makes good choices....its just some films, lately mostly, that he just seems to take for work reasons rather than anything else....which there is nothing wrong with....

That was a cr*p programme....but it was by no means something made under the direct rule of RTD and Julie....it was a programme that was cobbled together by the confidentail team to fill some time....mostly consisting of old interviews, with a few new, that added nothing...and didn't even have a direction to focus on....so even though leaving out CE was a big crime....I'm not even sure they knew what the hell they were doing....


The best example of what RTD still feels about Chris is the Writer's Tale....

That would be my take too. There is no doubt he revitalised and revived DW, but I just couldn't watch him in the role. As DW I felt he was 'playing a role', rather than being believable as DW.

As for not being a long series before, his big break on TV was in Our Friends in the North which was a 9 weeks series.

I suspect that whilst he is a good actor and can clearly turn his hand to many parts, he isn't much fun to work with - not difficult exactly, but just takes everything too seriously.

Not unpleasant at all. I like RTD quite alot as a person-but if you think he is just the jolly enthisiastic smiley face that you saw on confidential then you're very much mistaken and he'd be the first to admit it.

Read The Writers Tale- RTD has a very ruthless streak which has helped drive him to be the success he is.

Plus Julie Gardner? I wouldnt leave any pet rabbits running around in her vicinity.

I watched that, it was ace!

He is more of a quieter serious person, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be fun to work with? Yeah sure DT may have been more larger than life....but that doesn't mean when it came to the serious stuff he stayed pratting around.....and really fun isn't the most important part....its enjoying your job, even DT had his momenst of fustration when things weren't as difficult as series 1, so if the enviroment where you work is quite bad, then the whol atmosphere losses itself sense of fun...nothing to do with the actor. I remember when I first started my job, I was enthusaitic as anything, since last year when the big tops having been laying the law in every way to crush all that the service which we provided we stood for....my enthusiam left me big time, I didn't enjoy going to work as much....I didn't feel like I was supporting the clienst, but was ticking boxes and sitting in a office....took the joy right out of it....

Just read it!!! Wow I really need to watch some of that work of his!!!!

He didn't stay in cracker long either!

Fair enough. You could tell he wasn't enjoying himself just from watching Confidential for two mins.

I don't know the guy, which is why I said 'I suspect', but given what has been said and reading between the lines (always dangerous), that's my thought. Personally I think some fun is a part of enjoying a job and I've often worked in an unpleasant atmosphere, but they were often made worse by some of the people around me (I've spent most of my career in Public Service - cuts, cuts and more cuts). I'm not saying all quiet or serious people are not fun.

No, but that wasn't exactly his fault! He was very good and I thought he would be a permanent character. I was truly shocked at what happened - didn't see it coming at all.

Really only know him from Cracker, where he was part of an ensemble, not the main man. Wasn't it the same in his other roles? It's not so much the effort, but DW is so heavily built on the two principals, whereas in Cracker that was only Coltrane, CE probably was only in about 25% of the time (except when he died). I suspect the combo of being in over 80% of the show, plus feeling responsible for all of it (would anyone have said it was Piper's fault if it had failed? She was teenie popstar with no credentials), and the family issues all counted.

It's a shame they didn't convince him to at least start s2 though.

As far as Tennant, unless his career took off hugely or Eccleston stayed for 4 or 5 years he'd have always been the Dr. After all, he'd worked with RTD before, he is a fan and probably works better tbh, he's more child-friendly not sure how, he just is.

Pretty sure CE once said that the original plan was to do a Series of 6 Episodes and he agreed to do two of these Series.

Please accept my humblest apologies, I can see from the above comment that you weren't being unpleasant at all.

Sorry I didn't mean to sound rude or anything, I apologise. I know you meant "suspect"....but I just felt that in my opinion he was serious and all that but he was still fun to work with, Bille really enjoyed his company, so did the directors, like I said of Lyn, and RTD still talks highly of him....the no fun comment has really only come out of what John supposedly said...and people often seem to take his serieous and quieter nature as someone who doesn't look like fun....for all we know he could have easily been got down by all that was going on....even RTD admitted to be under a lot of stress during serious one, so in the end no matter how fun a person is....things can get you down, no matter how much you love the job....if we take DT's example again, you can hear the annoyance in his voice in his dairy when the episode 42 basically creeps up on them last minute...and this is the man that everyone thinks did nothing but smile throughout his four years....so even if you are enjoying the job, it isn't fun 24 hours, like i said of my example, i love my job, but since last year it hasn't been fun....things don't look positive...there is only so much some of us can take.

Yes, that's exactly what i mean. He may have taken everything too seriously.


That's the impression I have, too.

DW has 10-hour working days. American dramas have 18-hour working days. Even something like Quantum Leap, which had Scott Bakula in 99% of scenes, did 18-hour days, 6 days a week for 9 months of the year. Eccleston wants to talk to Bakula if he thinks DW was hard work.

Series 1 was all over the place in terms of schedule. The first block, in particular, was supposed to be insane and director Keith Boak obviously wasn't getting it sorted because there were apparently bust-ups and he wasn't asked back.

Because they were working Chris and Billie into the ground they shot 'The Long Game' as one block on it's own, and cut down the number of scenes Rose and the Doctor were in, so as to give them a break. Chris was ill mid-series as well, which can't have helped. It's in 'Father's Day' where he was ill.

Like he said, he could have just gone on, but why when he wasn't happy? Who knows, he may have read a couple of scripts for series 2 and thought 'sod this'. He was lucky that RTD's scripts for series 1 were solid, as well as the brilliant 'Father's Day' written by Cornell and Moffat's 'The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances'.