[drw1963]

I have a complaint about Chris and that is as follows:


Why was he picked to be the 9th Doctor?

Why couldn't someone else play the 9th Doctor?

Reason why I'm asking is as follows:

IMHO. he should have never been picked to be the 9th Doctor. why?

Because he says that he will only sign merchandise and that's it.

No involvement in the show whatsoever.

He should have never been picked, if all he's going to do is screw the show and the fans around.

[TEDR]

Originally Posted by drw1963

Why was he picked to be the 9th Doctor?

He was picked because he's a superb actor with the household recognition to help push the brand back out of the realm of the overly focussed.

Originally Posted by drw1963

Why couldn't someone else play the 9th Doctor?

Due to a combination of suitability, availability and timing.

Originally Posted by drw1963

Reason why I'm asking is as follows:

IMHO. he should have never been picked to be the 9th Doctor. why?

Because he says that he will only sign merchandise and that's it.

No involvement in the show whatsoever.

On the contrary, as well as signing merchandise he was very good at another small part of the job that you seem to be overlooking — standing in front of cameras and saying things that aren't true as though they were.

Originally Posted by drw1963

He should have never been picked, if all he's going to do is screw the show and the fans around.

He has never screwed the programme around, and has been perfectly pleasant to every fan that has approached him and then commented here about it.

[cynthia]

I had never watched Dr. Who until I saw the advertising on BBC. Eccleston not only won me over to the show and the following seasons, but now I have gone from the Hartnell era to the Baker era and am still pushing forward. IMO, he was a good 9th doctor and helped keep the new shows going forward.

[Steve_Fisher]

As far as I'm aware Mr Eccleston isn't answerable to you or anyone else about how he acts or feels about a series he hasn't been in for seven years.
Personally I thought he was a superb Doctor.
Now he's moved on. Live with it.

[DoctorQui]

I have to disagree with you OP. when I met him in the queue in Bagel Nash in Manchester, he was very polite and quite charming and very willing to discuss Who. It was I who chose to end the conversation simply because I didn't want to hassle him while he was having his lunch. I believe if I had asked him for an autograph he would have obliged and I don't tend to carry Who merchandise with me everywhere I go.

[LordofGallifrey]

Ecclestone was the best choice for the show's return, an decent actor who regardless of his intent I believe did a cracking job.

I have met him a couple of times around Manchester and my son was so excited, Mr Ecclestone has been a true gent every time to the point that the last time we met he even remembered my son.

[Gene the Cow]

Originally Posted by LordofGallifrey

Ecclestone was the best choice for the show's return, an decent actor who regardless of his intent I believe did a cracking job.

I have met him a couple of times around Manchester and my son was so excited, Mr Ecclestone has been a true gent every time to the point that the last time we met he even remembered my son.

Did he remember your name long enough to put a restraining order on you?

In all seriousness Ecclestone was a fine choice for the type of Doctor that Nine was. Just because he doesn't want to get back involved with the show doesn't mean he was the wrong choice for a Doctor. Tom Baker did the same for god knows how long, up to the point where stories were filmed around him (Five Doctors) was he a bad choice?

[daveyboy7472]

Originally Posted by Steve_Fisher

As far as I'm aware Mr Eccleston isn't answerable to you or anyone else about how he acts or feels about a series he hasn't been in for seven years.
Personally I thought he was a superb Doctor.
Now he's moved on. Live with it.

Unfortunately the manner of his departure is one of those Who events that forever gets people talking and discussing no matter how much time goes by. Look at how we constantly discuss Colin Baker's sacking some 25 plus years since it happened. And how the TV Movie should have gone to a TV Series, Tom Baker not appearing in The Five Doctors and so on.

I think the timing of his announcement to quit the Series could have been better handled and done differently but I also blame the production team for not tying him down to more than One Series. I think he did put every effort into playing the role however, though I don't think he was a superb Doctor at all. So for me in some ways, I'm glad he did do only the one Series.

[Granny McSmith]

Chris Eccleston is a good actor and has a lot of integrity.

I think he saw the role of Doctor as just another acting job, and was unaware of the baggage which comes with it. Or perhaps he thought that DW would be less popular than it is.

If he doesn't want to get involved in anything DW related that's his choice. I've never heard of him being anything other than polite to any fans. He gives me the impression of being fed up when journalists ask him about DW, though.

Personally, I'd have been happier with McGann coming back. Still. Eccleston's leaving gave us Tennant, so it worked out fine.

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

Chris Eccleston is a good actor and has a lot of integrity.

I think he saw the role of Doctor as just another acting job, and was unaware of the baggage which comes with it. Or perhaps he thought that DW would be less popular than it is.

If he doesn't want to get involved in anything DW related that's his choice. I've never heard of him being anything other than polite to any fans. He gives me the impression of being fed up when journalists ask him about DW, though.

