TransporterMalfunction 1 Posted March 20, 2004 Eccleston is new Doctor Saturday, 20 March, 2004. British film actor Christopher Eccleston has been announced as the new Doctor Who to front the cult BBC sci-fi show when it returns next year. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London the 40-year-old Salford-born actor most recently appeared in the British horror film 28 Days Later and will take "a fresh, modern approach" to the role, a BBC spokesperson confirmed this morning. "Christopher was our first choice", Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies told BBC News. "This man can give the Doctor a wisdom, wit and emotional range as far-reaching as the Doctor’s travels in time and space...His casting raises the bar for all of us. It's going to be a magnificent, epic, entertaining journey, and I can't wait to start." Davies recently worked with Eccleston on religious fantasy drama The Second Coming for ITV. Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, said: "We are delighted to have cast an actor of such calibre in one of British television's most iconic roles. It signals our intention to take Doctor Who into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values - to be surprising, edgy and eccentric." The actor first came to public attention playing Derek Bentley in the film, Let Him Have It, although he is perhaps more familiar to the general public as the doomed DCI David Bilborough in ITV crime drama Cracker. Other TV and film credits include Shallow Grave, eXistenZ, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Our Friends in the North and The Others, co-starring with Nicole Kidman. --------------------------------- BBC News has posted a clip of its announcement. You can view it by clicking here: BBC News Clip (RealPlayer Format) You can discuss this breaking news on STARTREKFANS.NET here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
