Doctor Who: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Ninth Doctor
Here's what River Song thinks of the first NuWho Time Lord...
The modern era of Doctor Who is about to celebrate its 16th birthday (Rose, the very first episode of the revival, aired in March 2005), and the fact that it's still going strong today is largely down to one man: the Ninth Doctor.
When Doctor Who returned in the mid-2000s, just imagine what would've happened if audiences had hated Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Doctor, if he hadn't clicked with hardcore and casual viewers in the way that he did. Subsequent series probably wouldn't have been greenlit, but all these years later... here we are.
The Ninth Doctor's time on the show was memorable and impactful despite its brevity, and from the production of his sole series to the character's adventures in other corners of the Whoniverse, there's so much to talk about when evaluating his run.
So, join us as we journey into the time vortex of Ninth Doctor trivia, uncovering some fantastic facts about the character, and his overall tenure - as well as the man behind the leather jacket, star Christopher Eccleston - that you might not be aware of.
20. He's The Only Doctor Whose Regenerations Were Seen In Reverse Order
Even though lots of Doctor Who stories meddle with time and present events in a non-linear fashion, the Doctor's regenerations are usually shown in chronological order.
For example, the Twelfth Doctor regenerated into himself (his "incoming" regeneration) in 2013's The Time Of The Doctor, before transforming into the Thirteenth Doctor (his "outgoing" regeneration) in 2017's Twice Upon A Time.
However, the Ninth Doctor is different in this regard. To date, he's the only incarnation of the Doctor whose incoming and outgoing regenerations were televised in reverse order, with his incoming regeneration airing in 2013's The Day Of The Doctor, eight years after his outgoing regeneration in 2005's The Parting Of The Ways.
Timey-wimey indeed.