Personally, I'd have been happier with McGann coming back. Still. Eccleston's leaving gave us Tennant, so it worked out fine.

Always a Tennant reference

[Granny McSmith]

Originally Posted by DoctorQui

Always a Tennant reference

Only when it's relevant!

Otherwise I'd be trolling. (I think).

[LordofGallifrey]

Originally Posted by Gene the Cow

Did he remember your name long enough to put a restraining order on you?

Yeah I was sleeping by his bins so ran into him every time he left his house , no friend of a friend of a friend

[allen_who]

Are peoples personal opinions (like this) really worthy of a thread. If we all did it (started threads) on every single little thought we had on the various actors the whole forum would be tedious

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by allen_who

Are peoples personal opinions (like this) really worthy of a thread. If we all did it (started threads) on every single little thought we had on the various actors the whole forum would be tedious

Worthy or not, it is a thread. I can think of many threads like this but hey, its a public forum, what are ya gonna do!

[Shevk]

Eccleston got millions of new fans interested in the show. He had a good character arc and a good exit which layed the foundations for the succeeding years.

His one year on the show wasn't perfect, but I don't think that's down to him in any way. Eccleston "only" staying for one year may have actually benefited the show because it allowed a second high profile reboot within the same year.

He was a fine Doctor. I think it's ridiculous that the fact he doesn't want to come running on the off-chance that he will be asked to return in a secondary capacity to the current Doctor is held against him.

The impression I get is that he's perfectly nice to fans, but doesn't do, or necessarily understand, fandom.

[Rorschach]

Originally Posted by TEDR

He was picked because he's a superb actor with the household recognition to help push the brand back out of the realm of the overly focussed.

There was also the factor that Russell had previous worked with Christopher on The Second Coming (and apparently had wanted him for a role in Queer as Folk) so they had a history of work to draw on.

[Granny McSmith]

Originally Posted by allen_who

Are peoples personal opinions (like this) really worthy of a thread. If we all did it (started threads) on every single little thought we had on the various actors the whole forum would be tedious

Or we could just ignore threads whose subject doesn't interest us?

[allen_who]

Originally Posted by DoctorQui

Worthy or not, it is a thread. I can think of many threads like this but hey, its a public forum, what are ya gonna do!

I just feel that there should be one generic thread 'Your opinions on an actor' and that any thread that gets started like this just gets bolted straight onto the generic thread by the mods...

On a slightly more positive note has anyone else seen that they are using Ron Grainers Dr Who theme as part of the opening ceremony for the Olympics. Brill brill brill - I'll just make something up so that info isn't too far off topic with this thread err, arr, apparently they're also having Chris Ecc dancing to it in a composition called 'The Doctor Dances again...'

[chuffnobbler]

Sorry OP; on the face of your initial post, I think you are barking mad.

Should Christopher Eccleston not have got the role because he "will only sign merchandise"? Is that the point you're trying to make? Please clarify because I really don't understand you.

[adams66]

Originally Posted by drw1963

He should have never been picked, if all he's going to do is screw the show and the fans around.

What? What!!!! WHAT??!!!

CE is an actor, and a bloody good one too. He owes us nothing. And as far as I can see, he has never screwed the show, or the fans.
You seem to have a personal grudge against CE. I wonder why? Has he kicked your dog or something?

[chuffnobbler]

CE is getting rave, rave reviews as King Creon, in Antigone at the National Theatre at the moment. Is there any anecdotal evidence about his attitude towards people at the stagedoor?

[gareth1408]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

Or we could just ignore threads whose subject doesn't interest us?

/\/\/\This/\/\/\/\

[Shawn_Lunn]

He was picked because he was the right person for the role and he never screwed with the fans. Bit of a harsh statement there.

[Lady of Traken]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

Chris Eccleston is a good actor and has a lot of integrity.

I think he saw the role of Doctor as just another acting job, and was unaware of the baggage which comes with it. Or perhaps he thought that DW would be less popular than it is.

Personally, I'd have been happier with McGann coming back. Still. Eccleston's leaving gave us Tennant, so it worked out fine.

I agree with Granny's point. There wasn't any guarantee that the series would be so popular after 26 years and Chris Eccleston probably wasn't aware of the fervour of the show's fans.Not all actors have to be a fan to do Doctor Who. Maybe he likes his privacy.

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by Lady of Traken

I agree with Granny's point. There wasn't any guarantee that the series would be so popular after 26 years and Chris Eccleston probably wasn't aware of the fervour of the show's fans.Not all actors have to be a fan to do Doctor Who. Maybe he likes his privacy.

Good point! In fact the only Doctor actor who has actually confessed to being a DW nerd is Tennant. All the others were just jobbing actors!