Christopher Eccleston, better known to Whovians as the Ninth Doctor, is making a return to the beloved series, but not in the way you would expect. While he may not be participating in the special 50th anniversary feature, Eccleston will be featured in next week’s episode, ‘Journey to the Center of the TARDIS’.
The episode centers on the capture of the TARDIS by a spaceship salvage team and as they try to force their way in, fans will hear Eccleston’s voice say:
“The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn’t get through these doors, and believe me they’ve tried.”
Whovians will recognize the line as the one the Ninth Doctor uttered to Rose as they ran into the TARDIS trying to get away from the plastic headless Mickey. This occurred in the first episode Eccleston appeared in as the Doctor tilted ‘Rose.’
While this is hardly the return fans had hoped for from the actor, none the less, it is a bone that is being tossed to fans. It’s already been reported that Eccleston will not be participating in the 3D 50th anniversary episode that is currently filming, so this could be the case of “something is better than nothing.”
This does, however, smack of the same marketing tease that Moffat had initiated last year with ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ when he stated that the fans would see a return of Rose and Martha in that episode. And they did… in hologram form.
At least the Ninth Doctor is being given a nod during this season that is leading up to the anniversary celebrations. The past several episodes of Doctor Who have been riddled with Easter Eggs that have given homage to past Doctors and episodes from the show’s 50 year history, and it’s nice to see that Eccleston’s work was acknowledge. Whether you liked the ninth incarnation or not, there is no denying that Eccleston played a very key role in bringing Doctor Who back to the small screen. And that, in itself, is “fantastic”!
Source: Virgin Media
