Christopher Eccleston on “greatest Doctor” Jodie Whittaker and multi-Doctor stories

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On a panel at the Supanova Comic Con convention on March 5 in Melbourne, Australia, Christopher Eccleston explained a very important condition for any possible return to the Doctor Who series and his praise for Jodie Whittaker.

“Are there any other Doctors past or current that you’d actually really like to collaborate with on those projects?,” Eccleston was asked in relation to Big Finish audio adventures and the television series.

“I’d have to dig them up,” Eccleston joked to the amusement of the audience.

“No, I’ve never been a fan of multi-Doctor stories. When I worked on the series, I had some really strong ideas, surprise, surprise…,” Eccleston noted to the amused audience. “…about what works and what doesn’t and I always think that multi-Doctor stores are a bit of a cash-in and a bit of exploitation. Creatively, they never work for me.”

“I looked at the script for the 50th anniversary. I felt as soon as I said I wasn’t doing it, it got better. Because, if I’m not in it it’s better,” Eccleston explained in a self-deprecating aside. “You know, the creation of the War Doctor introduced a whole new facet to the canon. I know it made some people anxious — the fundamentalists.”

Christopher Eccleston with Jodie Whittaker in the 2012 National Theatre production of Antigone

“The father of us all is [the first Doctor actor] William Hartnell but the greatest Doctor is Jodie Whittaker,” Eccleston quipped to the cheers of the audience. “The ninth Doctor in particular is a one-man band, definitely. So he doesn’t work with other Doctors. If you want me back, you get me on my own.”

Christopher Eccleston currently stars as Fagin in Dodger on CBBC.