10 Biggest Feuds In Doctor Who History
4. Christopher Eccleston V Russell T Davies
When news broke that Christopher Eccleston was leaving Doctor Who after only one season at the controls of the TARDIS the public was shocked. Rumours immediately sprang up of difficulties behind the scenes which were finally confirmed by the actor in an interview with Radio Times in 2018.
Speaking on the fallout, he said the following:
My relationship with my three immediate superiors – the showrunner, the producer and co-producer – broke down irreparably during the first block of filming and it never recovered
He alleged that he had made an agreement with then-showrunner Russell T Davies not to say anything to damage the show, though he had previously stated that he was 'blacklisted' by the BBC. He did however credit some of his own difficulties with light comedy as playing a part in the on-set tensions.
Describing himself as the most experienced person in the cast, he spoke of the challenges that Billie Piper faced, due to her lack of experience. The interview culminated in Eccleston claiming that he would never again have a working relationship with Davies.
Davies, for his part, responded by saying that the Ninth Doctor would always be 'his' Doctor and acknowledged that, as showrunner and producer, he had a duty of care toward his actors.