Doctor Who is on a break, but by the end of the 2026 TV schedule, it'll be back on our screens once again. For a while now, I've been hyped to see Billie Piper in action as The Doctor, which should be quite a delight. Now, however, I'm even more hopeful about what's to come for another reason. And that optimism can be attributed to the fact that a recent post from the franchise mentioned Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.
This may not mean as much as I'm hoping, but I can't help but feel excited after seeing Eccleston's face on a recent Instagram Stories post from the official Doctor Who account. Check it out below, and share in my curiosity regarding what the franchise may be planning on doing as it solicits responses from people who love the Ninth Doctor:
If this is nothing more than a simple post showing love to Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, that's great. That said, I can't help but let my mind spiral out of control. It's hard not to remember it was Eccleston and Billie Piper who first got the modern revamp of Doctor Who off the ground and made it a huge success. With that in mind, wouldn't it be great to see them back together again in the upcoming Christmas Special?
While Christopher Eccleston brushed off Doctor Who for many years after he left the show, he's since mended the fence and has done more for the franchise in recent years. While his reasons for doing so may be as equally rooted in a payday as they are passion for the character, it's been great to hear him reprise the role for various audio dramas.
Of course, fans still haven't seen the Ninth Doctor return in live-action, and wouldn't it just be the best to see him make his big return with his companion? If ever there was a time for the character to show up again, I think this is it.
It would also be special for Christopher Eccleston to be a part of the upcoming Who Christmas special, considering the tradition wasn't established until after he exited the program. I think it'd be great to see him appear in the episode as a guest companion, perhaps to further nod at just how odd it is to see the person who played Rose Tyler now portraying The Doctor (unless something else is going on narrative-wise).
As much as I would love to see Eccleston back as the Ninth Doctor, I do have to wonder if he'd rejoin the series while Russell T. Davies is still running the flagship series. Davies was also in charge of the show when the actor quit over alleged creative differences with the producers and an unprofessional working environment. It feels as though the heads of the Doctor Who franchise have intentionally tried to keep these two separated in recent years by not having them a part of the same collaborations. That said, I'd love to see them put that aside and make something special for the fans, if they can.
Filming for Doctor Who's upcoming Christmas special is said to begin in spring. I'm excited to see the special, and do hope that Russell T. Davies has that script ready, considering he hadn't started on it at the end of last year. Here's hoping Christopher Eccleston is also in the mix.
