Christopher Eccleston Opts Out Of Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special

The Doctor is out.

By Brent McKnight | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Doctor Who Eccleston

Sorry, kids, but while the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary spectacular promises to be an awesome orgy of nerdiness, at least one face will be conspicuously absent. Turns out that Christopher Eccleston, who played the ninth incarnation of the Time Lord—the first in the modern era—won’t be making an appearance.

This follows the news that his successor to the throne, David Tennant, who filled the role from 2005 through 2010, will drop in for a visit, along with Billie Piper, who played his companion Rose Tyler. The show is currently on its Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith

Eccleston met with showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat multiple times, but they could never come to an accord agreeable to both parties. A spokesperson for BBC said:

Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about Steven’s plans for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best.

As much as this news will bum out fans, it shouldn’t come as any great shock to anyone. Eccleston was only around for one season, and though he played a vital role in reviving the franchise and garnering new fans, it is well known that he didn’t always play well with others, and doesn’t look back on his time as Doctor Who with as much fondness as one might hope.

What do you think about this news? Are you sad that you won’t get any new Eccleston, or will be watching anyway when the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special airs on November 23, 2013?