Doctor Who: 10 Behind The Scenes Bust-Ups BBC Doesn't Want You To Know

While Christopher Eccleston's unhappiness during the making of Doctor Who is a well-known story within the fanbase, one aspect of this case that often goes under-reported is exactly why he was so unhappy in the first place.

Presumably, he was enthusiastic about Doctor Who when he first signed on, so... what was the inciting incident that made the production of Series 1 unpleasant for him?

Combing through the details, there's one prominent figure who seems to have played a significant role in Eccleston's misery: Keith Boak. Boak was the director of the very first Series 1 production block - helming the episodes Rose, Aliens Of London, and World War Three - and it's heavily rumoured that this filming period was a total disaster.

Boak is said to have treated certain crew members poorly, while also violating safety procedures for an unused shot of a burning sofa flying out a window. In addition, it's claimed that Boak and Eccleston had a major fight on set, and it's also rumoured that a significant chunk of Boak's footage had to be reshot because it was unusable.

Even some of Eccleston's own comments strongly hint that Boak was a problem. In his memoir, Eccleston praises Series 1 director Joe Ahearne, adding that, if Ahearne had directed the show "from day one", he would've continued to play the Doctor. The implication here is that the first production block - i.e. "day one" - left a bad taste in Eccleston's mouth. And who directed this block? Keith Boak did.

Boak also didn't return to helm a future episode of Doctor Who (unlike other Series 1 directors like Euros Lyn), another sign that he didn't make many friends on set.