Why did Christopher Eccleston leave 'Doctor Who' after the first season?

Doctor Who is one of the greatest TV shows about the time-travel adventures of an extraterrestrial Timelord called The Doctor. Actor Christopher Eccleston made his role immortal as he returned in the reboot as the Ninth Doctor, after the 26 seasons of the Classic Who. The show was revived again after being off the air after 1989. Fans absolutely adored Nine and his antics, and still remember him as his catchphrase 'Fantastic!'

However, Christopher Eccleston shocked the Whoniverse as he left the show after playing the Timelord in just one season. Fans are now celebrating as Christopher Eccleston is all set to make his return as Doctor Who in Big Finish’s audio drama. 

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Why did Christopher Eccleston leave Doctor Who?

Christopher Eccleston has been vocal about his exit from Doctor Who over the years. In an earlier interaction with Radio Times, he had mentioned that he left abruptly from the show after just one season because of his fallout with his immediate superiors of the show.

He cited that his relationship with his three immediate superiors, the showrunner, the producer and co-producer broke down irreparably and never recovered. Last year, he talked about his exit from Doctor Who at the New York Comic-Con. He mentioned that he left because of the politics and he was not happy with the way his superiors were running the show. He had also said that he loved playing the character but had to leave because it was not workable for him.

At the time when Christopher Eccleston played The Doctor in Doctor Who, Russell T. Davies was the showrunner, with Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson serving as executive producers. This creative team stuck with the Doctor Who reboot till 2010 for four seasons. When Matt Smith became The Doctor in 2010, a team of other showrunners took over led by Stephen Moffatt.

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Christopher Eccleston returns in Doctor Who

Big Finish's Doctor Who audio drama is all set to reprise Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. According to a report by The Guardian, the audio adventure series has been announced by BBC Studios. Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio drama will be a 12 full-cast audio adventure. It is expected to release in May next year. Currently, Jodie Whittaker has taken on the role of the first female Doctor with three companions, all of whom are still massively popular amongst fans.