10 Times Doctor Who Gave Fans EXACTLY What They Wanted

The fact that we only spent one series with Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor left many a frustrated fan wanting more. A lot more.

As with Paul McGann, Eccleston's time onscreen was far more brief than your average Doctor's, and though Big Finish came to McGann's rescue towards the end of the wilderness years, a comeback for Nine just didn't seem on the cards.

And that's because, in the years after his 2005 exit, Eccleston made it clear that he wasn't on great terms with Doctor Who, even stating that he didn't enjoy working on the show. And that's exactly why the announcement of his audio-exclusive return was such a great moment of fan service - absolutely nobody expected it to happen.

So far, Nine has battled Cybermen, Ravagers, ancient psychic aliens, and more, and his Big Finish run has been very well-received. Eccleston himself is also enjoying it, even enthusiastically teasing a 60th anniversary story with the late David Warner.

Christopher Eccleston discusses his involvement in the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who!@bigfinish... what are you up to? ? pic.twitter.com/2h0vSBF0wX

— WhoCulture (@WhoCulture) July 16, 2022

After all the behind-the-scenes drama we've heard about over the years, to see him embrace the Whoniverse once again (albeit just in audio form) was a fantastic surprise, and it's something that fans have been eager to see - but never thought they would - since Nine regenerated in the Series 1 finale